SECHRBRthe official organ of the ofriion notional congress sooth afriia

OUR SOUTH RFRICRRuiomcn s onv huc.9

VOLUM E 3 NUMBER 8 AUGUST 1969

THEAFRICANNATIONALCONGRESSSOUTH AFRICA

Urgently appeals to you to support our fighting fund to show your solidarity with our armed struggle to overthrow Apartheid.Among other fund raising campaigns, we are organising an international bazaar to which you can contribute by sending us various gifts* and I or donations of money.The bazaar will take place at St. Michael's Hall, Golders Green, London NW 11, on Saturday October 11.1969.

• KNITWEAR• GARMENTS• EMBROIDERY• ARTWORK• BOOKS• RECORDS• JEWELLERY• POSTERS• TOYS

ANYTHING SALEABLE IS WELCOME!

Please send your contributions as soon as possible to the African National Congress, 49 Rath- bone Street, London Wla - 4nl. Phone 580-5303

SECHRBHVO L 3 N O 8 AU G '69

49 Rathbone Street.LONDON W1A - 4NL

Telegrams & Cables:SECHABA LONDON W1 Telephone: 580-5303

Managing Editor: Joe Matthews Editor: M. P Naicker

CONTENTSCover pointing by Borry Feinberg Special Aug 9, Women's Day Features:

— DAY OF OUR WOMEN MILITANTS

— Women in the Front Line

— South African Women in Gaol

— Our Women at Work

— And . . . Those Who Stay at Home

DEATHS IN DETENTIONan Exposure of the beast of Compol - Major Swanepoel 14

OBITUARY:Masango Caleb Mayekiso 16

RECENT DEATHS OF POLITICAL DETAINEES

o News Digest 17

SOUTH AFRICAN WORKERS AND THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE 20

ZIMBABWE - AN APARTHEID STATE 23

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AUGUST 9DAY OF OUR

WOMEN MILITANTSSouth African Women have a Special Place in our Struggle. Burdened with Extra Responsibilites, they Draw on Deep Reserves of Courage and Endurance to Fight the Hated Oppressor. The Story of their Inspired Struggle is given in the Following Pages.

What place have women in a revolutionary struggle? To some, "women and children" are the inevitable victims of historical upheaval, the innocent sufferers in war, strikes ond lock-outs, the objects of humanitarian concern. To others, "women's role" is something special, a thing opart, almost, from the mainstream of history — concerned with establishing the right to political participation, to "equality" at work, in education, in government. The women of South A frica’s liberation movement, however, accept no such special definitions. Our women ond children are victims of apartheid - and so are our men. Our women have formed their own organisations when issues (such as the extension of passes to women) hove demanded it, but ours is not a feminist movement. Ours is o notional organisation, and no question that affects women is separable from the fundamental questions of apartheid, national oppression, and economic exploitation. Women’s place in the revolution is no different from that of men. It Is in the front line. Wherever that may be.

Looking ForwardThis is a time for looking forward. We look forward to the immediate future, to the mounting battles against the white supremacist forces in Zimbabwe, side by side with our comrades of ZAPU; the gradual penetration of our trained guerrillas into the Republic, and the handing on of their skills to the underground resistance movement there. We see a bitter struggle, but in the struggle itself we see the birth of a new society, as the relationships of comradeship and hope replace the re lationships of oppression and despair. We see also the day of victory, and the building of a new society, when men and women shall work together for a South Africa free of racialism and exploitation. We see our women in the front line throughout, in the forces of Umkhonto we Sizwe, in the underground organisations at home, in the factories ond in the villages.

August 9th is South African Women's Day, and a day for looking forward to all these things. But we can also look back o little, to remind ourselves of the work of our women in the past, and their role in forging the weapons that will defeat apartheid.We can trace the history of women's resistance to imperialism right back to the Wars of Resistance between 1779 and 1879. Then, women stood side by side with men, in their efforts to repel the invaders. Towards the end of the 19th century, when the first stirrings of African nationalism centred round the breakaway 'Ethiopian Church,' we find women again among t^e leading figures - in particular, the great singer and educationalist Mrs. Charlotte Maxeke. Mrs. Maxeke was one of the f ir f r African women to obtain o university degree, studying science at Wilberforce University, Ohio. She returned to found a college of higher education for Africans, the W ilberforce Institute at Evaton, in the Transvaal. When the African Notional Congress was eventually formed, in 1912, Mrs. Maxeke was among the founders.

First women's battleAlmost immediately after the foundation of the A. N. C., come the first real women's battle. The government, so soon after Union, wanted to extend the pass system, which already applied to African men, to women. The campaign of resistance that followed, when women chose to be imprisoned rather than carry passes, was one of the great early victories of the A. N. C. The authorities capitulated, and women remained free of the hated passes for over 40 years.It was about this time, too, that Indian women of Natal entered the political scene, to participate in the campaign of the Natal Indian Congress (founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1894) against restrictions of movement placed on Indians. Many women went to ja il, and their treatment there led in turn to a large-scale strike by Indian workers a t the Newcastle coal mines.

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But it was the trade union movement, which, from the 1920's, united South African women of a ll races in struggle. African men were excluded from the defin ition of 'employee' under the Industrial Conciliation Act of 1924, and barred from membership of registered trade unions. But not African women. In the Food and Canning Workers' Union, the Textile Workers' Union, the Garment Workers’ Union, African, Indian, Coloured and White women learnt to struggle together, and to use their united strength to protect the ir members. These trade unions produced leaders whose names are respected throughout South A frica: Rebecca Bunting, Lilian Ngoyi, Ray Alexander, Frances Board, Elizabeth Mafekeng, Mary Moodley. From the trade union movement, many women joined the politica l movement, recognising that the workers' battle is inseparable from the wider political struggle for liberation.

Revolutionary LeadershipAfter the 1939-45 war, the political struggle sharpened in South Africa. It was the formation of the Youth and Women's sections of the A. N. C. .in 1943 that provoked the demand for more revolutionary leadership, and led to the adoption of the Programme of Action of 1949, foundation o f the developing m ilitant policies of the next 20 years.During those 20 years, women have been playing an ever more im portant part in the liberation movement. It was the struggle against the Nationalist Government's renewed attempts to impose passes on women that led to one of the most impressive political demonstrations South Africa has ever seen - 20,000 women, gathered outside the Union Buildings, the Government’s Executive Offices, in Pretoria. This demonstration, on August 9th 1956, is the event we commemorate on Women’s Day. We commemorate it because it was a great and inspiring achievement; and because we know that it must be the last o f its kind, until we are free, when we shall gather in tens o f thousands again.It was the women, too, who led the campaign against indoctrination of our children under Bantu Education; it was the women who led the struggle for trade union recognition from the big food canning combine, L. K. B., which led to the first of the long

line of boycotts of apartheid goods. And it was the women who bore the brunt of another struggle - the rural rebellions of Zeerust and Sekhukhuniland in the mid-1950’s. It is appropriate that in 1969, as the armed struggle against apartheid gets under way, we should look back to those rebellions, for in both Zeerust and Sekhukhuniland power was for a short time in the hands of the people.

RebellionThe migratory labour system in South Africa means that able- bodied men travel to the cities to seek work, while the women remain behind in the reserves. It is they who must keep the cattle, and till the land. So it is also they who have resisted government taxes and cattle culling schemes. It was the imposition of the Government’s Bantu Authority system, which replaces traditional chiefs with Government-paid and appointed nominees, tha t finally sparked off rebellion. For a brief while, the people collected their own taxes, set up courts to try traitors, ran their own defence force. The rebellions were mercilessly crushed, the leaders banished or killed, the African National Congress outlawed. But no-one could obliterate the memory of Freedom, nor the inspiration and the hope that this short experience carried throughout the land.Our history, then, has taught us that wherever struggle is, there is the place for women. On Women's Day, we remember the many women who have already given the ir lives for freedom. We remember this year especially Florence Matomela, who died in June. We remember those who are in prison, and those who have served ja il sentences; we remember Dorothy Nyembe who is serving 15 years in ja il for participating in the armed struggle; we remember the wives and mothers of our political prisoners and of our freedom fighters. And we look with confidence to our youth, to the young women of Umkhonto we Sizwe, and we know that they will emulate those great women who fought beside their menfolk throughout our long history of struggle.Finally we look too to the women of the world, who have given us so much sympathy and support in the past. We look to them for political support and for practical help in the war ogainst apartheid. And we know that they w ill not let us down.

A demonstration of women led by (second from left) Dorothy Nyembe Natal President of the ANC Womens' League now serving 15 years in prison and Lilian Ngoyi (next to her) National President o f the Womens' League now banned and confined to Orlando Township

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WOMEN IN THE FRONT LINE

N o t long a go we read o f th e d ea th o f F lo rence M a to m e la ; a nd m arked one m ore m urder to the w h ite suprem acists, who k ille d her as surely as they k illed N g u d le a n d Saloo- jee. M in i a nd M ayekiso, Lenkoe and K goathe . They can w rite the ir lie , "n a tu ra l causes' on th e dea th ce rtifica te s . Their 'n a tu ra l causes', a p a rt from b ea ting s a nd tortu re , in c lu d e illnesses th a t can be c o n tro lle d or cu re d in -any c iv ilised co un try to d a y ; a nd a life tim e o f poverty, o f in s u ffic ie n t foo d a n d o f h a rdsh ip a lso a dds up to a 'n a tu ra l cause.'

