Free Winnie Mandela by Anné Mariè du Preez Bezdrob Page B

of beautiful clothes. Gertrude had moulded the basis of her faith, tenacity and strength of character, and her Aunt Phyllis, a teacher who had studied at Fort Hare, would play an important role in her future.
    Her mother’s sister was the first secretary of the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), and while Winnie saw little of her during childhood, they would form a strong bond once Winnie went to Johannesburg. She even lived with Aunt Phyllis on the East Rand for a time.
    By the age of eighteen, Winnie had been exposed to controversy, conflict and tragedy, and already understood the need to be both tough and caring. As an adult, those qualities would expand into grace, empathy, charisma and great courage.

 
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The magical city of gold
    T HE FIRST APARTHEID GOVERNMENT’S Bantu Education system was designed to trap South Africa’s black population in subservience, and to institutionalise impoverished minds and stunt metaphysical growth. It restricted their teaching syllabus, placing the emphasis on subjects that would qualify pupils for unskilled labour: agriculture, gardening, woodwork, domestic service.
    Academic subjects were systematically whittled out of the curriculum, and for decades after the introduction of the Bantu Education Act in 1953, black school leavers were equipped to be little more than carriers of water and hewers of wood. The government’s intent was spelled out clearly by Dr Hendrik Verwoerd, minister in charge of Bantu Education at the time and later prime minister: ‘There is no place for the Bantu in the European [i.e. white South African] community above the level of certain forms of labour. Racial relations cannot improve if the result of Native [i.e. black] education is the creation of frustrated people who, as a result of the education they receive, have expectations in life which circumstances in South Africa do not allow to be fulfilled immediately.’
    Winnie was fortunate enough to escape this fate, matriculating two years before the introduction of Bantu Education. As the law that would condemn millions of blacks to a wholly inferior education was being debated in parliament, she was embarking on the journey that would qualify her as a social worker.
    For the first time in her life she would travel beyond the small, dusty towns of the Transkei, armed with a knowledge of the outside world acquired from her father and his books, her love of reading newspapers, and her teachers. Going to Johannesburg, South Africa’s biggest city, was a breathtaking adventure, and during the December holidays there was a steady flow of relatives visiting with advice. Winnie had to sit, eyes respectfully downcast, listening patiently, as the older women – most of whom had never ventured out of Bizana – warned her of the dangers in eGoli – the City of Gold. They urged her to beware of strangers, and to be especially wary of tsotsis [gangsters], who were a danger to unsuspecting young girls. Nancy made faces and giggled behind her hand while Winnie tried her best to keep a straight face, although in reality she was growing more impatientby the day to shake off the dust of the familiar and venture into the unknown. Makhulu grumbled that Winnie had enough of an education and had no need to go to Johannesburg. Why could she not stay at home like other girls?
    The tribal elders cautioned Winnie not to forget Pondoland, and to live according to the proud traditions of her people. When they were alone, Columbus assured Winnie that there was nothing to be concerned about. He had organised everything and showed her the letters from the college and the Helping Hand Hostel, where he had arranged for her to live. The hostel was in Hans Street, Jeppe, close to the city centre and far from the overcrowded black townships where crime was rife.
    Winnie had never been on a train or at a railway station, however, and Columbus was concerned about her safety on the overnight journey to Johannesburg – afraid