STRUGGLE STALWART AHMED KATHRADA'S FIRST RADIO INTERVIEW AFTER HE WAS RELEASED FROM LIFE IMPRISONMENT IN COTOBER 1989. THE INTERVIEW IS BEING PUBLISHED HERE IN THREE PARTS ON THE DAY A LIFE-SIZE STATUE OF HIM WAS UNVEILED TODAY (MAY 17 2019)

(IN THE TOP PICTURE AHMED KATHRADA IS AT THE HOME OF A FAMILY MEMBER IN LENASIA, JOHANNESBURG, AFTER HE WAS RELEASED IN OCTOBER 1989. THE PERSON NEXT TO HIM WAS ANOTHER POLITICAL ACTIVIST, CASSIM SALOJEE. UNFORTUNATELY HE IS NOT SEEN IN THE PHOTO) (IN THE SECOND PICTURE, AHMED KATHRADA IS SEEN WITH A FORMER GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON DURING A VISIT TO INDIA. KATHRADA JOINED NELSON MANDELA DURING HIS FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT TO INDIA IN 1995) One of South Africa’s veteran struggle activists, Ahmed Kathrada, was bestowed with one of the country’s highest honours today (May 17 2019) when a life-size bronze statue of him was unveiled at the Maropeng Visitor Centre, Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, west of the city of Johannesburg. Kathrada, who was imprisoned for more than 26 years after being convicted of high treason along with Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki, and other activists, passed away at the age of 87 on March 28 2017. The ceremony was led by the National Heritage Project, led by Dali Tambo, the son of Kathrada’s fellow Robben Island prison leader, Oliver Tambo. Kathrada’s statue formed part of other scultures erected to honour former struggle stalwarts. They include Nelson Mandela, Oliver and Adelaide Tambo, Walter and Albertina Sisulu, Helen Suzman, Mirriam Makeba, Govan Mbeki, Beyers Naude, and Joe Slovo. When Kathrada was released in October 1989 along with Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki, Raymond Mahlaba, Elias Motsoaledi and Andrew Mlangeni, I was working for the Press Trust of India as its free-lance correspondent in South Africa. I made arrangements with some close associates and family members of Kathrada to interview him as he had his roots in India. I travelled to Johannesburg and had the privilege of talking to Kathrada about his life and his struggles for a non-racial and democratic South Africa at a family home in Lenasia. I recall that another political activist, Cassim Salojee, was present at the time I conducted the interview with M r Kathrada. In order to provide some information about the life of Kathrada, I am publishing the interview in three parts here: PART ONE

PART TWO

PART THREE