Silverton: Cerco Fechado

It's not perfect. However, Silverton Siege does a much better job of demonstrating the political climate of the Apartheid regime than some international productions, like Escape from Pretoria (with Daniel Radcliffe of Harry Potter fame.)

As a South African production, the accents, South African languages, scenery and props are all very authentic. The acting, writing and direction could have been better, but everyone makes a good effort. I was engaged as a South African, but so was my wife who isn't South African.

That being said, it's not your average bank heist film. So keep that in mind.

I am Afrikaans, I seriously think the director missed an opportunity to show South Africa. A panoramic view of the city. Nobody has a clue where this bank is located. More detail about the type of police vehicles. Even the special forces.... Is that the type of special forces South Africa used in the 1980s? I don't think so.

As far as the rest of the story is concerned, it is a little slow moving. Meaning these ANC fighters were fast moving. They killed people without hesitation. They strongly believed in their ideology. Some were nationalistic, while others put their ideological beliefs above the interests of their own country and everyone wanted a better life. They were against segregation but they wanted to gain political and economical control over the entire country above all else.

It's interesting, but I am sure people want to see more details about who the characters are.... it is difficult for a director and script-writers to tell more about characters, but that is what people expect. Where do they come from? Show their homes. Their home towns. Of everyone. The entire city. Don't just show units arriving and disappearing, show a little detail about these units.

People like to see more detail of everything. Close-ups of the money that was used. People are interested in those things. The telephones. Everything. The director doesn't realize people are interested in details.

The ANC fighters / terrorists were unbelievable. They were fanatics. Sorry to be so blunt. But it is the truth.

Their leaders were moderates, more than the Afrikaners, but their fighters were indoctrinated in Marxist re-education camps.

So I think the screen time is absolutely wasted on a few characters, while you have an entire city you can photograph and camera angles to bring various perspectives to the story.

This film might have been better if it were made into a limited series instead of a film. Perhaps a 3 or 4 episode show. I say this because it needed more main character and situation development for those like myself who are not knowledgeable about the details of South Africa in this time period. Perhaps more time to dive into each character a little more? The film assumes the audience knows what is going on and perhaps this film was originally made for internal consumption in SA. But for a global audience, it makes our head scratch with some confusion.

The beginning of the film is pretty good. I liked the car chases and the fire fights. The acting was excellent. The actors that played Calvin and Terra were very good.

Once the trio reach the bank, the story slows down. So now the viewer has couch adrenaline and no way to dissipate it. The side characters were interesting, comical and cringy. I wonder if there really was an Afro-American boxing promotor with a suitcase with the letters USA written boldly on it like it was on the film or was that improvised? Probably doesn't matter in the overall context of the film.

It's not a bad film. It just needed some touch ups. It leaves global audiences with more questions than answers.

The armorer got it correct.

They start at Watloo, near Mamalodi yes BUT next to Silverton, the bank in movie is in Church Square (8-10km far). OK, given the decline of Silverton etc, period Bank would be @ Church Square, chosen to give a jab.

I must say the Brig had it right when he referred to the terrorists as not being people, if you ever had loved ones or friends affected by any terrorist action, you will understand.

A terrorist attacks civilians, this is what the bombs planted did, killed civilians. Tis is also why Manela was in prison for, NOT for wanting to bring change but the bombs he planted, helped plant, help plan. Killing numerous civilians.

Good movie very very very loosely based on events, with some glorification and vilification for spice.

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Silverton Siege

On 25 January 1980 three MK Cadres (MK the militant wing of the then ANC Terrorist orginisation) - Stephen Mafoko, Humphrey Makhubo and Wilfred Madela - were allegedly on their way to carry out a planned MK sabotage mission on petrol depots at Watloo near Mamelodi. En route, 'the Trio' realised they were being tailed by the police. In an attempt to escape, they took refuge in a branch of Volkskas Bank in Silverton, Pretoria. They held 25 civilians in the bank hostage, making a number of demands, including a meeting with State President Vorster, the release of Nelson Mandela and a man called Mange, as well as R100 000 in cash and an aircraft to fly them to Maputo.

After a series of negotiations, which included the police handing food over to the cadres and hostages, a police unit stormed the bank and all three cadres were killed by the police. Two civilians, Valerie Anderson and Anna de Klerk, were killed and many others were wounded in the shootout.

The Six Hour Siege

Sequence of events as reported by the media

12.00 - 1:15:

The armed Trio enter the Volkskas Bank; eyewitness accounts vary as to the exact time.

The cadres take 25 civilians in the bank hostage, moving them into a corner cubicle.

1:30 - 06:00:

As the focus of the siege is on the ground floor, bank staff on the upper floor manage to escape the building. However bank accountant, Andre Theron, stays behind in hiding.

Members of the Police Anti-Terrorist Unit gain access to the Barclays Bank building nearby. The team set up surveillance equipment, enabling them to monitor what was happening in the Volkskas bank through a periscope and record every sound by means of a tape recorder and microphone.

Captain C. J. de Swardt and Brigadier L. Neethling negotiate with the Trio.

Later two hostages are released carrying notes outlining the Trio's demands.

The Trio sing freedom songs to keep up their moral and remain focussed.

Police gain access to the basement of the bank - using a stairway out of sight. They make their way to the first floor and to Andre Theron. The police are now able to overlook the scene.

Approximately 6.30:

Police appear prepared to act. Police Commissioner, General Mike Geldenhuys, orders the immediate area to be cleared.

Ambulances move closer to the scene and a large crowd of onlookers is ordered to move further away.

7.05:

The first burst of gunfire is heard.

It is unclear if MK cadre Stephen Mafoko opened fire when he realised the police were in the building, or if the police fired first.

Humphrey Makhubo and Wilfred Madela are killed swiftly, but Mafoko continues firing at the police, throwing a hand grenade. Willie Grobler, a teller, grabs the grenade and tries to throw it away. But it explodes, injuring hostages.

Police gun down Mafoko. The Trio die on the scene.

The injured are rushed to the H. F. Verwoerd hospital nearby. Hostage, Valerie Anderson, dies on the scene. Hostage, Anna de Klerk, dies hours later in hospital.

In the month following the Siege, Police arrested nine ANC members. All nine were part of the June 16 detachment, a generation of MK recruits thrown up by the Soweto Revolt of 1976.

Silverton Siege is a South African film partially based on a true story that raises questions about freedom, slavery and injustice. Composed of a script that takes certain creative licenses when narrating the story, but that is far beyond being a film about the search for freedom.

Silverton Siege chronicles the events that accidentally triggered the "Nelson Mandela Freedom Movement. An emotional film full of feelings of justice and liberation. With outstanding performances and a fairly acceptable editing, the film is permeated by constant tension and by the unbridled rhythm of a group of people who find themselves involved in a spiral where everything seems to be getting worse. An unmissable and indispensable story.

"It always seems impossible until it's done, Silverton Siege uses certain licenses to tell a story that deserves to be told"