Duty and Dynamite - a Life of Activism

"Duty and dynamite: a life of activism traces the life story of Laloo 'Isu' Chiba. The son of Gujarati immigrants to South Africa, he shows little interest in politics in his early life, instead associating with the notorious Fordsburg gangster, Sharif Khan. His gradual politicization in 1950s Johannesburg leads to his recruitment into the first generation of Umkhonto we Sizwe freedom fighters, where he displays resourcefulness and bravery in equal measure. That earns him torture, detention, and ultimately eighteen years in prison on Robben Island. He is devastated by his separation from his wife and three young daughters for close to two decades. On the Island, alongside Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, and Ahmed Kathrada, he excels as one of the transcribers of Mandela's autobiography, a key communications operative, and an originator of the prisoners' garden. Soon after his release, he immerses himself in the politics of the United Democratic Front, where he distinguishes himself as a leading activist of the democratic movement. After 1994, he is called upon to serve as an ANC MP for two terms in SA's democratic Parliament, where he steadfastly fights against corruption in the Arms Deal. This autobiography, published posthumously, talks to a life of duty to the cause of freedom."--Back cover.