530:('Red Hell' or North End Prison, Port Elizabeth). The campaign was launched in Port Elizabeth when Mhlaba led a group of volunteers singing freedom songs through the "Whites Only" entrance of the New Brighton Railway Station. This action earned him the Xhosa nickname "Vulindlela" or "he who opens the way." That same year, Mhlaba was charged under South Africa's Suppression of Communism Act. Although his political activities continued, he was barred from attending meetings or gatherings. After the ANC was banned on 8 April under the Unlawful Organisations Act, the party took up the armed struggle forming its military wing
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During his time in Robben Island, Mhlaba and other ANC members founded the ANC High
Command or High Organ with Mandela as its head. The committee educated and supported younger imprisoned members, formulated policies on day-to-day concerns, prisoners' complaints, and strikes, and enforced discipline
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within their isolation unit. Looking back at their time in Robben Island
Mandela said of Mhlaba: "I got to know him as the peacemaker. He spent a lot of time urging fellow prisoners to forget their differences and unite so that conditions for prisoners could improve."
534:. Mhlaba was one of its first recruits and was sent to China for military training. Before leaving he assisted Mandela in writing the Umkhonto constitution. In 1962, Mhlaba returned to South Africa, becoming a commander of the MK after Nelson Mandela's arrest.
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branch of the ANC from 1947 to 1953, and then elected to the Cape
Executive committee. Mhlaba was the first to be arrested for disobeying apartheid laws during the nationwide Defiance Campaign of 1952 together with Govan Mbeki and
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and
Andries Pretorius street, The R30 in Bloemfontein was renamed after Raymond Mhlaba to honour him. There's an ANC branch named after him in Mpumalanga, Nkangala region, sub-region Thembisile Hani ward 11 in Verena.
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After his release from prison on 15 October 1989, he was elected to the ANC national executive and the South
African Communist Party central committee. He became national chairperson of the SACP in 1995.
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area in 1943. In their 17 years together, before her death in a car accident in 1960, they had three children Bukeka, Nomalungelo and
Jongintshaba. In 1982, Mhlaba, who had been a political prisoner in
546:, Walter Sisulu and Govan Mbeki were arrested and Nelson Mandela was already in prison. They were charged with sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the government. On 9 October 1963, the world-famous
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in 1992 for his role in the liberation struggle, and the Moses Kotane Award in 2002 for his contribution to the SACP. The
Nkonkobe Local Municipality which includes Alice and Mhlaba's hometown
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On 11 July 1963 the South
African apartheid government raided the ANC's underground headquarters in Rivonia, north of Johannesburg. Mhlaba and 10 other ANC and SACP leaders including
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with all the accused charged with high treason. On 12 June 1964, Mhlaba, Mandela and seven other ANC leaders were sentenced to life imprisonment, and all were sent to
599:. He was chairperson of a black economic empowerment consortium involved in the Coega port project, but suffered a stroke on 19 July 2003, recovering quickly.
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and was educated at
Healdtown secondary school but had to drop out because of financial problems Mhlaba started working at a laundry in
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on 27 February 2005. Mhlaba is survived by his three sons and five daughters, his wife Dideka Mhlaba having died on 18 January 2010.
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after leaving school in 1942. The horrendous conditions at the laundry converted him to a trade unionist and he became the leader of
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Mhlaba is seen as a stalwart member of both the ANC and the SACP. He was recognised with the
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in 1986, with whom he had three children Mpilo, Nomawethu and Nikiwe.
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Anti-apartheid activist and politician from South Africa (1920–2005)
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after leaving school in 1942. He met and married his first wife,
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where he received special permission marry his common-law wife
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Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by South Africa
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South African prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment
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In January 1994 he was chosen as the ANC's nominee as
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408:(12 February 1920 – 20 February 2005) was an anti-
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918:Deaths from liver cancer in South Africa
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908:2005 deaths
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426:Govan Mbeki
237:Preceded by
211:Thabo Mbeki
156:Preceded by
99:August 2017
897:Categories
862:Balindlela
758:Oupa Gqozo
640:References
466:Joyce Meke
456:district,
336:Joyce Meke
279:1920-02-12
69:newspapers
410:apartheid
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198:1997–2001
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796:Transkei
786:Transkei
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683:. News24
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