Fare thee well ex-terrorist, liberation fighter
Martin Dingake | Monday April 15, 2024 06:01
His father, my grandfather, showed some remarkable foresight and vision by sending Mike to such a far-flung corner at a time when parents were comfortable with their children herding cattle.
Once in South Africa, Cde MK was to do the unthinkable, to the shock of his father and many others in the village, when he joined the struggle for the liberation of the people of South Africa. There is Mike the politician; the terrorist; the prisoner; the liberation fighter and Mike the parent and writer, depending on who you are and your perspective of him and how he touched you or how your pasts crossed.
I read of the other Mikes; I know Mike the politician and the parent. There would be many who would speak of him as a politician than I ever could, and so I leave that task to them. I wish to speak of Cde Mike the parent. Mike the parent was a disciplinarian, firm, and stern, but softly spoken and never a man to repeat himself. He was one never to raise his voice, not that he had any. You knew you had gone overboard when his eyes, and they were big, popped like they could drop, and his lips, which too were big, would tremble. Mac Maharaj says of Mike’s demeanour: "Yes, he has a gentle voice: his laughter is more often a soft chuckle rather than a throaty bellow; his personality exudes calmness. Before anyone of you associate these attributes to sainthood, beware”. I was never one to be in trouble with him and do not remember an instance where the need to discipline me ever arose. Many do not have such pleasant stories like me. Once I did not do well at school, only because I had dropped to position 4 in class, if I recall, my overall pass mark was still very good. He sat me down to explain this drop, no reason I advanced was good enough.
He threatened me with an exile to the village. Ever since that discussion, Cde Mike never looked into my school reports. Clearly, I had upset him beyond measure. Mike also had a soft side without the strictures of discipline or age barrier. I enjoyed him more when he was in this space. In 1999, after being admitted to Ledumang Senior Secondary School, Mike insisted that I pick my extra curriculum activities with his help. I went to pick the school’s prospectus which had come with the admission letter. He suggested that I pick ballroom dance. I have no dancing skill, and lack rhythm, and I do not think I am trainable.
So, I objected. He started a value proposition debate with me. In his mind, I would be better off doing ballroom dance as it will enhance my social skills. I think I had a fair idea what he meant, so I raised my head, which was buried in the school prospectus to have eye contact with him. Cde Mike gave me a naughty smile. I regret the decision not to listen to him, not that I find my social skills any worse; and this is not to say I will be taking up ballroom dance. The other occasion was when he told me about his release from Robben Island. He says that as they got to mainland and were transported to their various destinations, not long after boarding the car, he saw a white coloured girl by the roadside; blonde hair, light skinned, and hair blown off by Cape Tonian winds. He had never seen such beauty in 15 years, he thought of alighting from a moving car, risking his life or talking to the authorities to allow him a moment with the coloured girl. And Mike sounded serious. When our eyes met, we both burst into laughter. I made no comment, for I didn’t know how to react, and the topic was a bit odd.
The laughter was spontaneous, and I think it must have broken whatever tension may have arisen, if any. I think I understood his point. As I reflect on Cde Mike, I am happy that no so long ago, Phoo and I sought to pay tribute to him and remind him of our love for him, by celebrating his 95th birthday with a group of family, his political friends and acquaintances. Just recently, we travelled to South Africa to spend company with his counterparts there to celebrate his 96th birthday. On the occasion of his 95th birthday celebration, Cde MK wrote to me, that; “It is Shakespeare who says: The evil that man do lives after them and the good is often interred in their graves”. And there is common parlance that often suggests, parents spoil their children! These are half truths and shibboleths not consistent with all human personalities and at all times. Children are the same and not the same, so are parents the same and not the same. I and MmaThembi have never spoiled you if my memory serves me right, nor does it appear any good if any we did in life shall be interred in our graves judged by your recent gesture! February 11, 2023 inscribed that notion in our eternal religion. Circumlocution aside, may I say the two of you, though no evidence exists that we spoiled you in your childhood, in my memory, on the date above, refuted that the good, if any, I did shall never be interred in my grave. My gratitude to your recognition that if I contributed, however, minimally, in social life, such mustn't be forgotten! Rest assured your gesture, touched me deeply. Phoo and Letsweletse, you know not, how you elevated me to the skies by way you honoured me on my recent birthday! The human world can be improved beyond recognition by a smallest fraction of trying to walk in your footprints. Be assured, I honestly believe, you may have 'unknowingly' converted some without faith in the human project.
This is only to say how IMPRESSED and touched I was, by the party you threw for my birthday. Stay blessed!!!” From this text you meet Mike the writer, the pen warrior. Someone says of him that he “was not a charismatic public speaker of note in the mould of other politicians of his generation”. I say you had to sit down with him on one on one to enjoy his warmth and love. His thought process, and depth of though manifested itself more in his writing – and he wrote to his hospital bed. I wonder if these two occasions conspired to precipitate Cde Mike’s early departure, which, although at an advance aged, was so sudden and an absolute shock. From sitting in front of a computer three hours ago, to lying in hospital bed, critical and seemingly without hope. But it will be remiss of me, and I am sure others in the family, not to say that Cde Mike felt it was time to go.
This, he made clear to me and Thembi on our return from his 96th birthday celebration on February 13, 2024. I take great lessons from Cde Mike’s humility, simplicity and softness. This was a man who, within Gaborone, took no combis, preferring to walk. We used to tease him gore o ngame. Here was a man who was comfortable with bogobe and mashi or madila, kana morogo. But look what all these gave him, 96 years of joyful and healthy living. At 96, Cde Mike still looked handsome in the coffin. Cde MK has been a guiding light whose love showed me the way in many ways. I hope my daughter, Lindiwe, can come to terms with your passing, insisting on being by you the day you fell sick; attending with me all hospital visits, and spending nights with me to comfort me, she says; although I suspect she herself needs as much comfort if not more. The ex-terrorist and former prisoner must now rest. Cde Mike’s lifeless and ice-cold body will be interred, to be settled forever and in internal peace, to meet his forefathers and brethren who went ahead of him, to rejoice in their company and warmth; now and forever. He would have yearned to be in the company of these people, once more and forever. When you do meet your people Cde MK, please send them my love, and regards. So long Cde MK, so long Morwa DINGAKE.