why is alex moumbaris not in escape from pretoria

It was not until the following morning that the warders realised the three men were missing. [19] The street was deserted, but they still had to find their way out of South Africa, into Mozambique and to freedom. [3], On 23 October 1973, the matter of possible theft of documents from the Clapham Common home of Moumbaris and his wife was raised in the UK parliament by Labour party MP Alex Lyon. [14] He afterwards said the prison was "luxury" compared to French prison. They were sent to Pretoria Central Prison - since renamed Kgosi Mampuru II Management Area - where prisoners were divided up depending on their race. [18], Jenkin returned to South Africa in 1991 to manage the ANC's communications network. Recalling their rather more successful attempt, Stephen explained: The sense of freedom was amazing. In June 1978, Stephen Lee and Tim Jenkin were sentenced to eight to 12 years in prison for producing political pamphlets during the Apartheid. [5] As Marie-Jos was pregnant at the time and under pressure from the French ambassador, she was not charged but instead deported back to France[3] after four months. [4] He had not grown up in a political family, but when in Britain associated with Communists there and he was inspired by the communist resistance to the Axis occupation of Greece during World War II. It took them months to crack the fourth lock. He returned to France after his escape. [8] He and Lee went on a speaking tour in Sweden in the early 1980s. All Rights Reserved. Nathan Page. Actor: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. In times of uncertainty you need journalism you can trust. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Escape from Pretoria: Directed by Francis Annan. As clunkily deployed in the [] "You are the white Mandela," says a ham-faced warden, all but spitting in the face of anti-apartheid activist Tim Jenkin upon his arrival at Pretoria Local Prison in 1978. I was so worried it was making a tremendous noise. The arrests at Liliesleaf and convictions which followed at the Rivonia Trial in 1963-4 were followed by widespread roundups of activists and leaders, including Bram Fischer and Wilton Mkwayi. [15] Both of them and Lee felt throughout the sooner they got out, the greater the chances of being discovered; the others warned against impatience but agreed the participants should as far as possible be in control.[16]. [25][26] Filming of Escape from Pretoria began in Adelaide, South Australia, in March 2019, with Daniel Webber joining the cast as Lee. "Just in case, we had brought a chisel. He worked for the ANC Elections Briefing Unit from 1994 (the year of the first fully democratic elections in South Africa), before being appointed head of their Electronic Information Unit in Cape Town later that year. In 2015 he went on a national tour in Australia organised by Karel Boele speaking about his escape and community currencies. . United Nations High Commission for Refugees, "Press Conference by O. R. Tambo, Introducing Alexandre Moumbaris, Stephen Lee and Timothy Jenkin who Escaped from Prison in South Africa", "Ambassador Molekane receives stalwart of the apartheid struggle Alex Moumbaris at the SA Embassy", "Media Statement by the Chancellor of the National Orders and Director-General in the Presidency, Dr. Cassius Lubisi, at the Union Buildings, Pretoria", "Daniel Radcliffe to Star in Prison-Break Drama 'Escape From Pretoria', "Sam Neill joins Daniel Radcliffe in 'Escape From Pretoria', "Adelaide transformed into apartheid-era Cape Town for Escape From Pretoria filming", "Daniel Radcliffe touches down in Adelaide for new movie", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alex_Moumbaris&oldid=1101678249, All Wikipedia articles written in South African English, Articles containing potentially dated statements from July 2017, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 August 2022, at 07:50. Tim was inspired by the book Papillon later made into a film starring Dustin Hoffman about a French convicts escape from a jungle island. We just hoped that nobody would see us.". [9], In February 1974, Jenkin and Lee left the country in order to join the ANC in London, with the intention of helping to bring about change in South Africa. Moumbaris was charged under the Terrorism Act in January 1973. [28], In 1987 his book, Escape from Pretoria, was published in London. While awaiting clearance for membership, Jenkin worked as a social worker at a reform school in Swindon. This was going to let us out of the cells into the corridor.. Yet fellow prisoners, who had already spent years locked up behind the six-metre high barbed-wire perimeter fence, poured scorn on their ambitions. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Daniel Radcliffe stars as inmate Tim Jenkin in new film 'Escape To Pretoria' about the famous South African prison break in 1979, The film is set during the during the Apartheid era in Capetown, South Africa, The Pretoria Central Prison divided up prisoners depending on their race, Its gallows, which are left untouched today, could end the lives of seven at once, Sitting on his bed in his jail cell, Tim realised he could fashion a key to unlock the door, Tim was sentenced to 12 years behind bars for supporting Nelson Mandela's ANC, His friend Stephen Lee received eight years for his political "terrorism" fighting apartheid, Once Tim had cracked the third door, inmate Alexis Moumbaris, pictured, joined the escape effort, After leaving South Africa via Tanzania, the pair - now in their 70s - settled in the UK, New Amazon Prime documentary explores the case of Oscar Pistorius who was convicted of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013, Inside audacious Escape From Pretoria where prisoners fled hellhole jail by carving wooden keys for ELEVEN metal doors, Kate and Rio Ferdinand had 'heated' rows over her pregnancy that ended in tears as she thought he 'didn't care', Ed Sheeran reveals wife Cherry 'had a tumour' that could only be treated after birth of 2nd baby as he announces album, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Surely his amazing story has had the big Hollywood sparkle, though? and 1979 escape from, Pretoria Local Prison (within the Pretoria Central Prison complex) with Tim Jenkin and Stephen Lee. