The Life and Death of Ashley Kriel ‘Action Kommandant’

Any one who questions the role coloured people played in the fight against apartheid, should watch ‘Action Kommandant’. Ditto for coloureds who carry sentiments of anti-blackness and shun their African ancestry.

‘Action Kommandant’ tells the story of Ashley Kriel, one of the most prolific freedom fighters in Bonteheuwel during the fight against apartheid in the 1980s.

Kicking off with clips of Kriel’s speeches, where youthful innocence and burning passion for justice in the Cape Flats and South Africa at large is evident, ‘Action Kommnadant’ is directed by Nadine Cloete.

The documentary dives into the hidden and treasured memories of those closest to him, his two older sisters – Michel Assure and Melanie Adams, his best friend Gavin Adams and some of the youth activists under his leadership such as Andrew ‘Gorrie’ November and Henriette Abrahams, among other close friends and allies.

This heartbreaking story is about a hero in its essence, however, you can’t help to notice the humanity in Kriel, brought to live through the memories of his friends as someone who loved to make jokes, smoke, drink Amstel Lager, used words such as Overall a picture of a kind-hearted brother and son emerge.

The documentary follows Kriel’s life from his time as an activist in Bonteheuwel, as he organised riots among students and teachers through to his time working under the ANC’s armed wing uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK). 

‘Action Kommandant’ highlights the heartbreak of his family and friends when 17-year-old Kriel left the country suddenly for Angola after being hunted by apartheid police. Little did they know that that was the last time many would see him.

During his time in Angola, Kriel became proficient in weaponry and military tactics – becoming a complete soldier with a muscular and mature build, as noted by Cheryl Carolus, Kriel’s teacher and friend who housed him upon his return to South Africa.

The documentary further explores the circumstances around Kriel’s death at the hands of Jeffrey Benzien, on 9 July 1987 and highlights the trial in 1997 where Benzien  was granted amnesty by the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission for his part in the murder.

One of the saddest moments of ‘Action Kommandant’ was seeing scenes of Kriel’s funeral, as community members flocked to celebrate the fallen hero but what  happened after this was even more horrifying, as police raided the funeral, attempting to snatch the ANC flag from the coffin, triggering chaos by teargassing and firing rubber bullets at the mourners.

‘Action Kommandant’ might not have captured every aspect of Kriel’s life, especially during his time as a soldier, however, it opened a door for people to be educated on the freedom fighter, and all he sacrificed. 

It gives young, often disenfranchised coloured children a hero they can look up to and strive to emulate.

It honours his memory, and to some extent brings closure to family and friends while remembering him fondly. Kriel would have turned 54 on 17 October, and although he is not here, his spirit lives on in ‘Action Kommandant’.

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