Upbringing
Andrew Mokete Moeti Mlangeni was born on 06 June 1925 at Matoding (later renamed Maynhartfontein farm) outside Bethlehem in the then boer republic of the Orange Free State (now the Free State Province). He is the ninth of twelve children of Matia and Aletta Mlangeni and belonged to one of the three sets of twins by the couple. His parents were farm labour tenants. His father passed away when he was six years old and was brought up by his mother with the assistance of his elder brothers. In 1934 his family moved from the farm to a rented accommodation in the Bethlehem town. He moved to Johannesburg in 1941 when his mother permanently relocated there.
In Johannesburg, Andrew stayed with his elder brother, Sekila, in Pimville and later at a makeshift settlement in the present-day Orlando township before he found his current house in Dube in 1954, which became his home until his death.
He met June Johanna Ledwaba in 1948 and they married in 1950. They were blessed with four children, two girls Maureen and Sylvia and two boys – Sello and Aubrey who predeceased him.
Education
He started school at the age of 11 in Bethlehem, when he enrolled himself at a local church-run school and passed Standard 4 in 1941. He later enrolled for Standard 5 at Pimville Government School in 1942 and passed Standard 6 in 1943. In 1944 he enrolled at St Peter’s Secondary School in Rosettenville where he passed Form 3 in 1946. He could not proceed beyond junior certificate because of financial constraints.
He later managed to complete Matric through correspondence from Robben Island through Rapid Results College as well as BA (Public Administration) in 1979 and BA(Hons) in Political Science in 1983 with UNISA, obtaining the latter cum laude. His Law degree studies was disrupted by the negotiations at CODESA.
Employment
Mlangeni took employment at Jeffery & Gallion in 1947-1955 as a printing assistant. This position benefitted the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the African National Congress’ communication units because he would sneak in on weekends to print their posters, banners and fliers.
From 1955 to 1958 he joined PUTCO as a bus Driver a position he left because of his left wing views against exploitation.
Political Life
Mlangeni was recruited to the Young Communist League by Ruth First in 1944 where he worked with the likes of Elisa Watts and Joe Slovo. From 1959 he became a full-time ‘functionary’ of the SACP as well as its secretary of the Johannesburg region responsible for black groups alongside Esther Barsel who was responsible for white groups.
He also participated in the activities of the African National Congress Youth League Rosettenville branch from 1944 where he worked with the likes of Joe Matthews, Duma Nokwe, Fats Ngakane and Henry Makgothi. However, he formally joined the ANC Youth League in 1951 and the ANC itself in 1954 and became the longest-serving secretary of the ANC Dube branch, which he also represented as a delegate at the Congress of the People in Kliptown where the Freedom Charter was adopted.
He served in the SACP and ANC leadership structures of the Johannesburg Area Committee where he worked with the likes of Nelson Mandela, Elias Motsoaledi, Alfred Kgasago, Arthur Hlapane, John and Obed Motshabi, Dan Tloome and Andrew Kunene. He also worked with Ruth First to support the mineworkers’ strike of 1946 spearheaded by the Communist Party’s aligned African Miners Union under the leadership of JB Marks and Dan Tloome.
When peaceful means of expressing dissatisfaction with political marginalisation and economic deprivation by the apartheid minority regime was barred to the majority, Andrew was recruited by Nelson Mandela as the first Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) foot soldier in 1961. Later that year, he together with Joe Gqabi, Abel Mthembu, Raymond Mhlaba, Steve Naidoo and Wilton Mkwayi became the first MK members to be sent for sophisticated military training in China. Here, he and Naidoo were specifically selected for advanced military communication techniques and manufacturing of explosives due to their advanced level of Mathematics. During this time he met one of his heroes, Mao Tse-tung, who gave him a message to relay to the ANC leadership that the ANC should bring a bigger number for training than it had done with their group.
On his return in early 1963 he joined the underground unit of MK and became a member of its High Command. His major responsibilities at the time were recruitment of people and despatching them for military training outside the country. It was during these activities that he disguised as a priest under the pseudo-names Rev Percy Mokoena and Percy Mbatha. Among the people he despatched to exile included Joe Modise and Chris Hani.
He was arrested with Motsoaledi on 24 June 1963 on the national raid day and charged with the Zeerust group which had been intercepted by the security forces in Zeerust after Andrew tried to despatch them for military training outside the country. However, he and Motsoaledi were acquitted from the Zeerust trial because of lack of evidence against them.
But their acquital was shortlived because they were again charged in the Rivonia Treason Trial together with many other leaders who had been arrested at a raid at Liliesleaf Farm on 11 July 1963, as well as Mandela who serving a five years sentence following his trial in 1962.
Before the court passed judgment on him, Mlangeni told the court that:
"Though leaders of many countries throughout the world have tried to persuade the Government to abandon its apartheid policy, and although resolutions have been passed in the United Nations against South Africa, this has met with no result. All that the Government has done is to reply to the people's demands by putting their political leaders in gaol, and breaking up families".
He was found guilty alongside Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki, Raymond Mhlaba, Ahmed Kathrada, Denis Goldberg, Mkwayi and Motsoaledi and sentenced on 12 June 1964 to life imprisonment. With the exception of Goldberg who was detained inland, the rest were sent to Robben Island. He was prisoner 46764.
He was released from prison after 26 years in October 1989 with the likes of Sisulu, Ahmed Kathrada, Mkwayi, Mhlaba and Oscar Mpetha. He immediately became a member of the internal ANC structure led by Sisulu. He also served as Transport Head at the ANC’s Shell House after his election into the NEC in 1991.
After the first democratic elections in 1994, he became an ANC Member of Parliament in Cape Town until he retired in 2014. In 2012 he became Chairperson of the ANC’s Integrity Commission because of his integrity and ethical conduct.
Mlangeni was passionate about the sport of Golf through which made many friends. He founded the June and Andrew Mlangeni Foundation in 2009 to continue with the community charity work that his wife had started whilst he was in prison.
Honours and decorations
Mlangeni received the following honours:
- Isitwalandwe/ Seaparankwe (1992) – the highest award by the ANC to those who made an outstanding contribution and sacrifice to the liberation struggle.
- National honours in the form of Presidential Order for Meritorious Service: Class 1 Gold from President Mandela (1999)
- Honorary Doctorates
- University of South Africa (2013)
- Rhodes University 2018
- Durban University of Technology (2018)
- Cape Peninsula University of Technology (2019)
- Freedom of the City of Sedibeng
- Freedom of the City of Johannesburg (2016)
- Freedom of the City of London (2018)
Mlangeni is survived by his younger sister, Fedile, 2 daughters, 1 son, 10 grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren and 2 great grand children.
Hamba kahle Motlokwa, Sithalandhwe-Seaparankwe. The nation mourns your departing. Your memory will remain in the hearts and minds of freedom and peace loving peoples of the world.