F lo rence d ied in the fro n t line . N o t every f ig h te r can h a n d le a gun . Some peop le th in k the fro n t lin e is on ly up there near the Zam besi, o r a lo n g the C a p riv i S trip . Those a re a lso fro n t lines, b u t most o f o u r wom en f ig h t r ig h t in the centre , in th e h ea rt - in s id e South A fr ica . Long yeors o f im p rison m e n t a nd restric tions, u n re le n tin g s tru g g le a nd u n re le n tin g sacrifice . W om en w ith hea rt d isease a nd a sthm a a nd d iab e te s crouch ing on the cem ent flo o r o f ce lls w here they a re not even p erm itted to sp read a hard b lan ke t, except a t n ig h t; the on ly fu rn itu re a fou l la tr in e bucket. W om en co n fin e d fo r weeks and m onths a n d years, consum ed by the th o u g h t o f ch ild ren le ft a lon e . Is th is n o t the fro n t line?

F lo rence was a m em ber o f Congress, a w om an who gave o u t w a rm th a n d life like the A frica n sun, fu ll o f live ly energy a nd songs a n d the cheerfu lness o f in fin ite ly generous a nd sp len d id p ersona lities . F lorence, who had

been to ja i l over a nd over from th e D e fian ce C a m p a ign o f 1952, th ro u g h the Treason Tria l a n d 90 days, los t her h usband w h ile she was serving her last five -year sentence . Five ch ild ren . W h o ca res fo r them now? S o lita ry c o n fin e m ent w ith o u t access to the re g u la r in s u lin she needed. D id she not. then , d ie f ig h t in g ? W o u ld you co un t her ce ll as the fro n t lin e ? D id she n o t sa c rifice e very th ing - her hom e, her husband , her ch ild re n , a n d fin a lly life itse lf - fo r th e cause o f freedom ?

The Mothers RememberO u r wom en a re sca tte red now lik e leaves across the w o rld , b low n by th e fo rce o f p o lice a n d o pp ress ion, fo rced to leave hom es a n d ch ild re n a n d escape to safety. A nd le av ing was th e w orst k in d o f d e fe a t, a fo rced re trea t. Som etim es th e ch ild re n jo u rne ye d o u t la te r to jo in poren ts w ho had been fo rced to le ave ; to rn up from everyth ing fa m ilia r, frie n ds , schools, streets to which they be lo n ge d , bew ilde re d o r resen tfu l. A t least, w ith one p a re n t o r w ith both , they co u ld b u ild a new k in d o f life . S om etim es it was no t poss ib le fo r the ch ild re n to fo llo w . They g ro w up, re m em bering less a n d less a b o u t th e m o the r w ho le ft in the n ig h t, the m other in M o ro g o ro o r London or B erlin . The m other le m e m b ers ; she rem em bers th e lit t le ones she le ft. They have g row n a nd ch an ge d ; they a re far, too fa r

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Like wives a nd m others everywhere, the w om en o f South A fr ic a c re a te a p lace th a t is hom e, w ith w hatever d if f icu lties a n d sacrifice . The hom e o ffe rs the on ly s tab ility , the o n ly com fort. The men c a n n o t do it. Even those who a re fo r tu n a te eno ug h n o t to be in de n tu re d , m ig ra n t la bou re rs live most o f th e ir lives o u ts id e the hom e. The w om en ’s lives ce n tre a ro un d the hom e, no m a tte r how much the y m ust stay aw ay fo r work, no m a tte r how much tim e and e ne rgy goes in o th e r ac tiv ities , s till they make the co n tin u o u s e ffo rt to m a in ta in , to h o ld tog e th e r, the basis o f a hom e. W hen th e w om an goes - to ja il, to ban ish m e nt, in to e x ile - the hom e has gone.

C h ild re n w ho have been a b le to jo in th e ir paren ts in ex ile a re up roo ted a nd b ro u g h t in to a s tra ng e new land , to le a rn new la ng u ag e s , d if fe re n t cu ltu res . The o ld e r ones rem em ber hom e, a nd how ever much they le a rn new th ing s a nd a d a p t to new ways, they a re p roud to rem a in South A frica ns , a nd fo r them , hom e is s till over the re . . .

But the lit t le ones fo rge t. In a few years the past has gone, th e ir u n d e rs ta n d in g is on ly o f here a nd now. They do not even speak th e ir own ton g ue . 'Say A fr ik a l' I hea rd a South A fr ic a n m o the r say to her th ree -ye a r-o ld son. ‘A fr ika ? ' re p lie d the lit t le boy w ho was b orn in Europe - 'A fr ika ? W h a t's tha t? A fr ik a - M a y ib u y e l - b u t how can bab ies rem em ber?

O n e N ovem ber n igh t, one n o rth e rn n ig h t in Europe, I w ent searching fo r a South A fr ic a n fr ie n d a m ong g re a t boxes o f new a p a rtm e n t houses s ta n d in g on th e o u tsk irts o f a c ity ; row upon row, a p e tr ifie d s tone forest, s ile n t am ong th e e arly snow and c o n tra c tin g co ld . H u nd re d s a nd h un dred s o f doors, a ll c losed a g a in s t n ig h t and w in te r, a ll th e same. S trangers b eh in d s tra ng e d oo rs in a s trange tow n. B ut we fo u n d th e d oo r we w a n te d — a n d inside, lik e a d o o r o p e n in g in to a n o th e r w o rld , was a South A fr ic a n h om e; fa m ilia r m usic p la y in g ; p ho tog ra ph s o f im p rison ed le ad e rs on the w a lls ; a bead necklace, a woven m at, c a rrie d tho u san ds o f m iles, the m e m o ra b ilia o f th a t o th e r hom e, the one th a t had to be a b a n d o n e d ; th a t hom e in th e southern hem isphere , were N ovem ber is sum m er a n d the S outhern Cross spark les in the warm n igh ts . There, a m o ng the iron fros t in th is s trange land , a South A fr ic a n w om an had c rea ted som e th ing o f her home.

Re-create the feel of HomeYou w ill see such rooms, fla ts , a pa rtm e nts , sca tte red a ll over th e w o rld , the sam e pho tos o f N e lson M a n de la a nd W a lte r S isu lu a nd B ram Fischer, the sam e record p lay ing ‘ N kosi S ike le le ’, th e sam e books and beads, in Sweden, Lusaka, M oscow , Lobatsi. C a iro , H e ls in k i, B erlin , A lg iers , London, D a r-e s-S a laa m . Toronto , Prague. The o ccup an ts a re s tudents, tra d e un ion is ts , nurses a n d teachers, w riters a nd o th e r p ro fe ss io na l peop le , w orkers o f a ll trades, fu l ltim e p o lit ic a l activ is ts . To each one, a p iece o f South A fr ic a adheres , a nd sca tte red across the g lo b e the exiles re -c rea te th e fee l o f ’hom e’ .

But the re a re many w ith in South A fr ic a its e lf w ho becom e exiles. W om en a nd ch ild ren, fam ilie s o f p o li t ic a l p ris o n ers. or o f workers w ho have d ie d o r w ho a re too i l l to

serve the a p a rth e id state any more, these 'su pe rflu ou s a p p en d ag e s ' a re a lso fo rced to up roo t them selves, to leave hom es p a in fu lly c rea ted am ids t poverty, w ith so much e ffo rt a nd w o rk ; a nd w ith w h a t b its a nd p ieces they ca n take w ith them , they a re fo rced to make some sort o f life in a Resettlem ent C am p in c o n d itio n s o f extrem e iso la tio n a nd lone liness, in d eso la te p laces. A p a rth e id has up roo ted thousands upon thousands o f wom en a nd the ir fam ilies, kicked them o u t o f p laces w here they have lived a ll th e ir lives; Ind ia ns 're -c la ss ifie d ' in new g ro u p a reas ; C o lo u red p eo p le removed from D is tr ic t S ix; A fr ica ns from tow nsh ip a nd from tr ib e , rem oved to su it the needs o f m aster a p a rth e id p lans. These p eo p le a re a lso exiles. P arad ise V alley is not hom e. N o r is L im eh ill.Som etim es it is easier to be a m an, to a b a n d o n it a ll a nd take up arms, to fo rg e t w ife a nd fam ily , to jo in the m ilita ry s tru g g le w ith its pos itive d an ge rs a nd pos itive hope, tha n it is to f ig h t th is o th e r u ne nd in g k ind o f b a ttle , to e nd u re a life m ade in f in ite ly c rue l by the harsh laws of a p a rth e id . A re the re m edals fo r these wom en, w ho bury the b ab ies th a t d ie a nd ca re fo r the ones tha t survive? W ill we lin e them a ll up one day a nd make speeches p ra is in g th e ir co u rag e a nd devo tion , a nd d e co ra te them fo r h o ld in g the fro n t line?

