Who Was Amina Cachalia? Indian Who Fought Against Apartheid In SA

Born on June 28, 1930, in Vereeniging, South Africa, Amina Cachalia's life was defined by a strong devotion to the battle for justice and equality. Growing up in a family of eleven children, Cachalia was strongly influenced by her father, who was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, the renowned leader of India's independence struggle. Despite her humble beginnings, Cachalia grew up with a strong sense of social responsibility and a desire to make a difference in the world.

Early Life and Influences

A turning point in Cachalia's life came when her family moved to Fordsburg, Johannesburg, where she attended an Indian school. It was here that she first became aware of the racial tensions and injustices that plagued South African society. Encouraged by her teacher, Mervy Thandray, who was a member of the Communist Party of South Africa, Cachalia began to educate herself about the political situation in the country and the need for change.

At the age of fifteen, Cachalia joined the Transvaal Indian Youth Congress (TIYC) and became actively involved in political activism. Despite being too young to actively participate, her resolve to challenge apartheid grew stronger. She returned to Fordsburg and decided not to complete her official education. Instead, she learned shorthand and typing, got a job, and became politically engaged. She joined the Transvaal Indian Youth Congress (TIYC) and attended classes led by TIC members to learn about South Africa's political situation and how to stand up to injustice.

Entry into Activism

At the time, Cachalia had a connection with the African National Congress (ANC) leadership, who frequented the TIC offices, but she had limited contact with Africans in general. When the TIC began awarding scholarships to South African Indian students studying in India, Cachalia got interested and applied. This was the first time she met her future husband, Yusuf Cachalia, Secretary of the TIC, who was interviewing applicants. When she filed for a passport, the government declined her, therefore she was unable to travel to India. Instead, she worked for the Peace Council, collecting cash and organising meetings. She also became quite engaged in Congress work and was meeting women like Lillian Ngoyi and Helen Joseph, who worked at the Industrial Council. 

In 1948, she built the Women's Progressive Union, which collaborated with the Institute of Race Relations. Her goal was to help women become financially independent. The institution, which received widespread support from the Indian community, provided classes in reading, shorthand and typing, baby care, dressmaking, and music. It also provided basic nursing training, and several women went on to pursue careers in nursing. The Women's Progressive Union operated for at least six years.

Defiance Campaign and Beyond

One of the defining moments in  Cachalia's life was her participation in the Defiance Campaign, a mass protest against discriminatory laws imposed by the apartheid regime. She participated in various activities organized by the TIYC, including distributing leaflets and attending political meetings. Through her involvement with the TIYC,  Cachalia came into contact with leaders of the African National Congress (ANC) and became increasingly engaged in the struggle against apartheid.

On August 26, 1952, she marched with the Germiston batch commanded by Ida Mtwana. There were twenty-nine ladies in total: eleven Indians, one Coloured (Susan Naude), and seventeen African women. The group was taken into custody and sentenced to 14 days at Boksburg Prison. Amina, the youngest, had a heart condition, so the other women took extra care of her.

During the early 1950s, Hilda Bernstein, an influential member of the South African Communist Party (SACP), and Ray Alexander Simons discussed the concept of a women's federation that would surpass colour and race. Helen Joseph, Lillian Ngoyi, Josie Mpama (Palmer), Ida Mtwana, and Amina volunteered to help. In 1954, the Federation of South African Women (FEDSAW) was established. Lillian Ngoyi was the first President, while Amina was the Treasurer. The organisation's initial goal was to protest the planned pass laws for women. FEDSAW coordinated a women's protest march to the Union Buildings in 1955. Ida Mtwana led a demonstration of 2000 women, mostly from Africa. 

Ida Mtwana led a demonstration of 2000 women, mostly from Africa. FEDSAW then agreed to organise a national march for women of all races, and on August 9, 1956, 20,000 women marched to the Union Buildings to present their petitions against passing laws. The women's efforts were successful in delaying passes for African women for several years. Cachalia also served as patron of the Federation of Transvaal Women (Fedtraw) and was involved in organising women in the liberation movement.

At the end of 1956, the authorities arrested one hundred and sixty-five activists on treason charges. Charges against sixty-five people were dropped after a year, while thirty were transported to Pretoria for trial in 1959. In March 1961, the accusations were withdrawn. During the treason trial process in Johannesburg, Cachalia helped her sister, Zainab Asvat, in assisting the trialists and families who had been left without a breadwinner.

