Identity Details:

• Famous Name: Andrew Mlangeni.

• Other Famous Name: Rivonia Trialist.

• Full True Names: Andrew Mokete Mlangeni.

• Surname: Mlangeni.

• Date of Birth: 6 June 1925

• Place of Birth: Matoding (now renamed Maynhartfontein farm).

• City: Bethlehem, Orange Free State, (now Free State Province).

• Nationality: South African

• Height: +1.2m

• Weight: +50kg

• Gender: Male

• Birth Position: He was born as the 9th Child

• Died On: 21 July 2020 (aged 95)

• Place of Death: At the Military Hospital, in Tshwane, South Africa

• Mlangeni is survived by:

  • His younger sister, Fedile

  • 2 daughters,

  • 1 son,

  • 10 grandchildren,

  • 12 great grandchildren

  • and 2 great grand children.

Personal Family Details:

• Spouse (Wife): June Johanna Ledwaba

• Spouse (Wife) Date of Birth: born between 1920 & 1935

• Met each other in: Orlando East

• Married Together in Year: 1950

• Early Career: Shop Assistant

• Later Career: Freedom Fighter

• Number of Children: 4

• Children Names:

  • Sello Mlangeni (son)

  • Sylvia Mlangeni (daughter)

  • Moraine Mlangeni (daughter)

  • Aubrey Mlangeni (son)

Home Family Details:

• Father’s Name: Matia Mlangeni

• Mother’s Name: Aletta Mlangeni

• Father and Mother Married: Yes

• Siblings: He had 12 brothers and Sisters

• Parents Careers: His parents were farm labour tenants

• Children: Andrew Mlangeni had a Twin Sister, he belonged to one of the three sets of twins by the couple.

• Father's Life: His father passed away when he was just 6 years old and was brought up by his mother.

Education:

• He started school at the age of 11 in Bethlehem, when he enrolled himself at a local church-run school.

• He passed Standard 4 in 1941.

• He later enrolled for Standard 5 at Pimville Government School in 1942

• He passed Standard 6 in 1943.

• In 1944 he enrolled at St Peter’s Secondary School in Rosettenville where he passed Form 3 in 1946.

• Passed and obtained Junior Certificate in: 1946

• He could not proceed beyond Junior Certificate because of financial Problems.

• He later managed to complete Matric through correspondence from Robben Island through Rapid Results.

• College as well as BA (Public Administration) in 1979.

• BA (Hons) in Political Science in 1983 with UNISA, obtaining the latter cum laude.

• His Law degree studies was disrupted by the negotiations at CODESA.

In 1937:

• Famous Name: Andrew Mlangeni.

• Started to Work at the Age of : 12

• Job Description: Golf Caddy

• Location: Johannesburg

• Name of Employer: Johannesburg Golf Course

1944 to 1946:

• In 1944, Mr Mlangeni was recruited to the Young Communist League by Ruth First.

• He worked with the likes of Elisa Watts and Joe Slovo.

• The Financial problems got worse after His father had passed away before the age of 10 years.

• After 1946, he could not continue with his studies because of his Families financial problems.

• Mlangeni took employment at Jeffery & Gallion in 1947-1955 as a printing assistant.

• This position benefitted the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the African National Congress’ communication units because he would sneak in on weekends to print their posters, banners and fliers.

  - He also worked with Ruth First to support the mineworkers’ strike of 1946 spearheaded by the Communist Party’s aligned African Miners Union.

  - This was under the leadership of JB Marks and Dan Tloome.

1948:

• He met his wife, June Johanna Ledwaba in 1948

• By the age of 25 years, he was in Love and was persuing to get Married

• In 1950, He Married his wife: June Johanna Ledwaba

1951 to 1954:

• When he was turning 26 years of age, he pursued his Calling for Human Rights, by joining Politics.

• In 1951, A year after being Married, he joined the ANCYL {African National Congress Youth League}.

• In 1954, He and his Wife found a house in Dube in 1954.

• In the same year, in 1954 he Joined the main Organization the ANC {African National Congress}.

1955:

• In 1955, He changed Careers and became a Bus Driver, after he was employed at Putco {Putco the Bus Company}.

• While busy working, he took a stand and he stood up for better working conditions and a better Pay and a living wage.

• He even went as far as being active in a strike to improve those working conditions and Pay wage.