W herever the re a re South A fr ic a n wom en, fo r us th a t is th e fro n t line . Soweto, Lusaka, M o ro go ro , London, M o scow - th e lin e stretches a ro un d th e w o rld . W herever we have been fo rced to m ake o u r homes, we have on ly one rea l hom e - a fre e South A fr ica . F lo rence M a tom e la d id n o t survive to see th a t b e tte r life fo r which she fo u g h t w ith such suprem e co u rag e a n d loyalty. W e wom en w ill f in d o u r own way o f rem em bering them , n o t w ith rew ards or d eco ra tion s , b u t in the new w o rld we w ill make, w here w om en w ill p lay a fu ll a n d free part.

A G erm an w ho spen t many years in ex ile to ld m e: "W e had one s lo g a n : o u r faces tu rne d tow ards th e F a th e rla nd I This m eant th a t everyth ing we d id was d ire c ted to one p urpose - to h e lp us to re tu rn to o u r coun try ."W e do n o t use the word 'F a th e rla n d ', b u t we can a d a p t th e s logan fo r ou rse lve s :

"Our faces turned towards home!”

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SouthAfricanW omeninGaol

S eg re ga tio n in South A fr ica n g ao ls Is th re e -fo ld , There is th e usual se g reg a tio n o f men from wom en. Black ( th a t is, A fr ic a n . In d ia n a nd C o lo u red ) prisoners a re separa ted from w h ites, and a re h e ld u nd er harshe r prison re g u la t io n s (th e re g u la tio n d ie t fo r blacks, fo r exam ple , is even m ore u n p a la ta b le and m onotonous tha n th a t la id dow n fo r w hites, tho u gh in one respect the tw o a re e q u a l, both b e in g a lm ost en tire ly lack ing in V itam in C). Then, the prison a u th o r itie s , w ho re g a rd p o litic a l p risone rs as a p o te n tia l cen tre o f d is a ffe c tio n am ong the p rison p o p u la tio n , a re usua lly ca re fu l to sepa ra te them from o th e r p risoners (th o u g h th is was not a lw ays th e case on Robben Is land w here a t one tim e p o litic a l prisoners were g iven no p ro te c tio n from some o f the to u g h e r c rim in a l p risoners, w ho m ade physica l assau lts on them ). The g a o l on Robben Is la nd now holds most o f the male, b lack p o litic a l p ris oners, a n d th e re fo re the b u lk o f a ll the p o lit ic a l p risone rs in Sou th A fr ic a : th e w h ite men a re h e ld in a spec ia l block in P retoria C e n tra l Prison. W om en conv ic ted o f p o litic a l o ffences a re he ld e lsew here.

Influx of Women PrisonersIn the years 1963 to 1965, there cam e in to th e South A fr ica n p rison p o p u la tio n an in flu x o f wom en w ho hod been conv ic ted u nd e r th e U n la w fu l O rg a n is a tio n s A ct and the S abo tage A ct. A t firs t, these wom en were h e ld in is o la tion in a n um be r o f d if fe re n t prisons. The wom en fou n d g u ilty in the tr ia l known as the A le xa n d e r T ria l in C ope Town e arly in 1964 w ere ke p t fo r nea rly a year in K roon- s tad Prison w here (a c c o rd in g to Ste p h an ie Kem p, w ho spen t some tim e o f her own sentence fo r sa bo tag e in a n o th e r section o f the same g ao l) they were locked up in s o lita ry a ll day, excep t fo r o short p e r iod fo r exercise, d u r in g which they w ere expected to wash them selves and th e ir c lo thes. (These wom en had been sentenced to terms o f up to fiftee n years u nd e r the S abotoge Act. tho u gh they had never com m itted any sabo tage , h av ing on ly b e longed to an o rg a n is a tio n in which its p oss ib ilities were d is cussed).Later, a fte r la rg e num bers o f A fr ic a n w om en in the Eastern C a pe had been conv ic ted o f m em bersh ip and

a ctive support o f i lle g a l o rg a n is a tio n s such as th e A frica n N a tio n a l C ongress, a ce n tre fo r b lack w om en p o litic a l p risone rs was es ta b lish ed a t N e lsp ru it in the Eastern Transvaal.For tw o years none of these w om en a t N e ls p ru it rece ived a ny v is itors. M any husbands, sisters, b ro th e rs a nd fr ie n ds had been co nv ic te d in the sam e wave o f tr ia ls . A lso, one o f the m any d is a b ilitie s th a t p o li t ic a l p risone rs suffer u nd er is tha t, b e in g co lle c te d to g e th e r in centres, they a re o ften h e ld fa r aw ay from th e ir hom es, fa m ilie s a nd friends. It is over a th o u san d m iles from th e C a pe to the Eastern T ransvaa l, a nd even a th ird -c la ss ra ilw ay ticket (th ird -c la ss is the on ly form o f trave l a v a ila b le to non -w h ite s) costs m ore th a n most A fr ica ns can a ffo rd .

Florence MatomelaIt is im poss ib le in th e space here to m e n tion m ore th a n a very few nam es. But if one m en tions a nam e a t a ll, it is im possb ile n o t to m en tion Flo ren ce M atom ela. She had taken p a rt in th e D e fian ce C a m p a ig n o f 1952 a n d had been one o f th e accused in the Treason T ria l o f 1956. She was a d ia b e tic , a nd w h ile she was in 90-day d e te n tio n in1963 she o fte n d id n o t g e t her d a ily dose o f in s u lin . A fte r she had served her five -year sentence fo r m em bersh ip o f the A fr ic a n N a tio n a l Congress she was taken from N e ls p ru it back to the Eastern C a p e to be tr ie d on fu rth e r charges. There, in th e Eastern C ape, she had a v is ito r a t la s t; and the v is ito r to ld her th a t bo th her husb an d and her s ister had d ie d w h ile she h ad been in N e lsp ru it, and th a t her h usband had been dea d fo r a b o u t a year. She was a c q u itte d o f her fu r th e r charges, b u t she recently d ied too.

The Late Florence Matomela, Trade Union and Womens' League leader in the Eastern Cape who died soon after her release fromfive years in gaol

A n o th e r nam e w e c a n n o t leave o u t is th o t o f D oro thy N yem be o f D u rb a n , a lso a ve te ran o f the D e fian ce C a m p a ig n ; a t one tim e she was p ro v in c ia l cha irm an of the A fr ic a n N a tio n a l Congress W om e n 's League. A few m onths ago, she was sentenced to f ifte e n years, Toge ther w ith e leven men, she had been charged u nd e r the Terrorism A ct w ith a tte m p tin g to es ta b lish bases fo r a rm ed a ttack in th e c o u n try ; a nd a lso w ith a tte m p tin g to estab lish con ta c ts in a m ilita ry u n d e rg rou n d .

