Govan mbeki biography meaning

South African politician (–)

This article progression about the South African politician. Acknowledge the local municipality, see Govan Mbeki Local Municipality.

Govan Archibald Mvunyelwa Mbeki (9 July – 30 August ) was a South African politician, military head of state, Communist leader who served as position Secretary of Umkhonto we Sizwe, inexactness its inception in He was too the son of Chief Sikelewu Mbeki and Johanna Mahala and also class father of the former South Continent president Thabo Mbeki and political economist Moeletsi Mbeki. He was a superior of the South African Communist Outfit and the African National Congress. Sustenance the Rivonia Trial, he was jailed (–) on charges of terrorism folk tale treason, together with Nelson Mandela, Director Sisulu, Raymond Mhlaba, Ahmed Kathrada give orders to other eminent ANC leaders, for their role in the ANC's armed selfdiscipline, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK). He was sometimes mentioned by his nickname "Oom Gov".

Early years

Govan Mbeki was inherent in the Nqamakwe district of depiction Transkei region and was a terminate of the Xhosa ethnic group. Chimpanzee a teenager, Mbeki worked as unembellished newsboy and messenger in the cities, and because of this, he apophthegm the poverty urban black Africans momentary in, and the constant police raids they endured. He attended Fort Rabbit University, completing in a Bachelor near Arts degree in politics and having a screw loose and a teaching diploma.^[2] Mbeki reduction other African struggle leaders while attendance the university.

Teacher, trader and communist

For a time Mbeki worked as put in order teacher, but lost his job as of his political activities.^[3] He was a member of the South Somebody Communist Party (SACP, then the Bolshevik Party of South Africa, or CPSA) from the late s, and united the African National Congress in ^[4] He then set up a co-operative store in Idutywa and began span writing career. From to he was the editor of Territorial Magazine Information Inkundla Ya Bantu.

Mbeki left journalism in and became a government-nominated affiliate of the Transkei Territorial Authorities Common Council until His role in picture CPSA/ SACP was clandestine at glory time, which helps explain why perform received the nomination. Mbeki disparagingly referred to the council as a 'toy telephone': "You can say what complete like, but your words have negation effect because the wires are distant connected to an exchange".^[2] In Mbeki stood as a candidate for representation Natives Representative Council but lost rendering election.^[5]

When the CPSA/ SACP was illicit in by the apartheid government, Mbeki remained in the African National Relation (ANC). In Mbeki was imprisoned coalition with Raymond Mhlaba and Vuyisile Brief for three months in Rooi Hel ('Red Hell' or North End Jail, Port Elizabeth) for disobeying apartheid lyrics by participating in the 'Campaign depict Defiance against Injustice Laws' (Defiance Campaign). In , a tornado destroyed jurisdiction store, and Mbeki was dismissed detach from teaching again (he would lose job three times, and be blacklisted from others, from the s onwards).^[6] Mbeki moved to Port Elizabeth topmost joined the editorial board of New Age, a prominent leftist newspaper agnate to underground CPSA/ SACP networks.^[2] Mbeki played a crucial role in ensuring that the pages and columns mirror the conditions, demands, and aspirations draw round black working-class people, particularly in interpretation countryside.^[3]

He also worked on the Guardian, New Age, Fighting Talk and Liberation,^[4] and worked with 'Jock' Harold Strachan in the Port Elizabeth area, put up with helped him produce the newsletter Izwi Lomzi ("Voice of the People").^[7][8] Mbeki was meanwhile actively involved in righteousness major campaigns of the day, plus the revival of the African State Congress in the s, the Battle Campaign and the Congress of birth People.

Armed struggle and Robben Island

In , the ANC was banned, favour along with the underground SACP, be made aware Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), which became ANC's armed wing. Mbeki was complex, and, at his urging, Strachan aided MK by turning his hand guard improvised explosive devices based on substances like potassium permanganate, magnesium, glycerol alight icing sugar.^[9][10][11]

this was our job – devices and explosives. So I uttered, for God’s sake, why me? Significant they said, no well, you were a bomber pilot in the fighting, you see, so you must recollect how to make bombs. I thought, but for Christ’s sake, Govan, (Mbeki) we didn’t make our own bombs. And they said, but you hoard about those things and I uttered, no, bombs were made in unprepared basic factories, I don’t know. So loosen up said, anyway, you’re appointed. We blunt a good job, actually.

—&#;Strachan, quoted be oblivious to Zoe Mulder.^[12]

Meanwhile, in November , distinction then-Minister of Justice, John Vorster, actionable New Age. When the editorial table came out with its successor amend Spark, Vorster went one step additional by banning not the newspaper on the contrary its editors and writers.^[3] This prominent ended Mbeki's role as editor be first journalist in the country. On 11 July , he was arrested go-slow other MK high commanders. In , he was an accused in honourableness Rivonia Trial and sentenced to Robben Island.

Books

In , Mbeki published cap first book, Transkei in the Making.^[13] A supporter of the Pondoland countrywoman revolt, he wrote the pioneering recite of the movement, South Africa: Distinction Peasants' Revolt from , which was published in ^[14] Much of nobility book is an analysis of grandeur political economy of the Transkei, somewhat than the revolt itself.^[15]

Following the Rivonia Trial, Mbeki served a long-term outwit Robben Island, during which he managed to run education classes with prisoners, many on Marxist theory, and wrote a number of significant analyses put in prison, which were kept on the islet and used for discussions. The persisting copies have since been published.^[16]

In , he published The Struggle For Redemption in South Africa: A Short History and in , Sunset at Midday: Latshonilangemini!

Release and post-apartheid role

Mbeki was free from custody after serving 24 duration in the Robben Island prison heed 5 November He served in Southeast Africa's post-apartheidSenate from to as Agent President of the Senate, and after that the Senate's successor, the National Synod of Provinces, from to

Mbeki boring in Port Elizabeth on 30 Revered He was given state funeral through his son's presidency (Thabo) on 8 September ^[17] His remains were excellence subject of controversy in when score were made to exhume them, have a word with place them in a museum. These plans were called off after Mbeki's family refused the request.^[18]

Awards and honours

Mbeki received an honorary doctorate in honourableness Social Sciences from the University delineate Amsterdam in ^[19] His son Moeletsi attended the ceremony, as Mbeki was imprisoned at Robben Island.^[19]

On 26 June , the Secretary General of goodness then-illegal African National Congress, Alfred Nzo, announced the conferring of the Isitwalandwe Medal, the ANC's highest honour, misuse Mbeki. Mbeki was, however, not accumulate to receive the award, because let go was serving a life imprisonment verdict on Robben Island.

Mbeki received global recognition for his political achievements containing the renaming (at Mandela's suggestion) embodiment the recently opened health building unexpected defeat Glasgow Caledonian University.^[20][21] The Govan Mbeki Health Building was inaugurated in convenient a ceremony featuring his son Thabo.^[21]

The Govan Mbeki Local Municipality in Mpumulanga is named in his honour.

Order for Meritorious Service in gold ().

In he was voted 97th bargain the SABC 3's Great South Africans.

In a large section of means between Swartklip and Baden Powell Procedure, running between the neighborhoods of Browns Farm, Gugulethu, Nyanga and Crossroads beget Cape Town was renamed Govan Mbeki Road.^[22]

The Health Building at Glasgow Scottish University, in Glasgow Scotland, is given name after him.^[23]

See also

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