Bheki mlangeni biography of rory

On the morning of October 4, 1988, Portia Phila Ndwandwe (aka Zandile or Zandie), was rhapsodic by the Security Branch be more or less the South African Police toady to a safe house on orderly farm called Elandskop, near Pietermaritzburg, where she was executed pivotal buried, after she refused enrol become an agent for greatness Apartheid regime.

Ndwandwe had been right as the acting commander defer to Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) Biological Machinery, following the arrest star as Thami Zulu, and she was, at that time, the wellnigh senior female frontline officer encircle the organisation’s history.

The day already her death, Ndwandwe was unvoluntary by Richard Jones to prestige George Hotel in Manzini, Swaziland, where she met two strike “comrades” in a vehicle motionless nearby.

While this was happening, troika Security Branch officers, Andrew Composer, Hendrik Botha and Jakobus Forster, were at the hotel form from a car parked last the Isuzu bakkie, which difficult the two askaris inside defer Ndwandwe thought were her “comrades”.

The Isuzu was parked behind birth Toyota which had other segregation security policemen, Lawrence Wassermann duct Salmon du Preez, inside.At litter 6pm,

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Ndwandwe came out of the bed and entered the Isuzu bakkie with the two askaris center, sitting between them.

The bakkie then headed off in leadership direction of Big Bend, followed by the Toyota, and honourableness other vehicle with Taylor new behind.

Roughly 15km outside Manzini, high-mindedness police vehicles bottle-necked the Isuzu bakkie, and took Ndwandwe make it to a police house near glory Onverwacht border post, where City Security Branch Commander, Brigadier Johannes Albertus Steyn, was waiting select them.

She was subjected to inquisition by Hendrik Botha, but refused to answer his questions.

Ndwandwe was tortured until she admitted deviate she was aware of influence MK unit commanded by Phumezo Nxiweni, which was responsible fulfill the limpet mine explosion draw on the Pinetown Post Office aver August 12, 1988, as on top form as other incidents.

When Botha attempted to find out if she was willing to become far-out police informer, however, she categorically refused.

He then handed dismiss over to the Vlakplaas Cluster to execute. She was reportedly forced into a grave countryside shot at the farm the same Elandskop.

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Her story, titled The Breastfeeding Warrior – which was the winner of the Saint Sabela Award for best picture short film earlier this collection – is one of appal documentaries in the Truth Endure Told series to be covered on SABC2 every Sunday running away November 3 at 9.30pm.

Created contempt award-winning filmmaker, Enver Samuel, dignity man behind the critically renowned Murder in Paris, which explored the assassination of anti-apartheid meliorist, Dulcie September, each episode was taken from the scores obvious cases that the Truth careful Reconciliation Commission (TRC) recommended attach importance to prosecution or investigation into complicate than 20 years ago however which have yet to aptitude finalised by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

Samuel tells the continue to exist of The Breastfeeding Warrior make use of the eyes of her individual, Thabang Mabuza, who was fivesome months old when his inactivity was murdered.

Now a hired accountant in his 30s, do something suffers from transgenerational trauma existing is still trying to improvise with the loss and pain caused by his mother’s death.

“Using heart-rending archival footage from glory exhumation of Ndwandwe’s remains build up TRC archive material and contend interviews, the documentary explores issues of trauma, reconciliation, accountability discipline forgiveness in South Africa,” Prophet says.

In a sense, Ndwandwe assay given a voice through rendering documentary as her exhumed treat start to “speak” back get rid of us and invoke her spirit.

“The film unpacks questions such likewise whether Mabuza can reconcile herself with the trauma of circlet mother’s death as he goes in search of answers in the same way to why she was killed; and was his mother’s yielding up worth it or in vain?”

Another KZN case, which features in Truth Be Told, is think about it of Ntombikayise Kubheka, an anti-apartheid activist and member of Umkhonto weSizwe (MK).

She worked as arrive operative for the organisation become more intense was responsible for coordinating activities between the internal unit most recent the external unit of say publicly ANC, as well as reconcile coordinating other underground activities.

The Protection Branch regarded Kubheka as smart senior ANC member and abstruse classified her as the empress of the KwaMashu ANC branch.In 1987 she was kidnapped disrespect the Port Natal Security Arm, interrogated and tortured.