White Women PrisonersW h ite wom en conv ic ted o f p o litic a l o ffences a re he ld in B arbe rto n Prison, a lso in th e Eastern T ransvaa l; a nd th is is th e on ly p o li t ic a l p rison I ca n speak o f from firs t-h a n d kn ow led g e , as I spen t th ree years the re . B arbe rton is nea r N e lsp ru it, t f ie tw o g ao ls a re u nd e r th e sam e co m m a nd ; a nd th is makes me fea r th a t the A fr ic a n wom en in N e ls p ru it have been liv ing u nd e r c o n d itio n s th a t a re very g rim in de e d. For how ever bad c o n d itio n s may be fo r w h ite p risoners, one may be sure th a t they a re worse fo r b lacks: a nd I know th o t B a rbe rto n a d m in is tra tio n to be fa r from hum an e o r e n lig h te n e d .A t th e end o f June 1967, a fte r she had served two years in B arbe rto n , Sylvia N eam e w ro te an a rt ic le fo r The G u rd ia n (L o nd on ) g iv in g a very goo d d e s c r ip tio n o f the life she had led in B arbe rto n in 1965: "W h e n they (th e w h ite women p o lit ic a l p riso ne rs) f irs t a rrive d they were n o t a llo w e d to speak to each o th e r a t any tim e o f the day o r n ig h t. In fa c t it was a co m m u na l so lita ry c o n fin em en t. In sp ite o f th e fa c t th a t the South A fr ic a n p rison re g u la tio n s (which they were n o t a llo w e d to see) spec ifie d an h ou r a day in the open a ir, they w ere g iven no exercise. They a p p roached th e a u th o r it ie s fo r exercise a nd were g iven the concess ion o f f ifte e n m inu tes a week on Sunday. O th e rw ise. from seven in the m o rn in g u n til a b o u t th ree in the a fte rn o o n , w ith a b reak o f a b o u t one a nd a h a lf hours in th e m id d le o f the day. they stood a t the w ash-basins in th e ir section , w a sh ing the c lo the s o f the men p risone rs . . . fo r f ifte e n , s ix teen o r seventeen hours a day we were locked up in o u r ce lls, some of them 6 ' 2 fe e t by 9 fee t." She w ent on to say th a t co n d itio n s la te r im proved, but a d d e d : "T he c o n d itio n s o f th e w h ite wom en p o litic a l p ris one rs w hen I le ft, w ere s till worse {han th e c o n d itio n s of o rd in a ry c r im in a l w h ite w om en p riso ne rs ; we w ere s till b e in g d is c r im in a te d a g a in s t because we were p o litic a l prisoners."A lto g e th e r, the re w ere tw e lve o f us a t d iffe re n t tim es in B arbe rto n , se rv ing sentences o f from ' two m onths (fo r s lo g a n -p a in t in g ) to th ree years (fo r m em bersh ip and a c tive s u pp o rt o f u n la w fu l o rg a n isa tio n s ). It is q u ite tru e th a t we w ere n o t a llo w e d to see the prison re g u la tio n s ; we w ere know n to be sticklers fo r o u r righ ts a n d voc iferous p ro teste rs (voc ife rous p ro test was, a fte r a ll, w h a t we were in g a o l fo r) a nd o ne p rison o ff ic ia l to ld us th a t i f we saw th e re g u la tio n s we w o u ld 'm o ke too much tro u b le '. W e knew e no ug h a b o u t them on ly to know th a t th e a u th o r it ie s b ro ke them m any a tim e in th e ir tre a tm e n t o f us. O u r w eekly q u a rte r-h o u r o f exercise becam e a d a ily h a lf-h o u r o n ly a fte r much a rg u in g and c o m p la in in g on o u r part, m any th re a ts a b o u t how we w o u ld m ake these m a lp ra c tices p u b lic o nce we were re leased , and only a fte r (we guessed a t th e tim e ) the re had been some conce rn in the ou ts id e w o rld a b o u t the c o n d itio n s u nd e r which South A fr ic a n p o lit ic a l p riso ne is live d : it was some fu r th e r tim e b e fo re we g o t o u r fu ll q u o ta o f a d a ily h ou r."

The 90-Day and 180-Day LawN o t a ll p o li t ic a l p risone rs in South A fr ic a have been c o n v ic ted o f an o ffe n c e a g a in s t some la w : g a o l w ith o u t tr ia l has lo ng been lega lise d there. The law know n as the 90- day d e te n tio n c la use o f 1963 gave the p o lice u n lim ite d pow ers to h o ld a p riso ne r fo r the purpose o f in te rro g a tio n ;

fo r a t the end o f th is p eriod o f 90 days the p risone r m igh t be re -a rrested fo r a fu rth e r p eriod . The 180-day d e te n tio n c la use o f 1965 p rov ided th a t a p risone r m igh t be he ld fo r th a t p e riod if he was like ly to be re q u ired as a w itness in any case. The Terrorism A c t now provides th a t a p risoner may be he ld in com m u n ica d o fo r an in d e fin ite p e riod if the p o lice suspect th a t he has any in fo rm a tio n to g ive a b o u t ‘te rro ris t’ a c tiv it ie s ; a n d the p o lice a re u nd er no o b lig a t io n to in fo rm the fa m ilie s o f those a rres ted where they a re b e in g he ld o r even th a t they have been arrested a t a ll.P risoners u nd er these acts moy be he ld a nyw here the security p o lice may choose to p lace the m ; in a p rison or in th e ce lls o f some p o lice s ta tion , which may be a rem ote one. U nde r these co nd itio ns , s tra ng e to say. a p a rth e id and o th e r se grega tion re g u la tio n s may be fo rgo tte n . D u rin g my own p eriod o f 90-day d e te n tio n , I was h e ld fo r th irty -s ix days in so lita ry co n fin e m e n t in a p o lice c e ll on th e o u tsk irts o f P re to ria ; a nd I co u ld hea r the s in g in g o f the A fr ic a n men prisoners (n o t p o litic a l p risoners) in the ce ll next doo r. (I co u ld a lso hear, a nd once I saw, these p risoners b e in g bea ten up by young p o lice constab les). My predecessor in my own ce ll had a lso been there in s o lita ry u nd er the 90-day clause , a nd he had reco rded his c a le n d a r o f days beh in d the door. H e is now serving tw enty years on Robben Is land.O nce a g a in , it is poss ib le to m en tion o n ly a very few o f th e many, many wom en w ho have been he ld a nd s till a re b e in g he ld u nd e r the laws th a t p rov ide fo r im p rison m e n t w ith o u t tr ia l. In 1963, the p o lice he ld A lb e rtin a S isu lu, to in te rro g a te her a b o u t the ac tiv ities o f her husband , W a lter, who was then s till in h id in g (h is 17-year-o ld son was a lso taken in to custody fo r the same reason). C a ro lin e M o tsoa le d i was p u t in to 90-day d e te n tio n a fte r her husb an d had been a rrested a t R ivonia. She was a rrested in court, w here she had gon e to see her husband , a nd she h ad g iven b irth to o ch ild on ly a few weeks b e fo re this.

"Night and Fog"M ost wom en w ho were a rrested were, o f course, a rrested because they them selves were suspected o f subversive a c tiv ities . In 1963. E leanor A nderson o f D u rb an su ffe red such severe m en ta l to rm e n t in so lita ry c o n fin em en t tha t she was moved to custody in a m enta l h osp ita l from where she escaped a nd fled across the b orde r. In 1964. M ary M o o d le y o f the T ransvaal, an e lde rly w om an w ho had been he ld fo r in te rro g a tio n a b o u t the p a rt she had p layed in o rg a n is in g ille g a l escape rou tes across the borde rs o f the coun try , c o m p la ine d w hen she was b ro u g h t to co u rt tha t, th o u g h the p o lice knew she had a weak heart, they m ade her stand d u r in g in te rro g a tio n s u n til her p iles b led a nd the b loo d ran dow n her legs. Ruth F irst w as re a rrested a fte r her f irs t p e riod o f 90 days a nd was re leased a fte r she had a lm ost fin ish e d a no the r m onth. In 1966, V io le t W e in be rg a nd Leslie Scherm brucker (w hose husb an ds w ere a lre ad y p o litic a l p risone rs in P retoria C e n tra l P rison) were he ld u nder the 180-day law , as possib le w itnesses in the tr ia l o f Bram Fischer; they c o m p la ine d th a t they had been kept aw ake day a fte r day a nd n igh t a fte r n ig h t by Security Branch men w ho s lep t in shifts. The recent a rre s t o f P h ilip G o ld in g , a c itizen o f the U n ited K ingdom , u nd er the Terrorism A ct has re ca lle d the d e ten tio n o f C a ro lin e de C resp igny, a n o th e r B ritish c itizen , u nder the 180-day law in 1965.In M ay o f th is year. W in n ie M a n d e la , w ife o f N elson M a n d e la , A. N. C. le ad e r on Robben Is land , was a rrested , as was Joyce S ikekane, a re p o rte r on the Rand D a ily M a il, the Johannesbu rg m o rn in g paper. The p o lice have re fused to say why these women have been a rrested , or u nd er w h a t la w ; a nd we know n o th ing a b o u t th e ir co n d itio n . The w o rk ings o f th e 180-day law and the Terrorism Act c a ll to m ind the Nacht und N e b e l (N ig h t and Fog) po licy o f th e Nazis d u r in g th e ir o c c u p a tio n o f E urope: th is p o licy was so nam ed because, by it, a rrested peo p le d isap p ea re d w ith o u t trace, as if in to the darkness.

OUR WOMENATWORK

Mrs. Mary Moodley prominent Trade Union leader on the Rand

Racial oppression and class oppression inevitably bear especially heavily upon women. Added to the disabilities which affect women of all classes in a nonsocialist society, they form a crushing burden. Nowhere is this burden heavier than upon African women workers in South Africa. The sign of their indomitable courage is that they have refused to be crushed and down-trodden

In South A fr ica , the e xp lo ite rs a nd em ployers expe rience no shortage o f cheap u nsk illed m anpow er. A nd they have p re fe rred to em p loy men b e cause men can m ore eas ily be moved a ro un d (a n d detached from fam ily ties) tha n wom en. They a re a lso p hys ica lly b e tte r a b le to e nd u re the hard la b o u r which a p a rth e id o rd a in s to be the lo t o f a lm ost a ll A fr ica n workers.

