The Individual, Auto/biography and History in South Africa

The ADC was a means of Tabata “riding” on his “glory” and “exploit[ing]” Alexander’s
“international repute”. Tabata had made the Unity Movement “appear as his private
property run by himself and his private secretaries and personal representatives”. 117
In embarking on the road of “personality cults and narrow nationalisms”, Tabata and
other leaders had “become preoccupied with hobnobbing with Governments, diplomats
and Heads of State” instead of forging ties with and winning allies among other
liberation movements. Even Nathaniel Honono had been taught “faithfully to repeat the
catechism: ‘My President’”. This was “not the first time” that these “patterns of
behaviour” and “tendencies” had played “havoc” with the organisation, Mqotsi argued.
“Only now they [had] become gross”. They had driven “a section of our most promising
young men” to Robben Island. “The iron fist of bureaucracy” had “rudely shocked” the
“youthful ebullience” of some and had driven others “into despondency and despair”.
Those who “refused to bow before the bureaucracy” had their characters “assassinated”,
while “the acolytes” were acclaimed as “the ‘fighters’”. Mqotsi concluded by arguing
that “nothing short of the repudiation of the leadership of Mr I.B. Tabata and his clique
and faction [would] save the Unity Movement from disaster”. 118
These internal battles in Lusaka culminated in Mqotsi’s expulsion from the Unity
Movement in October 1966, along with Mtutuzeli Mpehle. Mqotsi was accused inter alia
of “undermining and damaging the movement”, of being “consistently guilty of
insubordination”, of “flaunting” it and of refusing “to recognise the authority of the
officials of the organisation”. Mqotsi was also accused of “attempting to hive off
APDUSA from the Unity Movement” and to “run an office on his own”, separate from
117 An Indictment of I.B. Tabata and his Clique’, Lusaka, 19 September 1966; L Mqotsi, General Secretary,
African People’s Democratic Union of Southern Africa to All Members of the Unity Movement, the All‐
African Convention, the African People’s Democratic Union of Southern Africa and other affiliated
organisations and bodies, May 1966, Livingstone Mqotsi Papers. See also Ciraj Rassool, Interview with
Livingstone Mqotsi, London, 3 March 1992.
118 An Indictment of I.B. Tabata and his Clique’, Lusaka, 19 September 1966; L Mqotsi, General Secretary,
African People’s Democratic Union of Southern Africa to All Members of the Unity Movement, the All‐
African Convention, the African People’s Democratic Union of Southern Africa and other affiliated
organisations and bodies, May 1966, Livingstone Mqotsi Papers.
477