Treason Trial Aftermath

Following the Treason Trial and the prohibition of groups, political activity moved underground and took on new forms. Activists were all viewed as a threat to the state, and many were banned in 1963. In November 1963, Cachalia received a five-year suspension while recovering from a major heart operation. 

Her partner, Yusuf, was also placed under house arrest. Amina was forbidden from attending social and political meetings, leaving Johannesburg's magisterial district, and entering any publishing house or educational institution. When Cachalia's banning order was due to expire, she received another one. She was banned for fifteen years. The bans, which restricted her movement and ability to freely mingle with others, effectively ended her political career. She was instrumental in planning and carrying out the escape of Arthur Goldreich, Harold Wolpe, Mosie Moolla, and Abdulhay Jassat from Marshall Square Prison in 1963. After three consecutive banning orders resulting in 15 years of house imprisonment, her ban ended in 1978.

She quickly became active in the fight against the government's attempts to co-opt the Indian and Coloured communities. The government was attempting to gain credibility for the government-appointed Indian National Council, which had become the South African Indian Council (SAIC) and was considered by the Indian community as a group of sellouts.

The government intended to validate this body by allowing Indians to elect their representatives to it. Progressive Indians, such as Cachalia, condemned this new form of apartheid, and anti-SAIC committees were formed to combat the fraudulent elections. Even though the vast majority of the Indian population boycotted the election, the government saw the results as approval of their agenda and went on to propose the Tri-Cameral system. This resulted in the resurrection of the TIC and the establishment of the United Democratic Front. Amina became actively involved in these organisations and campaigned against the new regime. 

When the African National Congress Women's League (ANCWL) was revived in the 1990s, she was a member of the PWV [union of Pretoria, Greater Johannesburg (Witwatersrand), and Vaal Triangle (Vereeniging)] region's committee. She was elected a Member of Parliament for the National Assembly in the first democratic elections in 1994 and was given an ambassadorial position, which she politely turned down.

When Amina said 'No' to Nelson Mandela for Marriage

But Cachalia 's story goes beyond her activism. She was also a devoted mother to her children, Ghaleb and Coco. Despite the challenges they faced as a family – including her husband's house arrest and her ban – Cachalia ensured that her children were surrounded by love and stability. 

Years later, in her autobiography, When Hope and History Rhyme, Cachalia also explained her close, decades-long relationship with the First black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election, Nelson Mandela. Ghaleb Cachalia, Amina's son, recounted in an interview with The Guardian how his mother struggled with Mandela's proposal in the wake of Yusuf's death. He shared, "that Mandela had asked her to marry him".

Amina and Yusuf shared a deep connection with Nelson Mandela, built through years of shared struggles and camaraderie in the fight against apartheid. Their time spent in India, where Yusuf headed the African National Congress (ANC) desk in exile, further cemented their ties with Mandela and the broader anti-apartheid movement. However, one moment came in the wake of her husband's passing in May 1995, when Mandela sought her hand in marriage which changed their relationship forever. 

When Mandela professed his love during a visit to her Johannesburg apartment, Cachalia gently reminded him of his marriage to Graca Machel. She recalled, "That night Nelson declared his love for me in no uncertain terms. I resisted, reminding him of his marriage (to former Mozambican First Lady Graca Machel), and the fact that while I may have been moved to consider his overtures positively, his marriage to Graca prevented me from doing so." 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SheThePeople (@shethepeopletv)

Despite her respect for Mandela, Cachalia denied his advances, claiming, "I'm my own person and that I had just recently lost my husband whom I had enormous regard for."

Though Mandela was upset, Cachalia remained firm in her decision, unwilling to compromise her values for the sake of fleeting affection. She added in her book, "I was free, he was not. He was upset. I had hurt his feelings and resisted his advances. I begged with him to stay for crayfish but he brushed my pleas aside and walked out of the door."

Accolades 

Cachalia's contributions were rightfully acknowledged by the South African Government, which bestowed upon her The Order of Luthuli in Bronze for her tireless advocacy for gender equality and democracy. Her election to the National Assembly in 1994 and subsequent accolades, including a Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Witwatersrand, also highlight the deep impact of her life's work.

She passed away on 31 January 2013 in Johannesburg, Gauteng at the age of 82.