73 per cent o f A fr ic a n wom en (nearly fou r m illio n ) live in ru ra l a reas. O f these u nd er 4.000 a re em p loyed for a wage. In the 'reserves', women o ften rem a in on the land , cu lt iv a tin g the fom ily 's tiny p lo t - w h ile the ir husbands, w o rk in g as m ig ra n t la bourers, to il in the mines, on the W h ite farms, on the roads a nd on the ra ilw ays. These w om en a tte m p t lo scratch o u t a liv ing from the exhausted so il fo r th e ir ch ild ren , b u t a re usua lly a lso d e p e n d e n t on money sent hom e by the m ale b re a d w in n e r from his p it ifu lly sm a ll ea rn ings , which a re a lso g re a tly dep le te d by taxa tio n .

O f the wom en in ru ra l a re as w ho are em p loyed , m ore tha n 85 per cent

.vork on w h ite fa rm s o r as dom estic servants.

O n ly 27 per ce n t o f A fr ic a n wom en live in u rb an areas. R igorous co n tro ls ex is t to keep them out. O f th is 27 per ce n t (w hich a t th e same tim e is 47 per ce n t o f a ll w a g e -e a rn in g A fr ic a n w om en) nea rly 80 per cent a re em p loyed in d om es tic service.

Sechaba looks a t the co n d itio n s , in the c ity a nd in the coun try , o f th is vast m a jo rity o f A fr ic a n wom en workers.

In the towns

In the 19th ce n tu ry in Europe, d u r in g a nd a fte r the In d u s tr ia l Revolution, servants w o rked u n lim ite d hours for n e g lig ib le w ages and lived in m ise ra b le c o nd itio ns . W orse wages and co n d itio n s tha n these a re the lo t o f the dom estic se rvant in South A frica today.

In th e c ities , most wom en s till work fo r less tha n £50 per . annum . In N a ta l, fo r ins tance , a w om an w ork ing in D u rb an w ho re tu rns to her fam ily in the lo c a tio n a t n igh t, w il l co m

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m only e arn a ro u n d £3 per m onth. O u t o f th is she may be re q u ired to pay her own fa res - o fte n a m o y n tin g to m ore th a n £1 per m onth.If she lives on her em p loyer's p re mises, she w ill g e n e ra lly be a ccom o d a te d in a s h ed -like s tru c tu re in the backyard, w ith a t in ro o f a nd a c e m ent f lo o r — icy in w in te r a nd s tif lin g in sum m er. A servant's la va to ry w ill be p ro v ide d bu t no fa c ilit ie s for b a th in g o r p ro pe r w a sh ing - she w ill be expected to f i l l a bucket from a ta p in the yard. A t n ig h t, like those w h o live in the lo c a tio n , she w ill be d is tu rb e d by p o lic e ra ids . Even if her em p loye r p e rm itte d it, it w o u ld be ille g a l fo r her husb an d to spend the n ig h t in her room,A fr ic a n servants a re usua lly fed on a spec ia l d ie t, co ns is tin g o f maize, m e a lie rice a nd beans. They a re also su pp lie d w ith a sm a ll q u a n tity o f m eat w eekly — m eat which is so ld in the butchers ' shops as 'Boys' M e a t' a nd c o ns id e re d u n fit fo r W h ite c o n sum p tion .O fte n , a fte r a heavy d a y ’s work, a w om an servant is expec ted to 'b a b y sit' fo r her em p loyers. She lies on the f lo o r o f the ch ild re n 's room w rapped in a b lan ke t, os she is n o t expected to o ccupy a 'W h ite ' chair.A ty p ic a l A fr ic a n m a id s day is like ly to invo lve co ok in g , housew ork, care o f ch ild re n a nd o fte n heavy laund ry. Few South A fr ic a n W h ite s b o tn e r to buy la bo u r-sa v in g devices. W hy shou ld they? For they re g a rd the ir servants as machines.

In the countryW h ile servants in the tow ns work u nd er w o rse -tha n -1 9 th -ce n tu ry con- . d it io n s , in the ru ra l a reas th e ir c ir cum stances a re fe u d a l. O fte n , if they a re m a rried to, or ch ild re n o f form la bou re rs , they a re fo rced to w ork in the fa rm kitchen fo r n o th in g w hen | sent fo r by the ‘ missus'. The best they can expect, fo r w o rk in g in the fie ld s ^ o r in the house, is a bag o f maize, a few s h illin g s o r som e d isca rde d c lo th in g . The w ork they o ccas io n a lly : g e t on a p a id bas is is a t best seasona l - a n d in any case p it ifu lly p a id

Other employmentA p a rt from dom estic a nd fie ld work, I w h a t o pe n ing s a re the re fo r A fr ica n wom en? The answ er, in term s of pro fessions, is p a in fu lly c le a r : the re a re no A fr ic a n w om en atto rneys, ad- vocates, com m issioners, e ng in ee rs . $ arch itects , vets, chem ists o r un ive rs ity [i; le c turers . A fr ic a n w om en d oc to rs a re j a ra rity .

In view . o f th e ir e d u c a tio n a l d is a b il it ie s (o n ly 0.1 per ce n t g e t the o p p o rtu n ity to go to Sen io r Secondary School (Form s IV a nd V), it is indeed s ta rtlin g th a t 11,000 A fr ic a n women have m a n ag ed to becom e teachers and 12,000 to becom e nurses. O p p o rtu n it ie s as typists a nd shop- ass is tan ts a re a lm ost non -ex is ten t. The W hites, w ith th e ir s tra ng le -h o ld on com m erce, em p loy only W h ite wom en in such pos itions.

Factory workAs re g ard s w ork in p ro du c tion . 1.3 per ce n t o f ru ra l wom en workers a n d 4 per ce n t o f u rban women workers a re e n g ag e d in it. Though A fr ic a n w om en in indus try average an a n n u a l w a ge o f only £132. the ir c o n tr ib u tio n to the w o rk in g class s tru gg le has been a m a g n ific e n t one. In th e South A fr ic a n Congress o f Trade U n ions , wom en hove done o u ts ta n d in g w ork - and have been n o ta b le fo r th e ir p o litic a l rea lism and fie ry e loquence . Inev itab ly , such wom en have been heavily penalized. Such w om en as M ild re d Lesiea and E lizabe th M a fe ke n g o f the Food and C a nn in g W orke rs ' U n io n a n d V io la H ashe o f the A fr ic a n C lo th in g W orkers ' U n io n have been b anned

a nd co n fin ed , In a d d it io n , many A fr ican wom en tra de un ion is ts hove been sentenced to lo ng term s of im p rison m e n t or d e ta in e d w ithou t tr ia l a nd m ercilessly in te rrog a te d .

The co n d itio n s o f dom estic service m ake th e fo rm a tio n o f a u n io n under South A fr ic a n c o n d itio n s a n im poss ib le task. Y et many d om estic servants have a lso shown p o litic a l consciousness. In the Johannesbu rg bus boyco tt, thousands o f them set o ff fo r w ork b e fo re daw n o nd o r iiv e d hom e a fte r m idn ig h t, rock-like in th e ir re fusa l to pay increased fares.

New tasks ahead’O u r wom en are a rock' says o ne o f our fre ed o m songs, and the ir s treng th and co u rag e a re ever e q u a l to new dem ands. N ow in de e d a new pa th is o p e n in g befo re them . For in the g u e rr illa tra in in g cam ps, d e d ic a te d women a re tod a y a lso p lay ing the ir part. Like C hako 's w om en-w arr*o rs o f o ld . they jo in b a ttle a g a in s t the foe. A nd as the s tru gg le m ounts in hea t and in tens ity , m ore a nd m ore w ill flock to the lib e ra to rs ’ s tan d a rds Their fo r titu d e a nd f ire hove nevei been m ore necessary th a n in th is new phase o f the s trugg le .

Elizabeth Mofeking, Food & Canning Worker's leader in the Cape selling the peoples newspaper to workers

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AND... THOSE WHOSTAY i ATHOME

Much has been written and will still be written about prisoners in South Africa. There is documentary evidence of their terror and torture under detention, their hardships in prison after sentence. Some of those released have written books on their experiences, articles have been published in the press, meetings and conferences have been addressed by ex-prisoners.The wives and mothers of prisoners are in the main less articulate, their stories less dramatic, they have had little publicity Bur they also suffer fear, hardship, despaii. They battle to get their husbands releosed. to keep up morale, to maintain contact. They have the sole responsibility of the family.In this article, based on their own statements, SECHABA pays tribute to their endurance.There is fear. W ill I ever see my husband again? When? What is the charge, who knows, who will tell me? Is he alive or deod? The fear is not unfounded. Many prisoners have died while in the custody of the police or prison department. In1964 Ngudle, Tyita, Saloojee. In 1966 Yum Pin, o Chinese, Alpheus Modiba. In 1969 Lenkoe, Kgoathe, Modibane. W ill my husband also be 'found hanged' by his belt in his cell?And there is uncertainty. These are extracts from letters from wives in o reserve: -

'My husband is in prison again. They caught him on the 12th. Please try to find out what his charge is. It would be better if he could be taken to court

and know what his wrongs ore and be punished.' (He was detained).

‘I hear now that my husband is in . . . ja il. My brother visited him on my behalf.I foiled to pay a visit. I was not allowed.'

