Imtiaz Cajee

My fellow Swallows supporter Moroka Sifiso Ndlovu who helped me in the initial stages of writing this book. But the other meanings—the holiday overtones of the word "celebrate"—at first seemed out of place.

CHRONOLOGY

IN DETENTION

THE LONG DROP

INTRODUCTION

Students, teachers, workers and the majority of the oppressed people of the country rebelled against the white government. By doing my own research I found that two of the people responsible for Ahmed's death were dead (Brigadiers John Pattle and Captain Bean) following my grandmother's testimony in 1997.

EARLY DAYS

Her father, Ismail Dindar, came to South Africa in the second decade of the century. Haji Timol was a wholesaler specializing in rice with GH (Goolam Hussein) Bhabha, a colleague from Kholvad, who was also active in running Kholvad's madrasa.

EDUCATION

He was one of the few "non-white" accountants in the 50s and 60s. Jo Jo and Ahmed had the overwhelming support of the majority of students at the Roodepoort Indian School, as was evident after another fruitless visit by the Security Branch to the school.

SPORTING CAMPAIGNS

We used to train in the evenings on the grounds of Natalspruit without floodlights', he continues. Ahmed was not a flamboyant batsman but a fighter on the cricket pitch, in the truest sense of the word.

POLITICAL SITUATION

Out of this rethinking of their role emerged Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation), the military wing of the ANC, established at the joint initiative of the ANC and the South African Communist Party. The arrest of part of the leadership in Rivonia dealt a great blow to the liberation movement. The South African Indian Congress (SAIC) and the SACP are Drs. Dadoo called on her to leave South Africa and strengthen the movement's foreign mission.

Herbie Francis (who went to Canada) was previously in charge of the register, and the responsibility was then transferred to me. Aziz and Essop would then send newsletters about the ANC's activities to the people in South Africa. The membership of the ANC was limited to Africans until the Morogoro Conference in 1969.

PRECOCIOUS PILGRIM

Dr Dadoo probably confirmed his determination to go to London." Ahmed also met Molvi Cachalia in Mecca. Ruth also remembers that "Ahmed also talked about his deep love he had for his mother. Essop recalls, “Ahmed was chosen to go to the Party School with Thabo Mbeki and was excited to be chosen.

Essop recalls, "Ahmed returned with a photograph taken of him standing on the beach. Meg recalls, "Ahmed just told Ruth that he was going to South Africa to work in the underground. Essop says: " Ahmed could not help it as he watched weekly films about the many Soviet people who were killed.

UNDERGROUND WORK

I expected Ahmed to be in the middle of the stealth movement and never discussed what he was doing. Despite the fact that Ahmed was earning an income, life in the Timol family remained difficult. Ahmed assured in the same letter that reports of the resignations of JB Marks and OR Tambo were a fabrication.

Sampie was in charge of the library, teaching geography to the Standard Fours at the primary school. The fact that I carried this message confirmed that Ahmed was involved in the underground. Muhammad had arrived in the country only a few hours before the Security Police were at Timoli's doorstep.

ARREST, DETENTION AND DEATH

OCTOBER 1971 (POLICE VERSION)

Sergeant Kleyns guarded Timol while Lieutenant Van Wyk and Captain Dirker went through the material found in Timol's possession. Although Lieutenant Van Wyk did not inspect Timol thoroughly, he did not notice any visible injuries to his face, hands, etc. Sergeant Kleyns and Captain Dirker then took Timol to the offices of the security department of the John Vorster Square Police Station.

While Sergeant Kleyns looked after the "Indian", Lieutenant Colonel Van Wyk and Captain Dirker went through all the documents found in Timol's possession. According to the information found, it was clear to Lieutenant Colonel Van Wyk that Timol was a communist and that he had contact with the Central Committee of the Communist Party in London. They returned at 19 and met Captain Gloy, Van Niekerk and the "Indian", Timol, and was told that Timol would be spending the night in the room.

OCTOBER 1971 (POLICE VERSION)

Timol asked to go to the bathroom and got up with Rodrigues. Deysel immediately grabbed two blankets and ran to the elevator where he met Colonel Greyling. Timol's body was then taken to the ninth floor, where the district surgeon examined the body, and then it was taken to the morgue.

On my arrival at 4:05 PM, I went to the Security Department office on the ninth floor where a body of an Indian man was shown to me. Even the doctor joined in the racist labeling of the security department officers; Ahmed was, for Dr. Kemp, "an Indian man". On Friday, October 29, Haji Timol went to the Hillbrow morgue and identified the body of his son, Ahmed, "Body 399/171" at approximately 7:45 am.

