27 Jun 2021

A new documentary film titled Ties that bind celebrating and acknowledging contributions by the prominent African struggle icon Michael Dingake has been released.

The documentary, filmed and produced by Gaborone based Box Screen Pictures Production Company, re-tells the story of the 93-year-old’s journey in the struggle for liberation in South Africa that was led by the African National Congress (ANC) .

It also explores the lives of retired political veterans such as Andrew Mlangeni, Mac Maharaj and Wale Serote, who worked closely with Dingake.

Giving remarks during the launch, the chairperson of Livingstone Kolobeng College, Dr. Jeff Ramsay said the documentary was a milestone achievement in efforts to archive political history information.

He said the coming generation would be exposed to the documentary for learning purposes, adding that there was more that still needed to be done to keep sharing stories that would help to keep re-discovering the legacy of the country in different forms.

The Leader of Opposition in Parliament, who is also Maun West MP, Dumelang Saleshando also hailed the documentary.

He said Dingake was a soft-spoken man who stood his ground for what he believed in.

He said Dingake also maintained high level of commitment towards the struggle for liberation of South Africa.

He further said the documentary was ideal in political circles as other politicians could always refer back to it to enhance their political growth.

For his part, Dingake emphasised the need to exercise unity and the spirit of resolving issues amicably, despite the difference of political affiliation, for the benefit of the country.

“Politics must be for all the people, and there must be prevailing love for one another. Issues of xenophobia, hate and lying about other human beings is more of hating yourself. There is no life without other people,” he said.

He said the documentary would be a platform to keep reviving the story of what he endured while he was actively involved in the struggle for liberation at South Africa.

Director of Box Screen Pictures who is also the creator of the documentary, Mpho Dintwa noted that he was intrigued by one of Dingake’s book titled Better to die on one feet: One Man’s Journey from Robben Island to Freedom.

He said he also read Dingake’s autobiography titled My fight against apartheid and has since developed more interest to know more about him and all the struggles he endured, hence the documentary.

“ I was captivated by the narrative that Dingake as a Motswana man who had gone for further studies in South Africa ended up seduced by what the ANC stood for in efforts to fight for the liberation and the country’s perspective of Ubuntu, which meant that no man is an island,” he said.

He said the documentary’s  title  expressed the cordial relationship between Botswana and South Africa.

He said history had it that people from Botswana had played a significant role towards the developing South Africa, while Botswana also benefitted in several ways from South Africa.

Dintwa said he started working on the documentary since 2016 and finished it early this year.

He said the documentary was picked to be played at Durban International Film Festival to be held in July this year at South Africa. He said he was hopeful it will gain the desired exposure.

Dingake joined the ANC in 1952 and elected ANC Alexandra Branch Secretary in 1952. In 1960 he was appointed to the underground Transvaal Region of the ANC headed by Duma Nokwe.

In 1966 he was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment at Robben Island for promoting the objectives of banned organisations, that included ANC. He was released in 1981 and repatriated to Botswana.

In 1992 he actively engaged in politics and was elected  Botswana National Front vice president in 1993 thus becoming the Member of Parliament for Gaborone Central in 1994. He retired from active politics in 2004 and became a weekly columnist for the Botswana Mmegi newspaper. Ends