Controversy stalks Modise like his shadow

By Jojokhala Mei

You could say that one of the editors, Ronnie Kasrils, stalked his subject Joe Modise (JM), first as his deputy in the ANC’s brigand military wing Umkhonto Wesizwe, and later as his deputy Cabinet minister in the new South African National Defence Department.

But the absence of any serious recorded reflection on the late commander-cum-minister is decades overdue and astounding.

I for one first refused to read Comrade & Commander : The Life and Times of Joe Modise. Let alone reflect, and furnish this review, and worse it was pro bono. Afterall, I was convinced of the persistent rumours of his tribalism and fatal cavalier attitude to juniors he sent into the stomach of the South African dictatorship beast. It doesn’t help that co-editor Fidelis Hove is ex-MK and now JM’s own son-in-law.  But, to repeat Kasrils’echo of a common saying: Only the idle make no mistakes.

I still cautiously dived straight into the first chapter, in order to avoid any possible editorial justifications. But Wah Laah, Integrating different people’s comments stamps a distinct voice of memory or memorializing, in the mark of the late poet laureate Prof.Mazisi Kunene on a Nomkhumbelwane style of memory, that is of late expounded by jazz maestro Dr Nduduzo Makhathini.  “ Advocating for a form of study that brings to the fore our cosmology,” through improvisation.  But I fear that is surendipity – thankfully unintentional.  I enjoy Ronnie Kasrils’ casual way with words from his other respectable books I once reviewed. Even once telling him in the face he is our John le Carr.  Yet, I feared from experience that his editing would ‘iron out’ the tone and timbre of different voices. But I need not have feared.

The book is figuratively and virtually an exhilarating dossier of 50 flowing standardized interviews of friends, family and colleagues largely still alive when the Covid lockdown hit South Africa, and the editors got down to work.

A few voices briefly sketch his interesting upbringing,while most are ‘the usual political suspects’, mixed with the lesser known, I dare say, of his Tswana tribal lineage, although surprise, surprise, he is born of a so-called Coloured mother:

‘He took people seriously. He had good listening skills. … The one thing JM didn’t want was anyone fawning over him.’ – Gonda Perez

‘… he was anything but the callous’ – Garth Strachan, who worked for the ANC in Zambia and Zimbabwe. Back home he served the ANC in the Western Cape.

‘I believe JM felt a particular obligation to project the discipline of revolutionary       vigilance’. – Spencer Hodgson, worked at Solomon Mahlangu College in Tanzania, before working in government back in South Africa.

‘We were so angry because 10 of our comrades had been butchered without mercy by the mutineers . … JM was more humane than other people, even more so than Chris. … It would be incorrect for me to say Joe Modise was bloodthirsty, when he was not.’ – Godfrey Nwenya, known in MK as ‘Bra T’. … joining MK in 1976, he commanded its forces in Angola from 1983 to 19 ‘9, being severely wounded in an ambush. He became chief of the The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in 2005.

‘When we formed the MK-ZIPRA alliance Joe Modise was our overall commander, with Akim Ndlovu as his deputy. Akim was ZIPRA commander at the time. … Joe was very strict, but considerate of comrades.  … Joe Modise put the interest of cadres before his own.’ – Dumiso Dabengwa who headed ZIPRA Intelligence department during the Zimbabwean liberation struggle, He later served as Minister of Home Affairs in independent Zimbabwe . He died in 2019. ZIPRA was allegedly Ndebele when ZANU broke away.

‘JM who was close to ZAPU leaders based in Maputo, was bitterly disappointed and had been one of the few Lusaka based leaders to feel that ZAPU had made a huge error in not utilizing Mozambique as ZANU had.’ … we needed to develop …  way of infiltrating their [enemy] ranks. … Much lese had happened while I was away . … As MK suffered casualties … A mutinous nature emerged, and disobedience developed into open insubordination  …. Disgruntled elements were refusing to continue fighting [puppet\ UNITA. They demanded to go home to fight the enemy there.’  Ronnie Kasrils.

Such official frankness is exhaustive, to the point of almost neglecting the pointed observations of the colleague he married and reluctantly promoted, Jackie Sedibe. Not forgetting his growing exiled two daughters who exceptionally took the brunt of exile and returning on the check.

An extended poignant extract from Jackie shines his sacrifice, although leaders were allowed to stay with family, and not in camps.

“The sweeping up of a network of enemy infiltration in Lusaka in 1979/80-when the organization faced a real threat from infiltration into the ranks, which led to the building of Quadro, is less clear” -SiphiweNyanda.

“When we came to South Africa, I went to Sacred Heart College. I was bored because I had covered so much ground in Lusaka, including reading and writing. I became quite a disruptive child -Boipuso Modise.

What an appropriate gallery of historic photos intercept the dossier in half, and live up to the narrative.  Published by Jacana. jojokhalam@gmail.com