“Silverton Siege” by Mandla Walter Dube is by far his greatest work ever made and by miles one of South Africa’s most polished films to ever come out of the country.

Silverton Siege wastes no time in getting straight to the action as we meet three members of “UMkhonto weSizwe”, or “MK”, a group started by future South African leader Nelson Mandela whom from a sabotage mission to a car chase then holding a bank hostage however not for the money but for the apartheid regime to release the man who’d later become South Africa’s first black president.

The film is inspired by true events that happened on the 25th of January 1980 and what shocked me about this is that majority of South Africans hardly knew of this; seeing and hearing about this in the movie had probably been the first time they had heard of this, which begs me to question what more have we been eluded to as South Africans?

What these three men did would ripple across the entire nation and the world, not as terrorism but as a movement to “Free Mandela”, I will share the outcome of what this movement was able to achieve at the end of my review.

Without a doubt, the firecracker and possibly the heart of this entire movie is “Terra” played by (Noxolo Dlamini). Wow, this lady had me at the edge of my seat in almost every scene. Her passion, fiery attitude, and unmovable resolve hit as hard as a bus.

“Calvin Khumalo” played by (Thabo Rametsi) did his role as the leader of the operation justice. He never once let his emotions come in between the mission and even at the death of “Aldo Erasmus” played by (Stefan Erasmus) for betraying them never once blamed Aldo for doing what he did, he simply acknowledged that he failed him.

Though if I’m being honest the death of “Christine” played by (Elani Dekker) was the hardest hitting of all. Perhaps that’s because even when the three cadres were fighting against the white regime, it was Christine, a white lady that insisted to help rather than leave the situation to others which cost her everything in the end. She represented hope.

The ending with Terra and Calvin at the end during the gunfight with the swat team was second only to Christine’s death. The way they both smiled and stayed true to what they were fighting for is arguable as tear-dropping impactful.

The pacing of the film is just right enough for you to watch it from your favorite seat at home, the storytelling is without a doubt a MUST SEE!! And just a long enough runtime that it doesn’t make you feel as if things are being dragged on forever.

I love that the film showed the unfair ways that black South Africans were being treated, I love that they also showed that it wasn’t always about the fight, Terra and Masego were in love and still knew what they were fighting for.

I also loved seeing the old City of Pretoria better known as “Tshwane” now and the Paul Kruger’s Square before all the changes that were made a couple of years ago, very nostalgic in a sense.

This movement not only led to the prison release of their leader Nelson Mandela but also fundamentally changed the nation of South Africa. 

“What is the cost of freedom? EVERYTHING.” Sparks a flame in my heart.

Words to never be forgotten by the young youth growing up in South Africa today. 

Stephen Mafoko, Humphrey Makhubo, and Wilfred Madela deserve to be honored for the movement that changed the world in so many ways.

Thanks for reading…