Introduction:
This interview with Mr Gumede was conducted with the purpose of giving insight to the reader of what the conditions and circumstances he faced during Apartheid were and how they affected his views today. As seen later in the project, the source created as a result of the interview is analyzed according to certain criteria to come to a conclusion whether it is a valid source or not. Lastly this project will reflect on the methodology and personal importance of the interview.
Interviewee Biography:
Name: Themba Kenneth Gumede
Date of Birth: 22 June 1965
Gender: Male
Race: Black
Themba was born in Gingindlovo with his 2 brothers. His father worked for a sugar mill while his mother was a house maid for a white family. In his youth he and his brothers were cared for by his grandparents. At age 18 he was sent out by his grandparents to work, Themba worked at a liquor store, a hairdresser and a sugar mill at which he has worked the longest. Mr Gumede married in 1985 to his now wife Fundiswa. They have 2 children named Sibosizwe and Thando. Themba currently lives in Gingindlovu and works for River North Farm.
Interview:
Ross: Mr Gumede, knowing you had a tough childhood, what would you say affected you the most during that time?
Themba: During my childhood I experienced many uncomfortable moments but being called a ka@#$! And other nasty things as a boy it changed me to be a more hateful person towards whites.
Ross: Do you believe this treatment was fair? As it was reported at the time that according to most scientists black people were physically different and therefore inferior to the white race.
Themba: No. No it was not fair at all, or even humane the way they treated us. I would not be so…naïve to believe what these “scientists” said.
Ross: During Apartheid, did you ever rebel or take action against the government? If so what action did you take?
Themba: At the bottlestore we used to steal some of the liquor but I don’t think that counts. I was a member of the ANC but did not get involved in many protests. I had a family I had to take care of so I did not want to go to jail and leave them.
Ross: Knowing you told me you did well at school, you could have had better jobs if you were of white race. How did this affect you financially and psychologically?
Themba: It is unfortunate that I couldn’t do much with my education; it really affected me as a young man. That I wasn’t good enough but I enjoyed helping my community with the jobs I did have. I struggled with money, I still do but as a community we help each other with jobs and other opportunities.
Ross: You were involved with the ANC for much of your life, what did you do to help them?
Themba: I had to wake up at about 4 in the morning most days and go to a neighbor’s house where I collected advertising which I had to put on as posters and then when it was late enough I had to hand out pamphlets. I liked that job, it gave me the opportunity to meet new people and see new places of my area.
Ross: When the ANC was banned and created Umkhonto We Sizwe which had a more violent approach, did you believe that it was necessary to be this way?
Themba: We, the ANC, had been fighting for equality for many, many years and we didn’t get anywhere. Now they decided to be aggressive and disrupt the fancy white people’s lives, I believe we had to change, we got them to see that we didn’t accept our treatment. We changed later than we should have.
Ross: With your jobs did you ever go into the white parts of South Africa? (If so) What was the experience like?
Themba: I did not want to go to the white areas, out of fear I didn’t go although my friends told me some stories which are disgusting, them being called names and being beaten for not having that pass.
Ross: What was your opinion about the quality of schooling you received at the time? Was your school a good school in terms of the equipment?
Themba: I thought it was a good enough, it taught me the things that were necessary but seeing what kids such as you learn now, it wasn’t enough. My school was rough to put it lightly. Paint peeling off the walls and desks which had holes and many were broken. We had to share desks and stationary but with the community we had, we weren’t upset.
Ross: Did you feel proud to be South African at the time? Or did the segregation and actions of the government make you feel embarrassed?
Themba: I mostly felt angry that it had to be the way it was, we should have been united as a nation but instead we were apart and fighting because of our skin colour.
Ross: Did you feel that “separate development” was a route that was acceptable for everyone?
Themba: Not at all. Our communities are very close and very friendly with each other, I don’t mind white people as it is more about their personality than their race but I feel that decision of Apartheid was made by racists who thought only their white race was good enough.
Ross: Last question Mr Gumede, do you think you would be different as a person and in living standard if Apartheid never happened? If so how?
Themba: If it never happened, white people would still call us those names and treat us badly but I could have met some good white people who could have impacted my life differently. I might be poorer or I could be richer, we will never know but I am happy that that time is behind us and South Africa is reborn as a more positive place.
Source Analysis:
The purpose of a source such as this interview is to provide a truthful, insightful look into a historical topic such as Aparthied. The interview provides a record of personal experiences which can be used as evidence to prove certain points about what happened during this time. Also it matches the goal set in the project of recording the interviewee’s recollection of the “ideas of race” and their sense of Nationalism at the time.
The source is valid to a certain extent as the interview was conducted in person however, it cannot be proven whether Mr Gumede’s answers were truthful or if they were fabricated for his own purpose. It is difficult to validate the words of a person therefore the validity of the source is unknown. He grew up during a time where Apartheid was still very much alive and he lived in a black allocated area which is valid to the purpose of the interview.
In addition, the reliability of a source such as this is also challenging to determine. With regards to the interviewee’s answers there were no evident errors in correlation to his story and he seemed to live a simple, normal life. His answers were consistent to my knowledge but there is no way of verifying this information. His opinion was constant throughout with no dramatic change.
The interview was conducted on the 2nd October 2018 and was recorded by myself. We held the interview at a workshop located at the River North Farm. This source would be classified as a secondary source as it was recorded post-Aparthied (2018) and therefore not recorded during the time as Apartheid ended in 1994.
Concerning usefulness, this source is useful to a certain extent as it does fulfill the aim of the project as referenced earlier and the personal experiences/emotions show a representation of what the public felt at the time about certain aspects of Apartheid. It is also useful to historians as it can be used as proof in questions relating to Apartheid.
All sources are biased and with this specific interview with Mr Gumede, he was biased against the government. His opinions about the education system and the establishment of Umkhonto We Sizwe are examples of bias. The bias shows the reader what public opinions of the other races were at the time and this can be used by historians.
The evident bias in the source is a limitation as it skews the view of South Africa at the time as it is one man, Mr Gumede’s, opinion which cannot represent the whole population. Another limitation is that it is a secondary source, Mr Gumede’s memory might not have recalled events accurately which would skewer the accuracy of the interview and this source with false information.
Reflection:
Upon reflection, I cherish the time I spent with Themba Gumede as it was an eye-opening experience to hear what he had to say regarding Apartheid, and as someone growing up in this current generation I am grateful he spared time from his day educating me about what life was like in that turbulent time in our country’s history. Thinking of questions that would be sufficient and not come across the wrong way was a challenge which I think both him and I appreciated greatly for different reasons. He had a way of speaking which had an awe of wisdom and experience which I was taken aback from. I was fortunate that he could converse with me in English as it assisted me greatly when conducting the interview as there was no need for a translator. We spoke for what seemed like at least 45 minutes which I wish was more as I was deeply invested in his story and struggles as an ordinary South African citizen growing up in Aparthied.