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Hanef Bhamjee came to Britain in 1965 to escape detention by the South African security police. He became involved in the Anti-Apartheid Movement as a student at Birmingham University. In the 1970s he moved to Cardiff and in 1981 was a founder member of Wales Anti-Apartheid Movement. He served as Wales AAM’s Secretary from 1982 to 1994 and is now Secretary of ACTSA Cymru. 

This is a complete transcript of an interview carried out as part of the Forward to Freedom history project in 2013. 

Hanef Bhamjee came to Britain in 1965 to escape detention by the South African security police. He became involved in the Anti-Apartheid Movement as a student at Birmingham University. In the 1970s he moved to Cardiff  and was a founder member of Wales Anti-Apartheid Movement, set up in 1981. He served as Wales AAM’s Secretary from 1982 to 1994 and is now Secretary of ACTSA Cymru.

In this clip Hanef tells how Wales AAM members avoided arrest because of the punitive fines imposed on anti-apartheid activists.

Vijay Krishnarayan became involved in the Anti-Apartheid Movement in 1984 while studying town and country planning at Oxford Polytechnic. As student union president, he was elected to the National Council of the student section of the Labour Party and in 1988 took part in the Mandela Freedom March from Glasgow to London. In 1989, he campaigned against the rebel cricket tour to South Africa before moving on to a career in civil society organisations, promoting people-to-people solidarity.

In this clip Vijay tells why he felt compelled to campaign against apartheid and why he  thought it was essential that black people should have a strong presence in the Anti-Apartheid Movement.

Sean O’Donovan became involved in the Anti-Apartheid Movement in 1984 as a student at Middlesex Polytechnic. He joined Haringey Anti-Apartheid Group in north London and served as its Secretary, and later Chair, until it disbanded in 1994.  He was active in the London AA Committee, the co-ordinating body for London anti-apartheid groups, and served on the AAM National Executive. He now works as a  caseworker for a Labour MP.

This is a complete transcript of an interview carried out as part of the Forward to Freedom history project in 2013.

Sean O’Donovan became involved in the Anti-Apartheid Movement in 1984 as a student at Middlesex Polytechnic. He joined Haringey Anti-Apartheid Group in north London and served as its Secretary, and later Chair, until it disbanded in 1994.  He was active in the London AA Committee, the co-ordinating body for London anti-apartheid groups, and served on the AAM National Executive. He now works as a  caseworker for a Labour MP.

In this clip Sean tells how Haringey AA Group spread its message by speaking at meetings organised by political parties, church groups and other local organisations.

Richard Caborn was the Labour MP for Sheffield Central, 1983–2010, and Minister for Sport, 2001–2007. He joined the Anti-Apartheid Movement when he was a trade union official in the 1970s and was a founder member of Sheffield Anti-Apartheid Group. He served as the Anti-Apartheid Movement’s national Treasurer, 1989–1994. In 1984 he became Secretary of the all-party parliamentary group on Southern Africa.

This is a complete transcript of an interview carried out as part of the Forward to Freedom history project in 2013.

Bob Hughes MP was the Chair of the Anti-Apartheid Movement from 1976 to 1995. He was the Labour MP for Aberdeen North from 1970 to 1997 and served as Under Secretary of State for Scotland in 1974–75. He now sits in the House of Lords as Baron Hughes of Woodside.

Bob Hughes shares his memories.

Peter Brayshaw joined protests against UDI in Rhodesia as a student in the mid-1960s. He joined the Committee for Freedom in Mozambique, Angola and Guinea and travelled to Angola soon after MPLA declared independence in 1975. On his return to Britain he campaigned for international recognition of the MPLA government and later became Chair of the Mozambique Angola Committee. He later served as Vice Chair of Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA) and as a Labour Councillor in the London Borough of Camden. 

In this clip Peter Brayshaw tells how he and his companion Tracy Warne were caught in fighting between MPLA and FNLA when they visited Angola soon after MPLA declared independence in 1975.