Short description
Quite often in the public hearings of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission I would remark that the revelations of a spirit of forgiveness led us into the presence of something holy. I used to say that we were standing on holy ground and should metaphorically remove our shoes. We are blessed by some truly remarkable people of all races, and each one is a person of extraordinary nobility of spirit.
Long description
In 1964, the security police in Johannesburg detained Hugh Lewin. He was later tried and convicted on charges of sabotage. He spent seven years in prison, secretly recording his experiences, and those of his fellow inmates, on the pages of his Bible. On release, rather than submit to 24-hour arrest, he left South Africa on a one-way visa.
One of the finest ever examples of prison writing from South Africa, Bandiet was originally released during Hugh Lewin’s exile, and published by Random House in 1978. Now, for its re-publication, Hugh Lewin has written additional pieces that he could not write while his fellow inmates were still in prison.
Selected poems, journalism and a collection of new pieces, interspersed with especially commissioned line-drawings by another of Pretoria’s inmates, Jock Strachan, will appear alongside a freshly typeset version of the complete text of the original book.
Alan Paton called Bandiet “splendid” and commented on its lack of rancour and exaggeration. He spoke of its truthfulness and its quality, and called it a document of great historical value.