No title {Reflections} Long Walk Original Manuscript (Image #605)

vouch for the scientific basis of that claim but one of my fellow prisoners who seems to fit her description very well is Mike Dingake. He is modest and reserved, his language is moderate and at times gives the impression of being soft. He has the gift of getting along with everybody. In actual fact he is a tough man. He is one of the few men in this section who has never received a visit from his wife during the 10 years he has spent here. She was politically active and was forced to flee to Botswana when the police were on her trail and Mike is not likely to see her until he completes his 15 year sentence. Mike's case illustrates the co operation between Prisons Department and the Security Police. In September 1967 while serving his sentence he was removed from here to Pretoria, given 6 days spare diet on a trumped up charge and on the last day of the spare diet week and dizzy, he was handed over by the prison authorities to the notorious Compol Buildings for further interrogation. The previous year he had been tortured with electic shocks, kicked, spat upon his face, insulted and when he fainted revived with cold water. This time when he refused to answer questions he was hoisted up and suspended to a cross pipe with a pair of handcuffs for six hours. He returned with his health affected but his strong political beliefs and courage pulled him through. In political discussion he is ruthless in criticising mistakes of his colleagues for deviations from policy. In the discussion we held to settle the dispute amongst ourselves he raised the most crucial points and piloted the discussion on those issues with considerable skill and frankness. In a work of this nature it is impossible to do justice to my relations with Ahmed Kathrada and on him alone I could produce a volume. We have been together for more than 30 years and have shared hard and happy times together. A dynamic youth leader, militant organiser of many a campaign and persuasive fund raiser, he attracted attention quite early in his youth. As an