After a visit to her husband in prison, Mrs. K. wrote 'I took my husband some nice food, although he is so weak I am scared I will lose him behind those prison walls.'

Mrs. L. from Johannesburg, told the press reporter: "A t 11.30 p.m. there was a knock at the door. The police dragged my

| husband away, I was not told where he [ would be taken. After eight days, when I ■ was out, the police left o message with ̂ my neighbour that my husbond was dead."

I There >s always the immediate, and the If never-ending problem of money. How to

live without the husband's earnings.

These extracts are from letters from wives in the Tronskei . -'There has been a famine The ploughing has not been successful. We are starving.I was helped by my husbond when he was here because he sold our crop. The children are looking after the sheep and cattle. ! must sell a sheep for food.'She described the difficulty of selecting the sheep, of taking it to be sold, barga ining over the price - men's work.'Please help me financially, at present we are experiencing starvation because I have run out of mealies. My husband finished his sentence and was released, but immediately deported.'

'My husband was banished three years ago. I have not seen him since. In ploughing time I go from place to place osking people to help me plough, and some young people to look after his cattle.’

'I need money for communal fines which resulted from hut burnings. It is forced to be poid by everyone who wos present at the time of the unrest.'Arrests and imprisonments have not been accepted by wives and mothers without protest.The story of Mr. Loza, of Cape Town, is well known. For two years, his wife struggled to get him out of ja il. She was one of twenty African women who petitioned the Chief Magistrate. Cape Town, in 1963 for the release of their husbands and sons. The petition stated: 'We are destitute and want to see and have our husbands back with us.‘ They saw the Acting Chief Magistrate, but failed to get their men released from detention without trial. At the end of the 90 day period. Mrs. Lozo went to jo il to meet her husband, due for release. But she did not see him. He was rearrested for a further period of 90 days. She brought an app lication to the Supreme Court for his release. but it failed. When refused a visit, she took her three weeks old baby, handed him to a warder and begcjed him to take the baby and show him to his father. This wos done. Eventually, with others, Loza was brought to tria l, convicted, sentenced to three years' imprisonment and taken to Robben Island. The wives arranged for the men to lodge an appeal

against conviction. On March 10th, 196b, nearly two years after Loza's arrest, the Supreme Court set aside the conviction and ordered the release of the men. Daily the wives went to the jetty on the mainland where the ferry from the Island should arrive. Bu no prisoners arrived. The authorities refused to issue o statement as to what was causing the delay., in their release. Were they dead or alive? Where were they? Were they being detained for further charges? On the 22nd .Morch, the wives decided to make an urgent application to the Supreme Court that their husbands be produced. On the 23rd theV orrived home. Mrs. Loza

Mrs. Frances Board, prominent Eastern Cape ANC & Trade Union leader now in prison

had been without her husband - an innocent man - for 22 months and two weeks.And the wives ond mothers are lonely.

Mrs. N. wrote of her friend: 'She was just home from hospital when her husband wos taken by the police. She does not know his whereabouts. She was in bed when he was taken away, leaving no food in the house as a hailstorm had destroyed everthing in the fields. I assume he is detained.'

'My child is ill and wants treatment which he would get if his father, now in p'risan, were here to see to it.’

And Mrs. T. Writes:'My husband is arrested. And what is so sad is that I am about to hove a child.’ A month later she wrote aga in : ‘I had a nice little daughter. But now I have none. She d ied .on e day old. So I am alone again.'

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the

Typical scene at m eetings and dem onstrations prior to the banning of the A N C in I960

A policem an's cane swishes as an African woman runs from a demonstration in Jo hannesburg where A frican women were being accused of disturbing the peace by protesting again st passes for women

Women demonstrators face the police at court during the Rivonia Trial

Women in

Coloured women greet their fam ilies and jeer at the po lice after being arrested at a demonstration

Lilian N goyi, President A N C W om en's Le agu e with Indian W om en's leader Mrs. Pillay and White dem ocrats leader Mrs. H elen Joseph who is under House Arrest since 1962

In traditional Xhosa W ear, Mrs. A lbertina Sisulu, banned an d restricted and Mrs. W innie M andela now in solitary confinem ent at the Rivonia Trial.

A po licem an 's c o n * sw ishes as on A f r i c a nw o m a n runs from a dem on- i t r o t i o n in J o h a nitesburg, w h e r e 3 3 5 A fr ic a n w om en w ere be ing ac* cused e# d istu rb ing fho peace by p ro te st in g a g a in st pa sse s fo r womnn.

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DEATHS IN DETENTION!

M ajor P. J. Swanepoel - the beast of Compol - the main in terrogation centre in Johannesburg

• Caleb Mayekiso Died Within 7 Days Of His Detention.

• Nichodimus Kgoathe Died With Bruises All Over His Body.

• Janies Lenkoe Was Found Hanged In His Cell With Serious Electric Bruns On His Toes.

Three recent dea ths in d e te n tio n in the most susp ic ious c ircum stances p ro v ide sharp c o n firm a tio n th a t to rtu re o f p o litic a l d e ta ine e s con tinues u na ba ted in V orster's prisons. E lectric shocks, b ru ta l b ea ting s a nd a so- ca lle d su ic id e in a h ig h ly co m p ro m is ing s itu a tio n have been revealed in recent inquests in P re to ria . D esp ite spurious e ffo rts by Police, Prison o ff ic ia ls and G ove rn m e n t docto rs to cover up the v io le nce in flic te d on de fence less de ta ine e s , the tru th has o nce a g a in been fo rced to the su rface.

MURDER

No m a tte r w h a t u ltim a te ly caused these dea ths, we say th o t dea th in so lita ry c o n fin em en t, espec ia lly in a South A fr ic a n p rison, is M URDER! N o one, in c lu d in g re la tives, have any c o n ta c t w ith a p o litic a l d e ta ine e once he is a rrested . H ow can we the n accep t the w o rd o f V orster's in te rrog a to rs , h is prosecu tors, his courts fo r w h a t rea lly h appens when a person is d e ta ine d .James Lenkoe, sa id to have been fou n d h a n g in g by his b e lt in C e ll 12 a t P re to ria Local Prison, a nd ce rtifie d to have d ie d in th is way, was in re a lity su b je c ted to e le c tr ic shocks to an ex te n t th a t m e d ica l ev idence co n ceded th a t he may have d ie d from e le c tro c u tio n . These fac ts em erged

a t a second inques t d e m an de d by Lenkoe ’s w idow w hen the o r ig in a l o ff ic ia lly g iven cause o f d ea th b e cam e suspect. James Lenkoe d ied w ith in five days o f his d e te n tio n u n d e r the Terrorism Act.A t the spec ia l inquest, in a rigo rous a nd ten a c iou s cross e xam n in a tion , A dvoca te D. Soggot b ro u g h t to lig h t the c rue l fa c t th a t M r. Lenkoe had been sub jec ted to e le c tr ic shocks s u ffic ie n t to cause dea th a t some tim e w ith in the 12 h ou r p e riod b e fo re he d ied . This evidence was g iven by Dr. A.R. M oritz a w o rld a u th o r ity on burns, spec ia lly flo w n o u t from the U. S.. w ho stated in co u rt th a t a m ark on Lenkoe's toe was caused by an e le c tr ica l burn. S im ila r ev idence had e a r lie r been g iven in court by Dr. J. G luckm an, a pa th o lo g is t, who sta ted th a t the presence o f co pp e r ions in the d am ag ed tissue of Lenkoe's body in d ic a te d a the rm a l in ju ry caused e lec tr ica lly . Dr. G lu ck man a dd ed th a t he fou n d o th e r in ju rie s as w e ll in c lu d in g a sm a ll b ru ise on Lenkoe's neck be low his ears, b le e d in g o f the eye lids a nd gum s, lin e a r m arks on th e shou lder, b ru ises on th e arm , and the in ju ry on the toe. H e a lso fo u n d a cu rio us h ae m o rrh a ge a t th e base o f th e sku ll. Dr. G luckm an sa id th a t the b le e d in g o f th e eyelids and th e gum s co u ld have been caused by any o f a n um ber o f facto rs . The b ru ise on th e neck co u ld have been caused by a b e lt

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One of the first detainees who died in detention was 'Babla' Salojee. He was in terrogated by the beast of Compol, Swanepoel just before he died.No one will ewer know the full story of what was done to 'Babla' before his death. A case of suicide the police said after he had hurtled down from the 7th Floor window of the Security Police headquarters in Johannesburg

buckle, o r o th e r facto rs . W hen asked a b o u t h is o p in io n on the cause o f d ea th , Dr. G luckm an said it cou ld have been caused by e lec trocu tion . A n e q u a lly p oss ib le a lte rn a tiv e was by han g ing .

