page 331 - Long Walk Original Manuscript [LWOM_331.jpg]

wanted a lasting marriage and real happiness in her new home she should adopt the same beliefs. "If your man is a wizard, you must become a witch", he concluded his speech. Zami took particular note of these remarks and throughout the difficult stretch of 18 years of our married life she has faithfully followed her father's advice. On our return from the wedding, and in accordance with custom, the family and friends arranged a feast, slaughtered a sheep and gave her the name Nobandla.

The treason case was in its second year when we got marrried. Both my partner Oliver Tambo and I had been arrested and were appearing then as accused at the preparatory examination. Our practice was falling apart and we were experiencing considerable financial difficulties. Fortunately Oliver was not indicted for trial by the Special Criminal Court and he was thus able to spend more time on the practice. But a lot of damage had already been done and the practice was declining very rapidly. For all practical purposes our income from the firm disappeared and I could not even pay the small balance of about £50 still owing on the plot of land I had bought at Mthatha.

I explained this whole situation to Zami before the wedding and warned her for the difficulties she would face if she married me. But she was quite prepared to take the risk with the result that from the beginning of our married life we had financial problems and lived almost entirely on her small salary.

To enable me to travel the 30 miles to the trial in Pretoria required that both of us wake up very