We are grateful to Zamaswazi Dlamini-Mandela for her invaluable assistance on this book and for her beautiful foreword. As she says, The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela helps us understand how people like her grandfather who were ‘caught opposing the apartheid government’s system to oppress an entire race of people, endured terrible punishments’.
This is so much more than the collected words of an imprisoned freedom fighter and world icon, and greater than the work of an editor and an associate editor. It is the result of a sustained collective effort over many years.
The long journey to publication began in 2006 when Verne Harris, Nelson Mandela Foundation director of archive and dialogue, approached Nelson Mandela for permission to access the letters written during his twenty-seven years in prison with a view to publishing them some day. He assigned Anthea Josias the task of cataloguing everything in the scores of boxes that comprise Mandela’s prison record at the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa. In the next stage, I went through the correspondence to identify all his letters to family and friends. During this research, I discovered a range of compelling official letters to and from prison officials and various institutions, many of which appear in this collection. Gerrit Wagenaar, Natalie Skomolo, and Zahira Adam worked tirelessly to assist in the copying of the letters.
The task of collating and transcribing the letters took years, and in the process other letters were unearthed, both in the archive of Mandela’s personal papers at the Nelson Mandela Foundation and in private collections. Our thanks go particularly to Nicholas Carter, Meyer de Waal, Michael and Sithembile Dingake, Emily Wellman, and Morabo Morojele for offering us letters we had previously not seen. Amnesty International gave us a copy of a letter we were unaware of, which Mandela wrote in 1962 and which is housed in its London archive. The late Coen Stork gave us the letter Mandela wrote to him in 1964. The late Himan Bernadt, who was one of Mandela’s lawyers while he was in prison, donated his papers to the Nelson Mandela Foundation. In 2004, a former security policeman, Donald Card, handed back to Mandela the two hardcover books containing copies of his letters which he had kept for decades after they had been confiscated from his prison cell. They are now housed at the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
We also deeply appreciate the assistance from Vanessa van Copenhagen and the executors of Madiba’s estate, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the Rev. Frank Chikane, Dr Richard Maponya, Tumeka Matanzima, Xoliswa Matanzima Jozana, Nqaba Ngoyi, Vicky Kente, Duma and Thandeka Gqubule, Trevor Tutu, Anant Singh, Shamim Meer, Her Excellency Nomvuyo Nokwe, Joyce Sikhakhane Rabkin, Ilse Wilson, Tim Wilson, Nosizwe Macamo, Nina Jones and Sanja Gohre.
Mandela did not write only in English, some of the letters included in this collection were written in his mother tongue of isiXhosa and some in Afrikaans. We are grateful to the following people for their translation skills: Pumeza Gwija, Luzuko Koti, Diketso Mufamadi, Vukile Pokwana, Benjamin Harris, Nosisa Tiso, and Jeannie Adams. Thanks also to those who translated various terms in other languages as well as identifying individuals and explaining cultural practices and historical events: Zanele Riba, Florence Garishe, Razia Saleh, Ramni Dinath, Fred Khumalo, Zubeida Jaffer, Siraj Desai, Jimi Matthews, and Zohra Kathrada Areington.
It was a mammoth task to identify individuals and other details in the letters, and without the assistance of many people the supplementary information would not have been as rich as it is. Mac Maharaj never refused one request for information and spent considerable time providing much detail of prison life and of individuals.
Others who did not hesitate to pitch in when we requested their help were John Allen, Edwin Arrison, Christo Brand, Belinda Bozzoli, Laloo Chiba, Tony Eprile, Dali Tambo, Andile Xaba and Sino Xaba, the family of Dr. Gordon Handelsman, Sharon Gelman, Bobby Heaney, Carmen Heydenreich, Willie Hofmeyr, Stanley Kawalsky, Libby Lloyd, Sam Mabale, Mosie Moolla, Saleem Mowzer, Nthabiseng Msomi, Bruce Murray, Prema Naidoo, Shirona Patel, Greta Soggot, Faiza Sujee, Jack Swart, Luli Callinicos and Lyndith Waller. We are also indebted to Zodwa Zwane, Lucia Raadschelders, Claude Colart, Zandile Myeka, Lerato Tshabalala, Khalil Goga, Joe Ditabo, Mongezi Njaju, Sophia Molelekoa, Kerileng Marumo, Tshwarelo Mphatudi, Mark Seftel, Ntsiki Sisulu, Beryl Lockman and Effie Seftel.
Robert Weil of W. W. Norton & Company waited patiently for years after he first expressed a desire to publish the letters and provided wonderful support. Ruth Hobday and Geoff Blackwell of Blackwell & Ruth joined the partnership to publish this book and gave it wings. We are indebted to Rachel Clare’s exceptional and thorough editing and dedication to this book, Cameron Gibb for his handsome design and Elizabeth Blackwell for her assistance.
Sello Hatang, the chief executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, encouraged this book from the beginning and continues to use every opportunity to promote it. We would be remiss in not thanking the rest of the Nelson Mandela Foundation team who have all contributed in different ways to this publication. They are Ethel Arends, Victoria Collis-Buthelezi, Lee Davies, Maeline Engelbrecht, Fikile Gama, Yase Godlo, Heather Henriques, Sumaya Hendricks, Lungelo Khanyile, Gregory Katsoras, Lesego Maforah, Ann-Young Maharaj, Aletta Makgaleng, Clive Maluleke, Palesa Manare, Namile Mchunu, Koketso Mdawo, Limpho Monyamane, Kholofelo Monyela, Kealeboga Morembe, Lunga Nene, Eric Nhlengetwa, Patronella Nqaba, Buyi Sishuba, Lindiwe Skhosana, Morongoa Thobakgale, Given Tuck, Noreen Wahome, and Louisa Zondo.
Members of the Mandela family generously helped with identifying people mentioned in the letters. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was exceptional and spent many hours assisting us. HRH Princess Zenani Dlamini-Mandela, Her Excellency Ms. Zindziswa Mandela, and Ndileka Mandela also gave us essential information. We would also like to thank other members of the Mandela family, Nandi Mandela, Makaziwe Mandela, Tukwini Mandela, Kweku Mandela, Dumani Mandela, Zinhle Dlamini, Zaziwe Manaway, Zoleka Mandela, Chief Zwelivelile Mandela, and Nolusapho Rayne Rose Mandela.
Nelson Mandela’s pain at being separated from his family runs prominently through this valuable chronicle, as does his recognition of their own suffering during those twenty-seven years. We owe them all our deep gratitude.
Sahm Venter
Editor