BRUISES AND MORE BRUISES

The Lenkoe case has burst in to the h ea d lin es a t th e very tim e o f a n o th e r in qu e s t on th e deq th o f a de ta ine e , M r. N ichodim us Kgoathe. The p o lice a d m itte d in c o u rt th a t they had been in s tru c te d to in ves tig a te his d ea th as w e ll as ce rta in a lle g a tio n s o f assau lt d u r in g h is d e te n tio n . Police S ergean t A. B. G ild en h uys o f S ilverton to ld the C o u rt th a t K goa the had to ld him a fte r much h es ita tion th a t he had been aussa u lte d by mem bers o f the S pecia l Branch d u r in g in te rro g a tio n . Dr. P. J. E. Joubert, ca lle d in by a m ag is tra te , to ld the C ourt th a t he fou n d num erous m arks on K go a th e ’s body in c lu d in g lin e a r b ru ise marks over bo th sh ou lders and b eh in d the neck, th ree b ru ises beh ind the righ t u pp er arm , th ree U -fo rm ed bruises b eh in d the r ig h t th igh , as w ell as a w ound on the le ft eye. N o tw ith s ta n d in g these extensive in ju rie s , the p o lice trie d to in tim a te th a t K goathe cfied fro m a fa l l in the shower.The inquests revea led a num ber o f o th e r s in is ter fea tu res on the tre a tm ent o f de ta inees . U nde r cros* e xam ina tio n , C h ie f W a rd e r B reedt a dm itte d tha t on o ff ic ia l in s tru c tion s his d e p a rtm e n t d id not keep records o f the m ovem ents o f d e ta inees when they were han de d over to the Specia l Branch. M r. S oggot asked w hether th e in fe ren ce was th a t the p o lice d id n o t w a n t peo p le or the courts to know how long a de ta ine e was kept a t the in te rro g a tio n cen tre Com pol and sta ted th a t the re had been a case w here a c o n flic t on how lo ng a d e ta in e e had been kept a t Security H e ad q ua rte rs was resolved in court in favo u r o f the d e ta ine e 's assertion th a t he had been o u t o f the prison for fo u r days. Typ ica lly, the e x p la n a tio n g iven by M a jo r Sw anepoe l the head o f the to r tu re squad o f the S pecia l Branch fo r m oving d e ta inees o u t o f p rison to the in te rro g a tio n c en tre was th a t the re were a d m in is tra tive p rocedures to be com pleted.

TORTURE PROVED

The a d m in is tra tio n o f to r tu re to po lit ic a l d e ta ine e s has now been so w e ll proven th a t the re is not a co rner in the w o rld w here it is d ou b te d . Vet

to r tu re co n tin ue s o nd o u r com rades in the fro n t lin e o f s tru gg le a re m u tila ted and w racked by men who have n o th in g to le a rn from the archives o f G esta po technology. As to the exten t o f these p ra c tices in South A fr ica , we can do no b e tte r than q uo te the w o rds o f th e p o lice o ffic e r who tes tifie d in a n e le c tr ic shock case a t B u ltfo n te in in 1964. " I d o n 't th in k the re is a p o lice s ta tion in the co un try th a t does no t use v io lence d u r in g q u e s tio n in g . Tying a p las tic bag a ro un d a p riso ne r’s head is com m on in in ves tig a tion s ."C urious ly , ju s t as the nam e o f Use Koch w ill a lw ays be assoc ia ted w ith Belsen, so one man. M a jo r P. J. Sw anepoe l is m e n tion ed repea ted ly in c o n ju n c tio n w ith the in te rro g a tio n o f deta inees. N um erous d e ta inees have spoken both in the courts and o u ts id e o f the sad is tic n a tu re o f this Beast o f C om po l. Yet, w hen he was fo r once on the rece iv ing end o f a sharp cro ss-e xam in a tio n in the Lenkoe case the co u rt a llo w ed him to evade e x p la in in g his ac tions. W ith co n tem p tous d is re ga rd fo r p u b lic o p in io n , th is ch ief in q u is ito r o f S outh A fr ic a 's G estapo , the man w ho que s tion e d Lenkoe on the day

he d ied , assum ed an unb eco m ing a ir o f in no ce nce to deny a l l kn ow le dg e o f ill tre a tm e n t o f de ta inees.

BITTER DEDICATION

But th e lis t o f v ictim s o f S pecia l Branch v io le nce is g ro w in g . N e ith e r th e rea ltives, th e com rades in s tru g g le nor w o rld o p in io n accep t the s tories o f su ic id e a n d s e lf- in flic tio n o f w ounds th a t a re co nco c ted by the in te rro g a to rs . A nd , even if the re have been su ic ides in d e te n tio n , they have been su ic ides u nd e r to r tu re ; a nd , as we have sa id b e fo re : su ic id e under to r tu re is m u rd e r !

The m u rd er o f p o litic a l p risone rs is a c rim e which s tands h igh e s t in the lis t o f a tro c itie s co m m itte d by th e South A fr ic a n G ove rnm ent. No a c tio n can be m ore p rovoca tive to those w ho a re f ig h t in g fo r a free South A fr ic a tha n these never e n d in g acts o f savagery a g a in s t d e ta ine e s a nd p o lit ic a l p ris oners. There need be no q u e s tio n in g the response of b itte r d e d ic a tio n these acts gen e ra te . The p e rpe tra to rs o f these crim es w ill most c e rta in ly be b ro u g h t to book I

15

OBITUARY

MASANGOCALEBMAYEKISOA. N. C. AND TRADE UNION LEADER

Statement on the Death in Detention of Masango Caleb Mayekiso,African National Congress and Trade Union Leader (South Africa).

The A fr ic a n N a tio n a l C ongress o f South A fr ic a m ourns and sa lutes M A S A N G O CALEB MAYEKISO who d ied in so lita ry co n fin em en t u nd e r South A fr ica 's obnox ious 180-day d e te n tio n law.C om rade M ayekiso w ho had been re leased from prison a fte r serving fo u r years im prison m e n t fo r be lo n g in g to on “ i lle g a l o rg a n is a tio n ”- th e A. N. C., was re -a rrested on 13th May, 1969 a nd d e ta in e d under the 180-Day law.O n June 1, S pe c ia l Branch d e te c tives v is ited his w ife in New B rig h ton a nd to ld her th a t her husband had d ied .A cco rd in g to press reports she said th a t she th o u g h t a t th e tim e th a t the S pecia l Branch had com e to in form her th a t she co u ld v is it him . U nde r the 180-day law no re la tives o r le ga l rep resen ta tives a re a llo w ed to v is it a de ta inee .In her s ta tem ent to the press Mrs. M ayekiso em phasised th a t her husband looked w e ll and hea lthy when the Specia l Branch took him away th ree weeks e a r lie r.The p o lice had o ffe re d to pay M ayek iso ’s fu n e ra l expenses b u t th is o ffe r was sco rn fu lly re jected by Mrs. M ayekiso.C a le b M ayekiso was C h a irm a n of the N ew B righ ton (Port E lizabeth) Branch o f the A. N. C. which is one o f the most pow e rfu l branches o f the Congress. He succeeded Raym ond M h la b a , now serving o life sentence on Robben Is land a fte r Raym ond was b an ne d from p a r tic ip a tin g in the a c tiv itie s o f the A. N. C.C a le b was s lig h tly b u ilt, bespectoc- led, age d 56 a nd o f o q u ie t ond unassum ing d em eanou r. W here one w ou ld expect a tow ering person a lity to lead so m ilita n t a nd pow erfu l an a re a we fou n d C a leb M ayekiso a gen tle , so ft-spoken fig u re w ith a m onotonous delivery o f speech. N o o ne lo ok ing a t him w o u ld have suspected th a t he had he ld an u na ssa ila b le p os ition as le ad e r o f the peo p le in Port E liza beth.The answ er lay in C a leb 's con sistency a nd in te g rity as a w ork ing - class and N a tio n a l lib e ra to ry leader.H e he lped b u ild a s trong branch o f the Textile W orkers ' U n io n and

e ven tua lly becam e the le ode r o f the A fr ic a n Textile W orkers in South A fr ica . In a ll the s tirr ing s trugg les of the f ift ie s , C a le b p layed an im p o r ta n t ro le . He w e n t to prison d u r in g th e h is toric D e fian ce o f U n ju s t Laws C a m p a ign o f 1952. In the fo llo w in g two years C a le b was a rre s ted on num erous occasions. He c o u ld never make any lo n g term a pp o in tm e n t, not b e in g sure w h eth er he co u ld keep such an a p p o in tm e n t.O n o ne occasion in 1954 he was charged w ith in c item en t to p u b lic vio lence .

