On 3 December 1975, Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma left the country to Swaziland in order to escape the wave of arrests following the interception of a group of African National Congress (ANC) recruits on the border in November, the same year.
Zuma left Robben Island on 29 December 1973, after being arrested as part of a group that was on their way to exile in June 1963, resulting in him being sentenced to ten years. After leaving the Island, he was kept in Pietermaritzburg’s police cells for another two weeks and was finally released to his hometown of iNkandla.
A Durban attorney found work for him in a pet shop in the city, while Zuma resumed his political activities behind the scenes. He played a key role in re-establishing underground ANC structures and aided in organising a massive strike of 160 000 workers in the city.
Zuma worked closely with the South African Communist Party’s (SACP’s) Harry Gwala to send young MK recruits out of the country for military training through Mozambique, from where they later returned with weapons and instructions from leaders in exile.
Zuma had married Gertrude (MaKhumalo) in 1973 but was soon gone from her again by 1975 after Gwala’s arrest. Within the underground structures in Natal, Zuma operated alongside Harry Gwala, William Khanyile, Russel Maphanga, Bhekisisa Nxasane and Anton Xaba, mainly South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU) and SACP operatives, as well as underground cadres of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK).
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Thank you for the inspiring history of our difficult struggle. Such history requires sharing with all the younger generation to assert new values and patriotism for one’s country. It also helps healing old wounds when one understands the selflessness of past and current leaders who had undying love for their people.
I like to learn.about my former President