Matthew Goniwe

Matthew Goniwe OLS (27 December 1947 – 27 June 1985) was a South African anti-apartheid activist and one of The Cradock Four murdered by the South African Police in 1985.

Goniwe was the youngest of eight children.

His parents, David and Elizabeth Goniwe, were farm labourers and lived in the Emaqgubeni section of the old Cradock, Eastern Cape township.

They were charged under the Suppression of Communism Act No 44 of 1950 which banned the South African Communist Party, and gave the government the power to ban publications that promoted the objectives of communism.

They were detained at Wellington Maximum Prison until the conclusion of their trial.

They were sentenced to four years in Mthatha prison except Mgodolozi who received a suspended sentence.

While in jail, he studied and obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree through the University of South Africa, majoring in political science and education.

In 1958, he joined the African National Congress and in 1960, while in the process of completing his primary school, he joined the local communist party.

He attended underground political classes of the ANC and the South African Communist Party.

He was introduced into politics by his older brother Jamani Jacques Goniwe.

During this time, he also joined a local boxing club and became a member of the Cradock Male Voice Choir.

From 1961 to 1963, he completed part of his high schooling at Cradock Bantu Secondary.

His family later moved to Lingelihle Township in 1962 as Emaqgumeni was demolished through the Group Areas Act.

Goniwe attended St James' Primary School and Sam Xhallie Secondary School, where he obtained his Junior Certificate.

He obtained a teachers' diploma from University of Fort Hare and returned to Sam Xhallie School to teach mathematics and science.

From 1964 until 1965, he completed his matric standard at Healdtown College near Fort Beaufort and became a member of the Moral Regeneration Movement (an organisation aimed at instilling morality amongst young people) and of the Healdtown Church Choir.

Goniwe went to further his studies at Fort Hare University where he obtained a teacher’s diploma, majoring in mathematics, education, physics, and chemistry.

Goniwe obtained his first teaching post at Cradock Bantu Secondary where he taught mathematics and science.

In 1972, he left his job to pursue a Bachelor of Science Degree at Fort Hare but was told that spaces were reserved for students straight from high school.

He then taught briefly at Sithebe Secondary School.

In 1973, he joined Holomisa High School at Mqanduli in Bityi Village.

The school was situated in a dilapidated church building which he helped to renovate.

He then established a feeding scheme, school choir, debating society and boxing, rugby and soccer clubs.

In 1975, he married Nyameka who later qualified as a social worker.

They had two children, Nobuzwe and Nyaniso.

Goniwe’s political views were influenced by Reverend Canon James Calata, a founding member and former secretary of the South African Native National Congress.

Goniwe established a Marxist cell which was a reading group which studied Marxism and Communism, together with Dumisa and Lungisile Ntsebeza, Meluxolo Silinga and Michael Mgodolozi.

They established Marxist cells in educational institutions such as the University of Fort Hare and in towns such including Mqanduli, Mthatha, Whittlesea and King William's Town.

In 1975, Dumisa, Ntsebeza, Silinga, and Mgodolozi were arrested after one member of the group gave the police information about their underground work.

Goniwe was arrested on 19 July 1976.

Goniwe was released from prison in October 1981.

He then moved on to become the head of department for science and mathematics at Nqweba High in Graaf-Reinet.

In 1983, he was appointed principal at Sam Xhali Secondary in Lingelihle.

That same year, the Cradock Youth Association (CRADOYA) was launched and Goniwe became its first Chairperson and Fort Calata, a friend and colleague, became the secretary.

Their first protest was directed at the rental systems that were proposed by the Eastern Cape Administration Board.

In 1983 Goniwe organised a mass meeting with Cradock residents to discuss how the community should respond to high rents.

They formed the Cradock Residents Association and elected Goniwe its first chairperson.

The organisation pressured the Eastern Cape Administration Board and rents were lowered.

After the formation of the United Democratic Front on 20 August 1983, CRADORA became one of its affiliates.

He also started underground political activities at the request of the exiled ANC.