The ANC's London Underground

It was a fun evening yesterday hosted by the Centre for Conflict Resolution to launch a book written by Ken Keable. Who is he? you might ask, as I myself did. It was the other speakers that attracted me - Ronnie Kasrils, Pallo Jordan and Aziz Pahad - all of them at times London-based struggle luminaries. Well, it turns out Ken Keable is a British working class Communist who played a role in our liberation! In the late 60's and early 70's when the activities of the ANC had been reduced to almost nothing in South Africa - the ANC leaders and activists were all in exile or in prison - about 30 young pink-pigmented left-wingers were recruited by Ronnie Kasrils into our very own International Brigade. Most of them came from the Young Communist league or were trade-unionists, or students at the London School of Economics. He even managed to recruit Trotskyists from the International Socialists!

Ronnie Kasrils

It was very much a Boys Own kind of evening - 60 and 70-year-old men regaling us with tales of adventure and derring-do, false-bottomed suitcases and leaflet bombs being tested on Hampstead Heath. It wasn't all youthful fun and games however - a couple of them were arrested, tortured and imprisoned. The whole story was a complete revelation to me. I can't wait to read the book. Its called: "London Recruits: The Secret War Against Apartheid."