PRAISE FOR LYNDA SCHUSTER’S A BURNING HUNGER:
“This must rank as one of the most important contributions to the history of the period. It is simply required reading.” —The Northern Echo
“A Burning Hunger is the history of a South African family that suffered, resisted and finally triumphed over apartheid: a book that is as fascinating as the best novels.” —Mario Vargas Llosa
“It is strange that no South African writer has thought of doing what Lynda Schuster, an American journalist, has done so well in this book—follow through the history of a black family in the context of the anti-apartheid struggle.” —The Sunday Times
“This is an earnest and passionate historical account, crafted from meticulous research and study. It is a narrative made for captivating reading and painful reminder of the brutality of the apartheid system. The book is a welcome addition to a much needed but historically neglected genre of struggle biography.” —Reverend Frank Chikane, Director-General in the Office of South African President Thabo Mbeki
“In A Burning Hunger, Lynda Schuster tells a tale that should have been told a long time ago.” —The Citizen
“Although A Burning Hunger gives a clear insight into the politics of the time, it is the exposed humanity of the family members that makes this book so compelling and poignant.” —Brainstorm
“The apostles of apartheid wanted African children to become hewers of wood and drawers of water. Lynda Schuster shows why those of Nomkhitha and Joseph Mashinini became brave freedom fighters instead. They were sustained by the spirit of their ancestors, their religious belief and their confidence in the leaders of the struggle. The story of the Mashininis is a lesson which both oppressors and democrats should read.” —George Bizos, human rights advocate and author of No One to Blame: In Pursuit of Justice in South Africa
“It is a major contribution to the history of the struggle era, giving a human face to a family that was idolized by black South Africans and demonized in white South Africa.” —Business Day
“The characters’ lives are filled with twists that make this book part Greek tragedy, part love story, and part thriller.” —Femina
A BURNING HUNGER
A BURNING HUNGER
One Family’s Struggle Against Apartheid
LYNDA SCHUSTER
Ohio University Press
Athens
Ohio University Press, Athens, Ohio 45701
Copyright © Lynda Schuster 2004
First published in Great Britain in 2004 by
Jonathan Cape
Random House
20 Vauxhall Bridge Road
London SW1V 2SA
First published in the United States of America in 2006 by
Ohio University Press
The Ridges
Athens, Ohio 45701
Printed in the United States of America
All rights reserved
Ohio University Press books are printed on acid-free paper ƒ ™
14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Schuster, Lynda.
A burning hunger : one family's struggle against apartheid / Lynda Schuster.— 1st U.S. ed.
p. cm.
Originally published: London : Jonathan Cape, 2004.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8214-1651-8 (cloth : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-8214-1651-0 (cloth : alk. paper)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8214-1652-5 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-8214-1652-9 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Mashinini family. 2. Apartheid—South Africa. 3. Anti-apartheid movements—South Africa. 4. South Africa—Race relations—History—20th century. 5. Civil rights workers—South Africa—Biography. 6. Civil rights workers, Black—South Africa—Biography. 7. Political activists—South Africa—Biography. I. Title.
DT1757.M385 2006
323.092'268—dc22
2005033771
for Dennis because of all his patience
Contents
| Chapter One | Nomkhitha and Joseph |
| Chapter Two | Joseph, Nomkhitha and the Children |
| Chapter Three | June 16 |
| Chapter Four | The Children |
| Chapter Five | Tsietsi |
| Chapter Six | Mpho and Nomkhitha |
| Chapter Seven | Rocks |
| Chapter Eight | Dee |
| Chapter Nine | Tsietsi |
| Chapter Ten | Mpho |
| Chapter Eleven | Dee |
| Chapter Twelve | Tsietsi |
| Chapter Thirteen | Rocks |
| Chapter Fourteen | Mpho |
|
Chapter Fifteen
|