Finding The Aventura, a ship abandoned after being sabotaged by apartheid operatives, and bringing it back to South Africa would help people understand what lengths activists went to for liberation. The Aventura was used in a failed attempt by the ANC's Umkhonto we Sizwe to bring arms into the country."Bringing it back is very important for the people ... they must know that they [the liberators] tried everything for the liberation of this country," said Fanele Mbali, the ship's former commander.Mbali, and fellow veterans Zolile Nqose and Tlou Cholu, were yesterday honoured at the SA Maritime Safety Authority in Cape Town.Speaking nostalgically about the attempt to smuggle MK operatives into South Africa, Mbali said: "The idea was that when we landed we would create units that would challenge the government."We were to bury the arms, create the units [and], when ready, dig up the weapons."But the plan was foiled when the boat was sabotaged by crew members, allegedly on the orders of the apartheid government, forcing the MK men to abandon ship."When we got back, it was discovered [that] powder had been put into the oil. It caused an explosion," Mbali said.The CEO of the Maritime Safety Authority, Tsietsi Mokhele, said the struggle for democracy and freedom had never before been associated with shipping."We want to focus on this heritage of the struggle veterans who used shipping as an instrument of liberation and democracy."..