Welcome to the website of Zubeida Jaffer. Visit the media page to view the latest TV and Radio interviews where Zubeida Jaffer talks about her latest book title "Beauty of the Heart"
...each day...
A journey to my heart..August/September 2017
Ashley Forbes On Ebrahim Ebrahim’s 80th Birthday
By Zubeida Jaffer
Ashley Forbes was 24 years old when he was imprisoned on Robben Island. He stayed in a single cell in B Section with Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim who was then serving a second period of imprisonment. He had served 15 years from 1964 and then kidnapped from Swaziland in 1986 and sentenced to a further 20 years.
The two men were both ANC operatives. Ashley was part of the newer groups that had launched military offenses against the apartheid state. Ebrahim was a senior Umkhonto we Sizwe leader based in Swaziland.
On the evening of 1 July, 2017 in Johannesburg, Ashley took to the stage at the birthday celebrations of the quiet 80 year-old revolutionary, who has remained largely behind the scenes. There were several speakers – Kgalema Motlanthe, Zweli Mkhezi and others - but Ashley was the youngest comrade who told of the relationship between the two.
His anecdotes illustrated well the generational tensions that have repeatedly threaded through our past and into our present.
When Ashley arrived at Robben Island to serve a 15- year sentence in mid-1980, he could not understand why Ebrahim and other prisoners were not embarking on radical actions on Robben Island. For him, they were too relaxed while activists were doing battle outside.
"You must have patience, comrade," Ebrahim told him. " There are processes underway. Madiba is in Pollsmoor Prison and it is just a matter of time that people will come out,” he said.
But Ashley did not have patience. The first opportunity when people got together, he put up his hand and proposed a hunger strike. He wanted this to force open the doors of the prison.
In the first week of the hunger strike, people started falling over and were sent to the hospital section. The second week, they were critical and were sent to the mainland hospital. “Hunger strikes are filled with terror,” he said.
A second hunger strike followed. “By the third hunger strike, I had learnt patience,” he said. “When we got together and the guys spoke about hunger strikes, I would say – ‘you guys should have patience… Govan Mbeki has been released. Just be patient - there are processes underway,” he said, drawing a wave of laughter from the gathered guests.
Besides patience, he thanked Ebrahim for teaching him to be cultured. When he got to Robben Island, he was eating everything and anything. He used to hear Ebrahim say – ‘this fellow, he has no culture.” He could not understand what Ebrahim meant. He then explained to him that he had to learn to drink tea. Tea cleanses your blood and calms you down, said Ebrahim. And so he taught him to always share tea with the old-timers when he wanted to have a talk with them.
He also noticed that Ebi remained inside the prison on Sunday mornings when everyone was allowed to go outside. He went to look for him and found him watching Indian/Bollywood movies on television. In the eighties conditions were less harsh compared to the 60s when prisoners were stripped naked every day, beaten and given very little food.
Ashley Forbes and his wife Portia.
He started joining Ebrahim who translated the language so that he could follow the story.
The young Ashley joined his leader and so the two of them would brew their tea and relax together as they watched movies or had intense political discussions. His wife Portia later said he continued his relationship with tea-drinking to this day.
Video highlights Ebrahim Ebrahim’s 80th birthday
Latest Articles
Ashley Forbes on Ebrahim Ebrahim’s 80th birthday
By Zubeida Jaffer
Ashley Forbes was 24 years old when he was imprisoned on Robben Island. He stayed in a single cell in B Section with Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim who was then serving a second period of imprisonment. He had served 15 years from 1964 and then kidnapped from Swaziland in Read more
No single ideology provides easy answers to the crisis
By Zubeida Jaffer
What is happening in our country and in the world? Daily we are bombarded with shocking new revelations of misconduct of some politicians, civil servants and some business people.
Human civility, integrity and right action are flying out of the window. At the very moment when our natural resources Read more
Hold your head up high and make the right choice
Speech delivered at UCT graduation on 3 May 2017
Thank you very much programme director. Deputy Vice-Chancellor, SRC President, President of Convocation, academic staff, pass staff, graduating students, parents, ladies and gentlemen.
I am delighted to be with you this afternoon. Thank you for allowing me to share this very special moment Read more
AN OPEN LETTER TO PREMIER ZILLE: AFRICANS WERE NOT PASSIVE HUMAN BEINGS WAITING TO BE RESCUED
Dear Helen,
I would like to thank you very much for the thoughtless tweets that you sent out recently. It has helped me draw a line in the sand.
I have always reached out to others across racial and political lines in the belief that we all have to learn to live Read more
Healing a divided city
By Zubeida Jaffer*
Healing the historical divisions in Cape Town requires careful thought and sensitive intervention. Apartheid has divided this city into separate racial pockets that remain intact ten years after democracy. Enclaves of non-racialism are emerging but essentially the Group Areas Act which brought havoc to so many Read more
A personal reflection on the passing of Judge Essa Moosa
By Zubeida Jaffer
I write this message to comrades and friends who gathered in Athlone today to mourn and celebrate the life of Judge Essa Moosa. I could not attend the memorial service because I am in Bloemfontein but feel the need tonight to share in this moment.
I am so sad Read more
Paying tribute to Essa Moosa, the quiet revolutionary
“You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair.”
Chinese Proverb
Judge Essa with Nelson Mandela upon his release
“Our Tree is shedding its beautiful and glossy branches. We need to ensure that it Read more
When Julius Malema sets the tone
By Zubeida Jaffer
The hatred of two men threatens to tear South Africa apart.
