Preparing for “Operation J”

On 11 January 1971, Oliver Tambo, Yusuf Dadoo, Moses Mabhida and Fanele Mbali met a group of Soviet politicians, army generals and navy admirals. The meeting took place in a boardroom in the Soviet Union. Fanele Mbali had been recalled to Moscow in connection with the plans of the African National Congress (ANC) to launch a seaborne invasion of South Africa, which was a longstanding Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) objective. Landings along the South African coastline were envisaged in Operation Mayibuye, which were featured in the early plans for guerrilla warfare, and had been discussed by Joe Slovo in Moscow in July-August 1967, and by Oliver Tambo, Ben Turok and Joe Slovo in 1969. The Revolutionary Council wished to revive the idea, as large-scale infiltration of trained fighters into South Africa proved unsuccessful overland. Therefore, the ANC leadership again concentrated attention on finding a sea route. At the meeting in the Soviet boardroom, a member of the Soviet Team asked the ANC delegation as to what was new that they wanted to bring to the ongoing talks regarding a naval infiltration. Yusuf Dadoo stood up and said, “Our response will come from the youngest member of our delegation, Lammy Booi. He was trained in navigation and this operation will be his to execute if it is approved. He will address this meeting in the Russian language.” Dadoo then sat down and Fanele Mbali (aka “Lammy Booi”) stood up and began to address the meeting. When Mbali finished his