what happened to marhee bok?

[tmoloian]

my name is thomas from orange county, CA. i watched the move the color of friendship and have read several threads about mahree bok, is she still alive? many have stated when she returned to south africa, her town of dundee, she apparently was beaten to death at age 16, if this is true, may god bless her soul until eternity.

i'm a grown man in my 50's, and my wife is 60 ish., we both cried our hearts out watching this movie, so emotional. i've known of the apartheid for many decades, and i believe in 1994 they held their first democratic elections thanks to California Congressman Ron Dellums, and i take my hat off to him for his bravery.

the bottom line is: WHAT HAPPENED TO MARHEE BOK? this whole thing is giving me the creeps just wondering what happened to her and is or was her real name Carrie?

thank you Thomas from california,

[ches]

Hi Thomas and welcome to the site. I've never heard of Mahree Bok before, but have read that the character from the made-for-TV movie you saw was partly fictional.

I had never heard of Ron Dellums before and can assure you that he had absolutely nothing to do with the transition to democracy in South Africa. In fact, the US was the last country to authorize sanctions against the apartheid regime and actively helped the apartheid regime in their extra-border activities, notably in Angola against the Cuban-backed MPLA fighters who now form the basis of a democratic government in Angola.

The transition to democracy started in the late 80s and had more to do with the fall of the Soviet Union and with it the lack of credibility of the apartheid government's claims that they were saving South Africa from communism (they defined "communism" as anything against apartheid). The leadership of Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, OR Tambo, and trade union leader Cyril Ramaphosa, as well as the negotiating acumen of the latter, kept the violence in the country down to prevent civil war and allowed us to have peaceful and free elections and a legitimate democracy afterwards.

Unfortunately those selfless leaders have retired from active politics (though Mr. Ramaphosa is still in his prime but has left for the business arena to great success) and the new leaders are not as astute. Thabo Mbeki has done great things for the economy in his tenure as president, but has not done well with the grass roots establishment, so they have now voted liar and cheat Jacob Zuma to head the ANC. There is a corruption trial against him (the other half of the corrupt relationship is already behind bars) which may prevent him from becoming the next president in 2009 - at least many of us hope so, and conspiracy theorists are having a field day.

[tmoloian]

i don't understand where you get your information but the movie "The Color of Friendship" is based on a trur story of Piper Dellums family hosting Mahree Bok from South Africa, Dundee to be more exact. back in 1977 when apartheid was in it's threshold. now i've heard that mahree bok name is apparently fictional and her real name was Carrie but last name unkown. i don't know if and how far California Congressman Ronald V. Dellums of Oakland had to do with the free elections of 1994, but i've done my research and have found out that Mr. Nelson Mandela did little to nothing to prevent apartheid. i've heard too many ins and outs. what's the bottom line, is Mahree Bok real or a fictional character? if her real name is or was Carrie, who is or was she? i suppose Steven Biko was also fictional, i don't think so, his name relates to apartheid and south africa. he was apparently beaten to death by the south african police and i also read where Mahree Bok may have also been beaten to death for her involement with the Dellums family. i was watching an interview with the real Ronald V. Dellums on live video and i don't remember the journalists name who conducted the interview but the question was asked about Mahree Bok, and former congressman Dellums was unable to eleborate, he just said he doesn't know of Mahree Boks whereabouts or if she's still alive, even his daughter Piper doesn't know Mahree's fate at this time, the Dellums family broke ties with Mahree in 1980. since then Ronlad Dellums and his wife Leola "Roscoe" Dellums have divorced in 1998, Piper is an accomplished producer/writer and residing in southern california and i've tried dilegently to contact one of the Dellums family on Mahree's fate, no response as yet, this movie has mad my wife and me quite angry and not with the way Walt Disney Productions made it but the way Mahree reacted with the Dellums family until she fully understood them. she was the one who broke the first knot by requesting Roscoe the mother that she would like to stay with them. these 2 youg ladies fast became like sisters and i was so happy and proud to be an american when Piper accepted her like her own sister. the bottom line with apartheid? IT STINKS FROM THE HEAD LIKE A DEAD FISH!
this response to you isn't to mock you it's just i've done extensive research and there's still too many unanswered questions about Mahree. the world many never know unless someone goes to dundee, south africa and finds out personally. i would like to go there myself but am afraid of what i might see, i know there's sporatic parts of the country where it still exists. i've 3 friends from south africa who i recently contacted and they've all confirmed, apartheid is still existing sporatically. 1st is from Johannessburg, 2nd is from Durban, and the 3rd is from of course, Dundee, and they all agree with me, the movie may be fictional as far as the characters, but the whole plot is true. they've all invited my wife and me to their homeland but my wife is uncomfortable with the situation there. i really wonder if apartheid will really seize to exist. this movie is fantabulous but sad as well, and my wife and i both cried in certain parts of the movie. my wife and i never liked Nelson Mandela. who's their leader now?

thank you
thomas

[ches]

I don't think you fully understand what apartheid was if you think that it still exists in places in South Africa. Apartheid was the institutionalizing of a racist doctrine; the oppression of people of colour by the state; the murder of anti-apartheid activists by the state; the invasion of countries supportive of anti-apartheid activists; the disenfranchisement of the majority of the population. All of that came to an end in the late 80s and early 90s, culminating with the first democratic elections in 1994 and the peaceful transition to democracy. It would be true to say that racism still exists in South Africa, but not apartheid. Apartheid was alive and well last time I went to the Middle East, however. It disgusts me that western companies indulge in the practice of paying people according to their nationality and not their skills.

I am sorry to hear that you do not like Nelson Mandela and while it is certainly your right not to like the man, I must wonder what it is about him you do not like. I cannot fathom how you can say that he did little to end apartheid. He was a founder of umKhonto weSizwe, an icon for the people during the darkest days of the 1960s and early 70s, he single handedly initiated the very negotiations with PW Botha and then FW de Klerk that brought about the dismantling of apartheid and paved the way for democracy. You do not have to like the man, but surely you are a fan of facts and therefore must acknowledge his role in the end of apartheid?

If Mahree Bok really was a real person, and if she did die at the hands of apartheid henchmen, then it is likely that the tale of her demise was told at the Truth & Reconciliation Commission hearings in the mid-90s. Truth and Reconciliation Commission Home Page