A FORMER Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) cadre has called on black people to write books about their personal experiences during the struggle against apartheid.
Letsau Nelson Diale, 75, said many authors were white and some of them had deliberately distorted the country's history.
In an interview with Sowetan at his office in Parliament yesterday Diale said: "I strongly believe that there are gaps and distortions in the history of our people and country.
"It is critically important for black people to write about their personal experiences during our struggle for freedom for the benefit of current and future generations.
"I also feel happy because we are now free and our movement, the ANC, will be a 100 years old on January 12 2012."
Diale, from Sekhukhuland in Limpopo, started writing his autobiography, Escape from Apartheid Execution, in 2009 and completed it early this year.
He has had no formal training as a writer. The only formal writing help he got was from Wilson Matidze, editor of Government Bills in Parliament.
"I still have bad and fond memories of our struggle for freedom. It was also not difficult for me to write this book," he said.
Diale has included political events in his book such as the 1956 women's march to the Union Buildings and the burning of the notorious dompas.
He has also written extensively about apartheid laws such as the Bantu Authorities Act, Land Act of 1913 and Job Reservation Act.
"I have also delivered speeches and reports inside and outside Parliament after 1994," he said proudly.
Diale joined MK in January 1962 because of the apartheid government's repressive laws, brutal police attacks on defenceless locals and the generally unfavourable political situation at the time.
Diale, who did not complete primary schooling due to poverty, was arrested and tortured by the security forces in 1964 for political activities.
He was subsequently found guilty of sabotage and sentenced to eight years on Robben Island.
Diale, who is a former member of the South African Congress of Trade Unions, was also banned for four years to his rural village, Ga- Masemola in Sekhukhuland, after his release from Robben Island.
"I did not undergo military training in other countries like most of my comrades. MK taught us how to use guns and explosives under the noses of the apartheid police," he said.
Diale said he intends to start writing his second book early next year.
"I would like to encourage our people to start writing about their experiences during the struggle," he said.
The book costs R70.
Author's plea: write about apartheid days
A FORMER Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) cadre has called on black people to write books about their personal experiences during the struggle against apartheid.
Letsau Nelson Diale, 75, said many authors were white and some of them had deliberately distorted the country's history.
In an interview with Sowetan at his office in Parliament yesterday Diale said: "I strongly believe that there are gaps and distortions in the history of our people and country.
"It is critically important for black people to write about their personal experiences during our struggle for freedom for the benefit of current and future generations.
"I also feel happy because we are now free and our movement, the ANC, will be a 100 years old on January 12 2012."
Diale, from Sekhukhuland in Limpopo, started writing his autobiography, Escape from Apartheid Execution, in 2009 and completed it early this year.
He has had no formal training as a writer. The only formal writing help he got was from Wilson Matidze, editor of Government Bills in Parliament.
"I still have bad and fond memories of our struggle for freedom. It was also not difficult for me to write this book," he said.
Diale has included political events in his book such as the 1956 women's march to the Union Buildings and the burning of the notorious dompas.
He has also written extensively about apartheid laws such as the Bantu Authorities Act, Land Act of 1913 and Job Reservation Act.
"I have also delivered speeches and reports inside and outside Parliament after 1994," he said proudly.
Diale joined MK in January 1962 because of the apartheid government's repressive laws, brutal police attacks on defenceless locals and the generally unfavourable political situation at the time.
Diale, who did not complete primary schooling due to poverty, was arrested and tortured by the security forces in 1964 for political activities.
He was subsequently found guilty of sabotage and sentenced to eight years on Robben Island.
Diale, who is a former member of the South African Congress of Trade Unions, was also banned for four years to his rural village, Ga- Masemola in Sekhukhuland, after his release from Robben Island.
"I did not undergo military training in other countries like most of my comrades. MK taught us how to use guns and explosives under the noses of the apartheid police," he said.
Diale said he intends to start writing his second book early next year.
"I would like to encourage our people to start writing about their experiences during the struggle," he said.
The book costs R70.
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