• In 1958 he left Putco, because he was against exploitation.

• After returning in 1963 to his Country South Africa he was arrested.

1959:

• From 1959 he became a full-time ‘functionary’ of the SACP.

• He was also the secretary of the Johannesburg SACP region.

• He was responsible for black groups alongside Esther Barsel who was responsible for white groups.

1961:

• In 1961, Mr Mlangeni agreed to be sent for Military Training in China.

• Mr Mlangeni was recruited by Nelson Mandela as the first

  Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) foot soldier in 1961.

• Later that year, he together with Joe Gqabi, Abel Mthembu, Raymond Mhlaba, Steve Naidoo and Wilton Mkwayi became the first MK members to be sent for sophisticated military training in China.

• Here, he and Naidoo were specifically selected for advanced military communication techniques and manufacturing of explosives

  due to their advanced level of Mathematics.

• During this time he met one of his heroes, Mao Tse-tung, who gave him a message to relay to the ANC leadership that the ANC should bring a bigger number for training than it had done with their group.

In 1963:

• He Returned to South Africa in 1963.

• He was arrested with Motsoaledi on 24 June 1963 on the national raid day and charged with the Zeerust group which had been intercepted by the security forces in Zeerust after Andrew tried to despatch them for military training outside the country.

• However, he and Motsoaledi were acquitted from the Zeerust trial because of lack of evidence against them.

• But their acquital was shortlived because they were again charged in the Rivonia Treason Trial.

• Together with many other leaders who had been arrested at a raid at Liliesleaf Farm on 11 July 1963, as well as Mandela who serving a five years sentence following his trial in 1962.

• He was arrested and Charged for recruiting and training the armed force of UMkonto Sizwe.

• The UMkonto Sizwe, was the armed wing of the ANC.

• He was taken to Court as Accused Number 10, in the Rivonia trial.

• The Rivonia trial began in October 1963.

1964:

• On his return in early 1963 he joined the underground unit of MK and became a member of its High Command.

• His major responsibilities at the time were recruitment of people and despatching them for military training outside the country.

• It was during these activities that he disguised as a priest under the pseudo-names Rev Percy Mokoena and Percy Mbatha.

• Among the people he despatched to exile included

  Joe Modise and Chris Hani.

• In 1964 he was found Guilty in the Rivonia Trial together with Nelson Mandela and the others.

• He was also found guilty and he was sentenced to life imprisonment on Robben Island.

• He was Sectenced at the Rivonia Trial On 12 June 1964.

• His Prison number was Prisoner number: 46764 {Prisoner number 467 of 1964}.

The Rivonia Trial On 12 June 1964:

• During the Rivonia Trial, before the court passed judgment on Mr Andrew Mlangeni.

• Mlangeni told the court that:

  "Though leaders of many countries throughout the world have tried to persuade the Government to abandon its apartheid policy, and although resolutions have been passed in the United Nations against South Africa, this has met with no result. All that the Government has done is to reply to the people's demands by putting their political leaders in gaol, and breaking up families".

1989 to 1994:

• After Serving 26 Years of his Life Sentence, Mr Mlangeni was Released.

• He was released from prison after 26 years in October 1989.

• With the likes of Sisulu, Ahmed Kathrada, Mkwayi, Mhlaba and Oscar Mpetha.

• He immediately became a member of the internal ANC structure led by Sisulu.

• He also served as Transport Head at the ANC’s Shell House after his election into the NEC in 1991.

• After the first democratic elections in 1994, he became an ANC Member of Parliament in Cape Town until he retired in 2014.

• In 2012 he became Chairperson of the ANC’s Integrity Commission because of his integrity and ethical conduct.

• Mlangeni served as a member of parliament for the ANC from 1994 to 1999.

Mr. Mlangeni received the following Honors, Accolades and Decorations:

• Isitwalandwe/ Seaparankwe (1992) : The highest award by the ANC to those who made an outstanding contribution and sacrifice to the liberation struggle.

• National honours in the form of Presidential Order for Meritorious Service: Class 1 Gold from President Mandela (1999).

• Honorary Doctorates.

• University of South Africa (2013).

• Rhodes University 2018.

• Durban University of Technology (2018).

• Cape Peninsula University of Technology (2019).

• Freedom of the City of Sedibeng.

• Freedom of the City of Johannesburg (2016).

• Freedom of the City of London (2018).