Letters from Robben Island

Late one night in 1963, South African police surrounded the African National Congress headquarters in Rivonia and arrested a group of party leaders gathered inside. Eight of them, Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Dennis Goldberg, Govan Mbeki, Raymond Mhlaba, Elias Motsaledi, Andrew Mlangeni, and Ahmed Kathrada, were convicted of sabotage and sentenced to life in prison. Soon, these men became known as the "Rivonia Trialists" and despite their imprisonment played active roles in the struggle against the racist regime.Kathrada and his colleagues were segregated from other prisoners and closely watched. Among the many indignities visited upon them, the prisoners were prohibited from keeping copies of all correspondence. Kathrada, or "Kathy" as he became known, successfully hid his.Letters from Robben Island contains 70 of the more than 900 pieces of correspondence Ahmed Kathrada wrote during his 26 years on Robben Island and at Pollsmoor Prison. Some were smuggled out by friends; others were written in code. These are among his most poignant, touching, and eloquent communications.