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Home Office Minister Mark Carlisle said no evidence had been found at that time of South African responsibility for illegal activities, but appropriate action would be taken should it appear. [21], Commenting on the 2017 French election, Moumbaris named Franois Asselineau as his favourite candidate, but he would vote for Marine Le Pen rather than Emmanuel Macron, purely based on protection of the nation against Macron's "financial fascism", but was still a staunch communist. Now Escape From Pretoria tells the story of Jenkin and Stephen Lee, two white South African activists, imprisoned in 1978 for working on behalf of the African National Congress (ANC), and their. Escape from Pretoria airs on Saturday, 4 July, at 20:00 on TNT (DStv 137) We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred. The way Jenkin speaks about the escape is with a sort of whimsy, despite the danger theyd be in if they were caught suppose with 40 years between you and the act, theres been time to reflect. But the film still works in lockdown mode as a premium rental. We have a base load of around 70 In times of uncertainty you need journalism you can trust. In front of him was a lock - and the sight of it was enough to propel him to his feet and set to work making a wooden key that would help him and fellow inmate Stephen Lee make it to freedom. They both found their sociology course disappointing, as the material reinforced the status quo of apartheid. I loaned it to them for the film., No longer having any of the original keys, not even as a keepsake of another life, Jenkin says: I have replicas that look like them, but not the real ones. In prison they met Denis Goldberg and on Alexandre Moumbaris - not on Leonard Fontaine. He signalled his wish to be included in any possible escape plan to Jenkin even before the idea was presented to him, after Jenkin had mentioned he and Lee had brought some money into prison. [35][36] Filming of Escape from Pretoria began in Adelaide, South Australia, in March and April 2019, with Daniel Webber joining the cast as Lee. Its not intended as a compliment: The most deluded of them all, the warden adds, lest it be taken as such. The video features excerpts from interviews with Moumbaris, Jenkin, Lee and fellow inmate Denis Goldberg filmed in 2012, in between re-enacted scenes of the prison escape. 40 years after his mad dash for freedom with his collection of wooden keys and one chisel which was, unbelievably, successful Jenkins story is being told in the feature film, with Daniel Radcliffe playing the lead role. The film Escape from Pretoria was based on Tim Jenkins' book Inside Out: Escape from Pretoria Central Prison. I took the file that I brought, and I had the lock in front of me so I could keep testing it, he explained of the agonisingly slow process. He is best known for his 1979 escape from Pretoria Local Prison (part of the Pretoria Central Prison complex), along with Stephen Lee and Alex Moumbaris. I still have it in my toolbox and still use it as a normal tool. From the jail they took trains, hitchhiked and walk 25 miles to make it to the border of Swaziland - now called Eswatini. Ready to find out more about the real story Escape from Pretoria is based on? From the very first day, we started to collect intelligence about possible escape routes, says Tim, who now lives in Johannesburg. After a few tries, he managed to get the key to the right position and the door opened. He also once unfurled an ANC banner from a building in Durban,[5] and was subsequently entrusted with more risky assignments. At the time it was the site of the countrys capital punishment regime (which was abolished in 1995), and housed its death row. There was an effort to rebuild the armed wing known as Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), and a plan was hatched by Oliver Tambo, Joe Slovo and/or Moses Mabhida, with the help of the South African Communist Party[2] to land 25 combatants plus arms via a boat previously purchased by the ANC, the Adventurer (or Avventura[4]), on the Transkei coast via the Indian Ocean from Somalia. [33][34], In May 2017, it was announced that production would start on a film of Jenkin's book, produced by David Barron and starring Daniel Radcliffe as Jenkin and Ian Hart as Goldberg. He worked as a trade unionist and came to South Africa in 1973. The third partner in the escape, Egyptian-born activist Alex Moumbaris, has been fictionalized as enigmatic Frenchman Leonard (Mark Leonard Winter), who has no discernible history or motivation at all, while two black allies in the plan are marginal presences at best. I made that within a week or two of being there, it wasnt that difficult.. He became instrumental to the escape plan in several ways, making the early suggestion any escape plan would have to involve the making of keys,[7] providing a hacksaw which he had secreted after plumbers had left it behind,[8] and getting involved in some of the riskier aspects of the planning and testing of the scheme. