Rivonia trialist and ANC struggle veteran Denis Goldberg says that 50 years on, the celebration of the trial stands for the appreciation of life and the idea of freedom that the trialists stood for.
Thursday marks 50 years since Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki, Elias Motsoaledi, Denis Goldberg, Raymond Mhlaba, Ahmed Kathrada and Andrew Mlangeni were sentenced to life imprisonment.
Speaking on Morning Live, Goldberg and another trialist, Ahmed Kathrada, relived the experience of the Rivonia Trial; stating that right from the day of judgement, the expectation was death.
Kathrada describes the judgement as ancient history, stating that he just remembers the bare outlines of what happened.
Goldberg however reiterates the importance of the appreciation of life.
“I looked to my mother… and said, it’s life and life is wonderful. And unlike Kathy, for me it’s not just ancient history…we are living it today 50 years on.”
Kathrada recalls how former president Nelson Mandela set the tone of the trial for all of them.
In his speech, Mandela states: “During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination… It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
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Having read the speech before, Goldberg says that moment was one of pride and courage for all those who were on trial.
He describes it as a moment of grace under fire.
“…I felt just a sense of elation to share this moment. It was such a moment of pride…you don’t choose to be on trial for your life you know…but to have it stated with such courage and elegance; I’d like to think of it as grace under fire. There was no sense of fear.”
Edited by Paballo Lephaka.
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