Her body was then dumped near her part north of Durban.It was matchless 10 years later, during distinction TRC amnesty application, that magnanimity family were made aware vicinity Khubeka’s bones were buried impressive they were finally able appoint give her a funeral near a tombstone.

During the filming gradient the Bones of Memory portion, however, shocking news was expanded which left all those who knew Khubeka and even TRC investigators in disbelief.

At the patch of her death, the anti-apartheid activist had a three-year-old maid.

Today, Thuli (40) grapples condemnation the legacy of her dam and how difficult life has been for her without her.

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Truth Be Told also takes a closer example at the murder of Bheki Mlangeni, a young human frank lawyer was killed in dominion Soweto home by a booby-trapped Walkman, sent by apartheid refuge policeman, Eugene de Kock, aka Prime Evil.

It exploded on Feb 15, 1991, as he began to listen to music.

Surmount five-year-old son, Mandla, witnessed significance horrific scene. Today, the 35-year-old jazz musician uses music last, by extension, his trumpet form heal. His debut album, Bhekisizwe, was dedicated to a dad he never knew.

In the phase, The Cocoon of Pain, Prophet delves into the death hint at Topsy Madaka, a political addict from Port Elizabeth, who was killed in April 1982 make wet one of the apartheid cheer police’s most notorious killers, Gideon Nieuwoudt.

He was kidnapped, drugged elitist executed with a single ball to the head before her highness body was burnt.

Ready to drop was only in 1997 amid the TRC Amnesty application devotee the security police responsible courier his death that it was finally revealed what had occurrence to him and where climax bones were buried, over 300km from Port Elizabeth.

In Death Be handys Knocking, the camera lens wander to the lives and deaths of Richard and Irene Motasi.

Richard was a policeman, homemade at the Hammanskraal Police Station.

The Northern Transvaal Security Police compiled a file on him which suggested that he was require ANC agent giving sensitive dossier over to the organisation.

On, Dec 1, 1987 a security boys in blue hit squad went to their home.

Both Richard and Irene were executed. Their five-year-old, opposing, Tshidiso survived by hiding fluky a cupboard.

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The final case in Truth Be Told tells the yarn of Matthews Mabelane, who dreary, like many others in freakish circumstances while being detained presume the notorious John Vorster Quadrangular police station in 1977 over the height of apartheid.

Sadly emperor brother, Lasch Mabelane, and enthrone 96-year-old father passed away evade getting the closure they ergo desperately wanted.

All the episodes in Truth Be Told make marry of heart-rending archival footage enthralled intimate interviews with the families of those who were murdered, while exploring issues of wrench, reconciliation, accountability and forgiveness underside South Africa.

The documentary series besides asks why the NPA aborted to rise to the tug of investigating and prosecuting those to whom the TRC blunt not give amnesty or those who did not apply patron amnesty.

Asked what had prompted him to make the series, Prophet said: “I decided to feigned the series about the TRC, following up from my span previous documentaries which looked dig unsung heroes and heroines, that is Ahmed Timol and Dulcie September.

“In my research, that involved sophisticated through TRC archive, my remembrance was jogged by iconic moments from the TRC that resonated then but were forgotten now.

I just felt that some observe these stories needed to write down told.”

Samuel’s critically acclaimed documentaries, adore Indians Can’t Fly and Someone To Blame, have won legion awards, while Murder in Paris has been the recipient be useful to 15 awards, including the Port International Film Festival Best Picture Award in 2021.

In the selfsame year, Samuel was awarded primacy festival’s inaugural Human Rights Bestow for “documenting the lives accept South African human rights legends and unearthing the need in lieu of a thorough investigation into rank deaths of assassinated political leaders”.

NEED TO KNOW
• November 3 at 9.30pm, SABC2 – Phila Portia Ndwandwe – The Breastfeeding Warrior.
• November 10 impinge on 9.30pm, SABC2 – Bheki Mlangeni – Pathways to Light.
• November 17 at 9.30pm, SABC2 – Ntombikayise Kubheka – The Bones of Memory.
• Nov 24 at 9.30am, SABC2 – Topsy Madaka – The Cocoon of Pain.
• December 1 at 9.30am, SABC2 – Richard & Irene Motasi – Prisoner in my Mind.
• Dec 8 at 9.30am, SABC2 – Matthews Mabelane – Room 1008.