The standoff at parliament last week saw too former friends slug it out as enemies bringing one of the country’s most important institutions to a standstill.
President Zuma encouraged Julius Malema to behave in an atrocious way when he Read more
Meeting Mandela In His 90th Year
By Zubeida Jaffer,
March 20, 2008 – The Weekender
He sat upright, his face glowing in his large high-backed chair like an emperor waiting for his subjects to be brought into his presence. Dressed in a pale-blue traditional silk Madiba shirt and a dark pants, Nelson Mandela stretched out his hand to Read more
Why the fuss about DAVOS?
By Zubeida Jaffer
Why is there such a fuss about the importance of the World Economic Forum? The annual meeting at Davos will only ever make a difference to our lives if the rules of economic engagement are changed. And there was no substantial talk of that in 2017.
Allow me to Read more
Hungry Students: A Public Health Crisis
Only 15% of our students make it all the way to graduation day. Part of the reason is that most of them are just too hungry to learn.
By Linda Fekisi & Zubeida Jaffer
When Samantha gets up at dawn to start the journey from her home in the shadow of the Read more
Stop the Palestinian Occupation
By Zubeida Jaffer
The crisis in the Gaza has its roots in the events of the two world wars. At the end of the First World War, Lord Arthur Balfour, the British foreign secretary, drafted a declaration that recognized the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. At the time, ninety Read more
It’s all about food sovereignity, not food security, stupid
By Zubeida Jaffer
Activists from around the country are gearing up for a national dialogue on the right to food in November. They plan to kick start a movement for food sovereignty in South Africa.
The African Centre for BioSafety in collaboration with the Foundation for Human Rights will host the dialogue Read more
Things can fall apart
by Zubeida Jaffer*
A plan in the making has finally come together. When President Zuma addressed the nation, he brought together the different elements of work of his economic ministers. Last year's SONA spoke about the government's commitment to job creation. This year's SONA has put flesh on the Read more
Rudyard Kipling, in Just So Stories (1902)
My first encounter with 5 W’s and an H was when I was a student at Rhodes University in 1978. By then some of my classmates were familiar with the problem solving method because they were taught this in High School English.
I don’t think there can be any journalist today Read more
MK Commissars stand similar to one taken 47 years ago led by Hani
By Shepi Mati and Zubeida Jaffer
The last time MK Commissars took a strong stand in pointing out the enormous discontent in the ranks of the ANC was in the late sixties. This initiative led to the now famous Morogoro Conference in 1969 which redefined the way forward for the organisation. Read more
Mbeki says Biko is a Xhosa prophet
By Zubeida Jaffer*
Steve Biko is a Xhosa prophet. Author and commentator, Moeletsi Mbeki made this extraordinary statement at the Franschoek Literary Festival this past weekend. His presentation was peppered with little quips and at first I thought this was just another. Nothing however confirmed this interpretation.
Mbeki shared a platform with well-known Economics Professor Read more
THE EIGHT YEARS OF JAN VAN RIEBEECK
By Zubeida Jaffer
Jan Van Riebeeck arrived in South Africa in 1652. Who of my generation does not know this? It was drilled into all our minds at primary school. And even if we were not lucky enough to go to school, the mythology certainly did not pass us by. The Read more
In Judgement of Ebrahim Ebrahim
By Zubeida Jaffer
Rudolf Mastenbroek seeks to discredit the tortured and not write about the torturers and askaris that journalist and author, Jacob Dlamini writes about so sensitively in his latest book Askari.
In a Sunday Times article (Nov 16) entitled “How do you tell a man that his courage has run Read more
The Funeral of Ayesha Dawood
Ayesha Dawood rose to prominence as a struggle activist in Worcester, Western Cape, and was one of the leaders charged in the 1956 Treason Trial. She passed away on the 28 May 2014.
These are the photos of the funeral that took place at Aesha Dawood's residence in Worcester. Find out Read more
The president holds the key
By Zubeida Jaffer*
Lets not defend the indefensible. President Zuma has led his party and the country into a quagmire. Last weekend’s story in the Sunday Times has further added to the drift, leaving many of us hanging our heads in confusion and disappointment.
Phylicia Oppelt’s team has sifted through 3369 pages Read more
SHOULD THE MEDIA SPARE MADIBA’S FAMILY
By Zubeida Jaffer
Let anyone who is without sin, throw the first stone (The Bible, 8: 7)
The Mandela family has been at the receiving end of publicity as the head of their family lies desperately ill in hospital.
It could be said they have brought all this controversy onto themselves. Their undignified Read more
MEDIA TENSIONS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
By Zubeida Jaffer
Star editor, Makhudu Sefara opportunely broke a dignified silence today.
This was a tense two weeks for journalism. His voice articulates the levels of annoyance circulating amongst media professionals. If he had not spoken today, many were at risk of remaining “sitting ducks.”
I first became aware of the unfolding Read more
Some thoughts before budget day
Zubeida Jaffer
European debt woes risk evolving into a full-blown financial and economic crisis. When the United States sneezed in 2008, we were not fully inoculated and lost over a million jobs..
Europe is coughing but so far they have contained their sneezing. If they do start sneezing, will we catch a Read more
JOURNALISM
Today is the 15th of January 2011. I am sitting at the door of my room facing the magic tree. The garden in front of me is my inspiration. My mother planted this tree many years ago easily more than 30 years ago. Its a space in which I Read more
