MK Mutiny in Viana – The Leadership Intervenes
On 7 February 1984, Chris Hani, Andrew Masondo, Joe Modise and two members of the Organisation of African Unity’s (OAU) Liberation Committee arrived at Viana Transit Camp, outside the capital of Angola, Luanda, in the company of the People’s Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) Army contingent. All camp members were called to a meeting in the camp’s main hall.
As Hani was addressing them, Masondo was sitting on a panel table in front staring wide-eyed and open-mouthed at those assembled. Hani denounced the mutiny and its demands as an adventure by disgruntled elements and mentioned that the African National Congress (ANC) was an organisation of the people of South Africa, while the mutineers were not even a drop in the ocean. The ANC could do without them. He then called on all those who were committed to serve the ANC to move out of the hall. All the guerrillas exited the hall as instructed. A short while later they were all ordered to re-enter the hall and Hani resumed talking expressing relief that they were all still Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) cadres. He then said he was going to report the good news to the leadership in Lusaka.
The urgent arrival of the leadership in Viana followed several incidences that had occurred in the camp, particularly the one that occurred on the morning of 7 February 1984, whereby FAPLA armoured personnel carriers (APCs) of the Angolan Presidential Guard (the Grafannil Gar
