Where were you born?
I was born in Durban, back in 1949.
When and where did you start school?
My father was in the navy, so we moved around a bit. I started school in Pretoria at Sunnyside Primary. Then we moved to Simonstown and I went to Fish Hoek Primary. Finally, from Grade 6 through to matric, I was at St Josephs in Rondebosch.
Who was your favourite teacher?
Mrs Burger who taught me in Grade 6; it was the first time I really began to enjoy school. In my last years of senior school I had two English teachers, Christopher Horan and Ted Harty, who both encouraged me in my creative writing.
Any fond memories of your school days?
Yes, many of them to do with sport. I loved cricket, rugby and swimming. I also have a fond memory of playing Lady Macbeth in the school play in Grade 9 or 10!
What were your favourite subjects and why?
I especially liked English and French for the literature. Afrikaans was so badly taught that I only came to learn it (and discover its literature) in prison. I also liked subjects that linked with social realities – like geography and history. I deeply regret never being exposed to an African language at school.
What were your early views on politics?
During my school years I pretty much shared my family’s perspective on politics. “Leave it to the blacks and Afrikaners”. Perhaps I should have followed their advice.
When did you become a member of SACP?
In my first year at the University of Cape Town, back in 1968, I was recruited into the deep underground of the clandestine SACP.
Do you think South Africa still needs communism and why?
What came to be called “communism” in the former Soviet Union ended up as a terrible distortion of the ideals of Marx, Lenin and of socialism in general. I do not think we should try to repeat that here, or anywhere else. But the collapse of the Soviet system hasn’t made capitalism and its international variant, imperialism, one little bit prettier. On the contrary, capitalism has becomes more arrogant, more ruthless, and more of a danger to humanity. Since 1990 most African countries have become poorer, and in a world of plenty, millions starve. For me, communism means the struggle to build a country and a world based on social needs, not on private profits. That struggle is as relevant as ever.
What is your view of education today?
I have two children who are at school, a 10- and a 15-year-old. I envy them for the quality of education they are getting, freed from the terrible shackles of racial and other prejudices. But I worry that, while all of us, black and white, have our children schooling within the same formal dispensation, in practice there are huge differences between schools in suburbs and townships. It’s a big challenge.
What is your advice to learners?
Stay curious, ask awkward questions, read lots and enjoy.