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Jenkin and Lee, furious about being imprisoned for their thoughts, wanted to escape to prove to the world their differences, and of course, to fight for democracy in their country. The sense of freedom was amazing. . [Part 1: Intro] South Africa is a beautiful country and home to many unique languages and cultures, such as the Afrikaner (or Boer). [2] However the boat had developed engine problems and had to return to Somalia. . The video features excerpts from interviews with Jenkin, Lee, Moumbaris and Goldberg filmed in 2012, in between re-enacted scenes of the prison escape. All Rights Reserved. Stephen and Tim began devising ways to break out as soon as they arrived. But fortunately the metal of the keyhole marked where it was getting jammed, meaning Tim could accurately file it down to size. This time they came up with a plan to leave dummies in their beds, sneak downstairs, hide in a cupboard and wait for the warder to go upstairs. [24], In May 2017, it was announced production would start on a film of Jenkin's book, produced by David Barron and starring Daniel Radcliffe as Jenkin and Ian Hart as Goldberg. The movie begins with their early days spent planting harmless pamphlet bombs across Cape Town, before plunging us into the tepid everyday life of political prisoners. Moumbaris grew cynical about these claims but continued to see him as it was another visit from an outsider, and he could ask him questions about France. With Daniel Radcliffe, Daniel Webber, Ian Hart, Mark Leonard Winter. While their revolutionary deeds helped to change the course of history, their prison escape was that which garnered them real fame. To make this possible, they befriended another inmate, Alex Moumbaris. [11] In March 1976 Lee went to Johannesburg to look for work, and the ANC coincidentally sent them both on their first mission, to disperse leaflets urging support for the ANC via a leaflet bomb (using a new design developed by Jenkin) in Johannesburg, close to the anniversary of the Sharpeville Massacre on 21 March. Jenkin hatches a plan to whittle wooden facsimiles of the keys to every door separating them from the outside world an almost naively simple scheme that necessitates a complex network of hiding places and bluffs, as vindictive guards begin to suspect something is afoot. Then, one day he was working in a carpentry workshop and it struck him that the key could be wooden. Escape From Pretoria premiered on March 4, 2020. He tells how Tim had been given a 12-year sentence and he had got eight years inside. It was hugely emotional, Stephen recalls. They became friends and, in a South African version of Samizdat, Jenkins and Lee sought out literature banned by the ruling National Party. It was suspected South African agents may have raided the home for documents to use in Moumbaris' trial. This one actually has its roots in a real-life story, as it'll be based on Tim Jenkin's autobiography Inside Out: Escape From Pretoria Prison. There he met and married a French woman, Marie-Jos. [2] He started associating with African National Congress (ANC) exiles and beginning in 1967, he travelled in and out of South Africa transporting literature for the movement. [22], In 2013, the story of the prison escape was dramatised in the 7th episode of the 2nd season of Breakout, a television series made by National Geographic TV channel dramatising real-life prison escapes. Given the limited backstory filled in by Annan and L.H. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. : National speaking tour with Tim Jenkin and Karel Boele", "Award for Excellence in the Field of Humanitarian Service", "Daniel Radcliffe touches down in Adelaide for new movie", "Revolutionary Secrets: Technology's Role in the South African Anti-Apartheid Movement", "Sam Neill joins Daniel Radcliffe in 'Escape From Pretoria', "Ch. We walked out as if we had every right to be there. Here, Jenkin met his future wife Robin. Written and directed by Francis Annan, the historical thriller sheds light on how Stephen and Tim managed to defy all expectations and escape from the Pretoria Central Prison. The pair were initially kept in solitary confinement for a month before being charged with political "terrorism" in a trial in June 1978. Escape from Pretoria. Fortunately marks on the wood showed where the key was jamming, so Tim knew which parts to file down. Escape from Pretoria. I was so worried it was making a tremendous noise. [14], Undeterred, Jenkin continued the work in Cape Town, finding a new premises and regularly changing their printing equipment, and both carried out further leaflet bombings in Johannesburg. But of course if you continue doing something long enough, you will make mistakes. [9] His ongoing task of generating enthusiasm amongst the other inmates for the escape plan was onerous, and the stress affected his health. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Watch on. We got through the nine doors and then at the final door, we found we couldnt open the lock. [12], After the success of their first mission, Jenkin worked on refining the mechanism by adding a triggering system to the leaflet bomb, so that they did not have to be close to it when it went off. So I wouldnt say its embellished at all, its quite accurate, he explains. Escape from Pretoria," however, the line acts as a shortcut to nobility, in a tight genre exercise that has scant time for such elaborate niceties as character development and social context. Timothy Peter Jenkin (born 1948) is a South African writer, former anti-apartheid activist and political prisoner. Adams and Karol Griffiths, director Annan certainly preserved that unique touch but also added some very entertaining and wonderful cinematic elements to it. This virus has brutally disrupted many cinematic dreams. When youre making it the lock is right there, you keep filing it until it fits in the holes. We got through the nine doors and then at the final door, we found we couldnt open the lock. Alexandre Moumbaris is a political activist and former political prisoner. To make matters more complicated, he could only unlock his cell door from the outside, and used a broomstick he had been allowed to hang on to for cleaning with the key attached to the end so that he could reach. 3 views today. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Following the. The lifelong supporters of the Nelson-Mandela-led African National Congress, they strove to mobilize the people to abolish segregation. We worked quite closely and he wanted to know what to emphasise, he was very keen to portray the mood and, well, me, I guess, as accurately as he could.. Alexandre Moumbaris is a political activist and former political prisoner.

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