Around Mother Africa Long Walk Original Manuscript (Image #439)

government. I agreed to undertake that mission. Abe Gani and I drove down to Durban to report to Chief Luthuli as usual. On every occasion I went to Durban since I went underground I would try to contact Masabalala Yengwa and he would make all the arrangements for me to meet Chief. But it was not easy to reach him because he lived in an African township the entrance of which was guarded day and night by the municipal police. He also visited Inanda very often where his wife Edith Yengwa was teaching and I had to wait in town for him. On our arrival in Durban we immediately advised Masabalala and in the meantime lived with a friend in town whose wife came from Johannesburg. I quickly struck friendship with their lovely daughter who was about 4 years old at that time and she sat on my lap as we conversed. My face was full of hair and my appearance not so tidy. She scanned me for some time and bluntly remarked: "You're dirty!" Early the next morning my friend took me to his mother's place and I saw several people throughout the day, including Kgalaki Sello and Earnest Galo. After each group left I would make some notes and thereafter read. The old lady turned out to be quite sharp and late that afternoon she asked me to take a walk with her, which I politely refused. Then the interrogation started. "Where you come from ?" she asked. "Pietersberg", was my reply. "Why you visit Durban ?" she