RECKONINGS

Roodepoort residents say it was one of the largest burials ever seen in the West Rand. Allah had recognized Ahmed's sacrifice and the oppressive government of the time was responsible for taking Ahmed's life. Ebrahim remembers one of the relatives saying how helpful the Choonaras were to the Timol family.

The United Kingdom's National Union of Students (NUS) sent the following telegram to Ahmed Timol's family: “We extend our deepest condolences on the death of Ahmed, a victim of a brutal regime. Resolutions condemning the death of Ahmed Timol would also be discussed at meetings of the Westminster, Hackney and Wandsworth NUT Associations. Faced with nationwide calls for a judicial inquiry into the death of Ahmed Timol and the whole attitude and activities of the security police, the government closed its doors.

INQUEST

Arrangements were made by phone and the investigating court informed the lawyers about the details of the investigation – date, place, etc. As Professor John Dugard commented, “The death of another detainee under suspicious circumstances raises the whole question again. of the interrogation methods used by the security police." Maisels noted that it appeared from Gloy's statement that much of the day was spent on this line of questioning, "The statement gives that impression."

Or, in the equally telling words of Rodrigues, “The Indian appeared shocked when he heard the name. Rodrigues explained what happened next, “The Indian asked me if he could go to the bathroom. To attend a funeral, permission had to be obtained two days in advance – authorities appeared to be unaware of the Muslim custom of immediate burials.

CONCLUSION

Was the secret correspondence material between Ahmed and the Party in the trunk of the car when they were arrested. Why would Ahmed drive with such material in the trunk of the car, especially after informing his little brother that they were under surveillance. The friend clearly states that there was no material in the trunk of the car.

It is more than likely that all or most of the material was planted in the car. The statement by the magistrate is an insult to the integrity of the members of the South African Communist Party. The names mentioned in Ahmed's statement are the same names that appear in his correspondence with London, which he knew was in the police's possession.

AHMED’S STATEMENT DURING INTERROGATION

The placing of the newspaper inside the envelopes was done by me at home during the night and I posted it from the Jeppe street post office during the night. This marks the 50th anniversary of the birth of the Communist Party of South Africa and I think some were posted by me from Roodepoort. Salim Essop – he was only involved on one occasion with the gradual aspect of our work and that was at the time of the first mailing of the pamphlets in August 1970.

Bahiya Vawda Desai had never shown any desire to work as a member of the party and I rejected her from the very beginning. I should point out that my aunt was never approached by me to join the party or do any political work for me. They are in no way related to my efforts to develop the party's underground organs.

LIST OF PEOPLE WHO DIED IN DETENTION

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Gabriel Johannes Deysel Security Branch, On duty at John Vorster Square John Vorster Square when Ahmed passed away. Captain Jacobus Petrus le Roux Stationed at Go to apartment and seized John Vorster Square typewriter, passport, etc. Death register in the Timol inquest provided by Cachalia and Loonat who were the lawyers who represented the Timol family at the inquest.

Letter written to the Aggett family by Hawa Timol regarding the death of their son Neil in custody.

TRIBUTES

We were so happy walking in the countryside, just that kind of love and intensity of feeling for each other. You have to admire that depth of commitment and intensity of feeling, and if he could apply it as he did in the South African war, he could certainly apply it in relationships. He was always at the forefront fighting against the injustices perpetrated by the apartheid system.

Those who had the opportunity to meet him for the first time or renew old acquaintances were impressed by his dedication and his abhorrence of injustice, whether in the UK or South Africa. In his last year in the UK he worked among the immigrant community in Slough. Ahmed's arrest and death not only devastated his immediate surroundings in West Kensington, but students from South Africa studying in the UK in general.

SPEECH BY NELSON MANDELA – RENAMING OF SCHOOL

They sacrificed careers and livelihoods, and sometimes even life, so that we could all live with dignity one day. They want you to know that our democracy is a product of all the people of South Africa reaching out for centuries. That tradition lives on today in the reconstruction of our country, as men, women and youth from every community and political party increasingly join forces to work towards a better life for everyone Timol has fought for.

I am sure that all the children of this school, knowing this, will try to live up to the memory of Ahmed Timol. The best way we can honor his memory is to ensure that our democracy remains strong and brings a better life for all. Each of us must do what we can to provide services to those previously denied.

INDEX

Most of the information gathered for this book is based on interviews with family and friends.