In 1946, at the age of 20, Andrew had written and passed the Form 3 examination. At the beginning of 1947 it had already been decided in the family that he was not going back to school, even though he wanted to proceed to Form 4. There was no money – his family was too poor to afford the fee and there was no scholarship he could immediately acquire. Tambo had already left St Peter's and so had many of his fellow students, especially those who were senior to Andrew. He had, though, achieved more than any other member of his family had ever done.

He had come a long way since the events of 1931. He had been a six-year-old boy at the time, and should have already been in school, but because there were no schools on the farm where he and his parents lived he spent most of his time playing with his cousin Phillip and other boys from the neighbourhood. He still dressed in his tshea and lepai, the traditional Sotho outfit for boys, and washed his face and legs occasionally in a small iron basin his father had bought in town during one of his visits.

It was late winter of that year, around the month of August. Andrew was playing outside with Phillip and another boy from the neighbourhood. His mother Aletta, looking sorrowful, emerged from the main hut, closed the door behind her and took a few steps forward. She looked at the children and opened her mouth as if to say something, but closed it again without a word. They looked at her in anticipation but she turned, went back into the hut and shut the door behind her. When she came out again she called Selina, one of Andrew's older sisters, to bring Old Lady Mosia, one of the elderly women in the neighbourhood. In a moment, Old Lady Mosia was there, hurrying behind Selina. ‘Where is she?’ she asked. Selina pointed and the old woman went into the hut. There was a moment of silence in the hut, followed by a few whispers.

The usually busy and noisy time of the late afternoon fell silent. The children, by now curious, began to play quietly, trying to catch what was said inside. Soon, they heard their mother sobbing, and the low voice of Old Lady Mosia trying to calm her.