Taking Up the Spear
Shadrack Maphumulo’s struggle against apartheid
Shadrack Maphumulo was a long-standing member of the African National Congress. He was sentenced to 10 years on Robben Island. After his release he was restricted to Inanda outside Durban and he worked on rebuilding the ANC underground network. He was forced to flee the country and was stationed in Swaziland where he worked with Joe Pillay and other ANC members in exile.
In Swaziland he met with Joe Pillay and the two would meet clandestinely. Joe Pillay interviewed Shadrack about his life and kept all his notes. Shadrack was abducted and shot by the South African Security Police. His body was thrown into the back of the police van and driven across the border into South Africa. Shadrack died along the way to Durban.
Dhayiah (Joe) Pillay was born in 1945 in Durban, South Africa. Along with his brother, Ivan Pillay, he worked underground for the ANC while working as a furniture salesman. Joe Dubula (Joe’s underground name) was forced to escape from South Africa in 1977 and ended up in Swaziland as a political refugee. He went back to his first career, teaching, and taught at St. Joseph’s Mission and later, St. Phillip’s schools.
While in Swaziland, he met Shadrack Maphumulo a year later and they became close friends. During their secret meetings, Pillay interviewed him about his life and compiled his biography. After Shadrack’s abduction and death, Joe Pillay was forced to flee Swaziland and joined Barbara his wife in her hometown of Edmonton, Canada where he wrote this biography.
DarajaPress’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.