Liliesleaf Museum Johannesburg

“Liliesleaf Museum . . . straight out of a John le Carre novel!”

“. . . fortunate to experience the bravery, the resolve and the tenacity.”

“. . . engulfed with emotion and overwhelmed with information!”

LILIESLEAF – A ‘MUST-DO’ WHEN IN JOHANNESBURG

When renovations started at Liliesleaf in 2002, the plan was to keep it as authentic as possible, but unfortunately like so many other sites of historical importance in the city, the end result is far too clinical!
It’s all too tidy and squeaky clean!

There is no semblance to this ever having been a farm.
It’s rather a monument to where Liliesleaf Farm once was!

What was facebrick has been painted, and intrusive, modern administrative buildings with rolling manicured lawns and vast areas of modern brick paving all camouflage the fact that this was once an isolated, rural piece of land!

But, having said that, the story of Liliesleaf could have been a blockbuster suspense movie.
It has such audacity and political intrigue and is one of my favourite historical sites in Johannesburg!

It’s a ‘must do’ when in the city!

UMKHONTO WE SIZWE – THE ARMED WING OF THE ANC

The African National Congress (ANC) discussed the possibility of using violence to bring an end to apartheid, but repeatedly attempted peaceful means!

This changed on 21st March 1960 when 69 protesters were killed by the South African police in Sharpeville – a township, an hours drive south of Johannesburg.
A few days later, on 30th March 1960, a State of Emergency was declared, and both the ANC and the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) were banned .
These actions made it clear that the Government had no intention of ending apartheid.

Mandela called for a countrywide general strike on 29th, 30th and 31st May 1961, that proved to be relatively unsuccessful, and it was this ‘failure’, that enabled him to convince the ANC that violence, and not peaceful protest, was the only option.

He was authorised to form *uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) – the armed wing of the ANC, in June 1961, that came into being in November 1961. (* translates as ‘Spear of the Nation’)

THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNIST PARTY

The South Afican Communist Party (SACP) was banned in 1950, and subsequently operated underground in secret.

In 1961, Liliesleaf Farm in Rivonia was bought by Arthur Goldreich and Harold Wolpe with money, evidently from the former Soviet Union, to be used as a safe refuge from Government persecution

The farm became the headquarters of the underground movement.

Nelson Mandela went ‘underground’ after the failed strike in May 1961, and lived in a number of ‘safe-houses’ before moving to the relative safety of Liliesleaf Farm in October 1961.

He used the alias of a former client – David Motsamayi, as an undercover name, and lived in the outbuildings behind the farmhouse disguised as the caretaker
Whilst there, builders and painters renovated the main house and extended the outbuildings around him.

Shortly after his arrival at Liliesleaf farm, Arthur Goldreich, who was a white SACP member, and unknown to the security police at the time, moved in with his family.
He acted as a front for the clandestine meetings that would take place between the ANC and members of the Congress Alliance, which was a coalition of anti-apartheid organisations led by the ANC.

MANDELA ARRESTED

Mandela left South Africa illegally in January 1962, looking for support from foreign governments to implement the ANC’s plans, as well as getting military training in Morocco and Ethiopia.

After arriving back in South Africa, Mandela traveled to Durban where he reported back on his recent trip into Africa.
It was whilst driving back to Johannesburg that he was arrested by South African security forces, acting on a tip-off, near Howick, Natal on August 5th, 1962.

He went on trial at the Old Synagogue in Pretoria on 15th October, 1962 – charged with leaving the country without a passport and inciting workers to strike.

He was found guilty on 7th November 1962, and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment on Robben Island.

ENTIRE HIGH COMMAND OF UMKHONTO WE SIZWE ARRESTED

Police started closing in on the leaders of the banned ANC, as well as political activists.
A number of these activists, who knew of the existence of the secret hideaway, had been arrested.
A new safe house had been difficult to find, but it was decided to hold a final meeting at Lil’s Place (the name used by those involved!) on Thursday 11th July 1963.

On the same afternoon a number of policemen with their dogs – hidden in a laundry delivery van with “Trade Steam Pressers” branding, raided Liliesleaf Farm.

They surrounded the buildings and arrested Rusty Bernstein, Denis Goldberg, Arthur Goldreich, Bob Hepple, Ahmed Kathrada, Govan Mbeki, Raymond Mhlaba and the ANC leader of the time, Walter Sisulu.

Countless documents and papers, including the ‘Plan of Action for Operation Mayibuye’ – the MK plan for guerrilla warfare in South Africa, were confiscated.
These formed the bulk of the prosecution’s case at the upcoming Rivonia trial.
In his book, “Long Walk to Freedom”, Mandela says: “In one fell swoop, the police had captured the entire high command of Umkhonto we Sizwe.”
A number of other arrests followed.

MANDELA CHARGED WITH SABOTAGE AND CONSPIRACY

There was no way of linking Mandela to the arrests at Liliesleaf Farm as as he was serving his 5 year prison sentence on Robben Island.
Shortly after being sent to prison, he asked his lawyers to pass on a message that his diary and documents, that he had left behind at Liliesleaf Farm, be removed!
He was later told that this had been done.

Nelson Mandela was transferred from Robben Island to Pretoria Local police station, without knowing about the raid on Liliesleaf Farm.
Unknown to him, police had found his incriminating diary and documents hidden in a coal bunker outside the kitchen of the farm house, and charged him along with the other defendants.

Arthur Goldreich and Harold Wolpe bribed a young prison guard, escaped from Marshall Square in Johannesburg and fled the country.
Charges against Bob Hepple were withdrawn after he agreed to turn State witness, but, with his wife, fled the country on his release.

On the 9th October 1963, Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Denis Goldberg, Govan Mbeki, Ahmed Kathrada, Lionel “Rusty” Bernstein, Raymond Mhlaba, James Kantor, Elias Motsoaledi and Andrew Mlangeni were all charged with ‘sabotage and conspiracy’.
If found guilty they faced the supreme penalty of death by hanging!