In 1956 he was charged w ith H ig h Treason in com m on w ith 155 o thers. He was involved in the tr ia l r ig h t to the e nd in March, 1961.In 1963 he was a rrested a g a in and was charged w ith b e lo n g in g to the b an ne d A fr ic a n N a tio n a l Congress. H e was sentenced to fo u r years im p risonm en t.O n the las t occas ion he was a rrested on M ay 13, th is year, and d ie d in d e te n tio n as have so many o the rs u n d e r s in is ter c ircum stances. A lth o u g h physica lly sm all th is man was m ade o f steel.H is d ea th , under h igh ly suspic ious c ircum stances , w ill u ltim a te ly be in ve s tiga ted and those responsib le w ill u n d ou b te d ly receive the punish m ent they deserve.In the m eantim e the A fr ica n N a tio na l Congress p ledges to ca rry on the s tru g g le to free our coun try from the g r ip o f its presen t d ia b o lica l ru le rs . In the free a nd d em o c ra tic re p u b lic tha t w ill a rise the nam es o f peop le like our com rade a nd fe llo w freedom fig h te r - M a sango C a le b M ayekiso - w ill have an h o n o u ra b le p lace.A g re a t and daun tless freedom f ig h te r has passed on. H is dea th w ill be avenged a h un dred tim es over in th e com ing ba ttles fo r the f in a l o ve rth ro w o f the Facist-Racist oppressors in our country.

The A.N.C. dips its banner in memory of this great freedom fighter.HAMBA KA H IE - MAYEKISO!

Special News Digest on...

RECENTDEATHSOFPOLITICALDETAINEESINSOUTHAFRICA

1 Death of Caleb Mayekiso- the fifth death in detention in the past yearMasango Caleb Mayekiso, 56, o long standing leading personality in the African National Congress, and a senior office holder in the Cape Province, and prominent trade unionist, has died while in custody under the 180-day detention clause. Mr. Mayekiso who was released from a , four-year prison term lost year was detained on Moy 13 this year and died on or about 1st June.The Rand Daily M ail which reported his deoth stated on the 9/6/69 quoted Mrs. Mayekiso as saying that her husband had been in employment since completing his prison term and that he was looking healthy and well when the Special Branch took him into dentention.In a report on the death, the Sunday Tribune reported on the 8 6 69 that Mrs. Mayekiso turned down an offer by the Security police to help with funeral expenses. The paper stated that "Four other detainees under the Terrorism Act died during the past year. Two commited suicide, one was said to have died, either of tuberculosis, or pneumonia, and the fourth was said, in an o fficial report, to have slipped on o piece of soap and fatally injured himself.”The paper also reported that in Parliament, Mr. Lourens Muller, Minister of Police, refused to answer questions obout possible abuses under the detention laws. According to the Star of the 3/6/69 Mrs. Helen Suzmon hod raised the matter in the House. The paper states that “ She mentioned other cases ond added that in almost every case where prisoners complained that they had been badly trfeoted, the name of one man was mentioned. She was prepared to give the name to the Minister. '

This special News Digest is printed in order to draw the attention of our many supporters to the sinister aspects surrounding the deaths of an increasing number of political detainees in South Africa and to urge them to protest and to organise international public opinion around our demand for the release of all political prisoners in South Africa.

2. Another detainee's death - court evidence on electric shocksAnother detainee. James Lenkoe, died while in detention under the 180 day law. The Rand Daily M a il on 3rd May reported that, "Counsel representing the widow of a 35 year old African who is said to have been found hanging in a cell in a Pretoria prison while detained under the Terrorism Act, raised the possibility in the Preorio Inquest Court yesterdoy of death hoving been caused by electrocution, and not hanging."The inquest was held into the death of James Lenkoe, o Lesotho national, who is said to have died while detained in the Pretoria Local Prison on March 10."On March 21, Lenkoe's widow, Mrs. Julia Lenkoe. was granted an application for a sesond post-mortem examination to be held on her husband's body." The Rand Daily M ail continued, "A t the start of yesterday's hearing Mr. J. G. Geyser, for the State, handed in several affidavits which described how Lenkoe was found hanging in Cell 12 at the Pretoria Local Prison about 10.30 p. m. on March 10. The affidavits said he was hanging from a belt attached to the bars of the window and that o handkerchief was tied round his face knotted a t the back and passing through the mouth o t the front . . . Mr, Geyser also handed in the report of Dr. H. von P. Koch, who carried out the first postmortem examination. In this, Dr. Koch soid his findings were consistent with death due to hanging."After giving further medical information in person, Dr. Koch is reported in the M ail to have "agreed that the features described in his post-mortem report, if seen alone, could not lead to any specific diagnosis as to the cause of death. However, he had taken into account the ligature found round the neck. He agreed that the features described were as consistent with hanging after death, except for the haemorrhage in the cartillage area. He did not think this could have been caused after death."Under further examination Dr. Koch said he had attended the second post-mortem which had been conducted by Dr. Gluckman who had pointed out to him what looked like a mark on the second toe of Mr. Lenkoe's foot. Dr. Koch said that it did not look like a burn mark to him but an abrasion.

The M ail report continues. “ Mr. Soggot (the defence advocate - Ed.) also questioned Dr. Koch a t length about distinctive microscopic transformations which, he said, resulted from the alteration of cells as a result of an electric burn. Dr. Koch agreed that fata l electrocution could take place without any signs, and that very high voltage could enter the body through a very small areo and leave no detectable sign of its exit from the body.

"M r. Soggot asked that if he could prove that the mark on Lenkoe’s toe was the result of an electric shock and was a burn mark, would Dr. Koch agree that this, with the other signs described in his post-mortem, could be consistent with electro- coution. Dr. Koch said that if it were proved that the mark was a burn, then - with the other features - this could be consistent with electrocution."

Subsequent medical evidence turned on the character of the burn and on how death may have been brought about.A report in the Rand Daily M a il - 5 6 69, described the further significant evidence on these questions.

"Dr. A. R. Moritz, o world authority on burns, yesterday told the Pretoria Inquest Court that he was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that a lesion on the toe of a suspected terforist - who is a lleged to have hanged himself - was an electrical burn mark.

"Earlier a South African Pathologist. Dr. Jonathan Gluckman, told the court that his investigations of the wound indicated a thermal injury, possibly electrically applied, because of the presence of copper ions in the damaged tissue . . .

"In his evidence Dr. Moritz described the injury in technical language, and said that the presence of cysts and other factors indicated a thermal burn, probably received within 12 hours before death

"Questioned by Mr. Soggot he said tha t he hod done extensive specialized research into burn wounds and death during the war for the American Armed Forces. The work started with study of wounds caused by flame throwers, and he continued this into research on electrothermal in juries after the war. He confirmed also that he had been a member of the commission which considered certain medical legal aspects of the assasination of President Kennedy . .

“ He agreed fully with Dr. Gluckman's earlier evidence, said Dr. Moritz. Questioned by the medical assessor, Dr. Scheepers, he said that his studies had been concerned with microscopic slides. The injury would have been inflicted more than two minutes and less than 12 hours before death, he thought."

In a later report the Rand Daily M a il of 7 6-69 reported Dr. Moritz's evidence as follows.

“ The only inference to be drawn against the evidence in the present case was one of copper deposited in the skin as a result of an electric shock. Nothing had been put before him which suggested anything different. Nor had anything acceptable been put before him which would move him to doubt his conclusions that the injury was done within 12 hours of death. The presence of copper in the basal area of the skin, suggesting electrical metallisation, had been illustrated by spectrographic test and was chemically beyond reasonable doubt."

In an earlier hearing of the Court. Professor Shapiro, a former Government pathologist, gave evidence on the possible cause of death, The Rand Daily M ail reported as follows (30 5 69): “ Professor Shapiro, a former Government pathologist, when shown the report of the district surgeon who performed the autopsy on Lenkoe, said he agreed tha t the findings were consistent with death by hanging and electric shock. Asked about bleeding in the neck, he said pressure on the neck could cause bleeding before death under certain conditions. The bleeding could have been consistent with haemorrhaging before or after death, said Professor Shapiro."

At an earlier hearing critical evidence was given of the detention of Mr. Lenkoe and his in terrogation by the Special Branch.

The Rand Daily M ail reported on May 24:

“ Mr. Soggot was questioning Major P. J. Swanepoel, the Securitypoliceman who is in charge of the interrogation of people

detained under the Terrorism Act and who said he interrogated Lenkoe on the day of his death."

Major Swanepoel had told the court that on that day no harm had come to Lenkoe and no assault had been committed on him. Lenkoe had been questioned from about 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., he said, and he had taken a statement from him. The statement was not complete.

"Lenkoe", he said, "was under supervision at a ll times, even when he went to the washroom. He had not received an electrical shock at any time during interrogation and it was unlikely that he had been shocked accidentally at any other time while in the security police building Compol."

Mr. Soggot asked whether it was possible that he had got an accidental shock from the stove ot which Major Swanepoel had said detainees were allowed to warm food.

“ Major Swanepoel said Lenkoe was never alone. If he had been accidentally shocked the policeman who was with him should have reported this. Major Swanepoel said he had never received such a report."

TorturedMr. Soggot then asked Major Swanepoel about allegations over the years that detainees had been tortured by Security policemen.

Major Swanepoel said he knew of the a lle g a tio n s but the fact of the matter was that detainees were exceptionally well treated. Mr. Soggot said that affidavits from a number of people a lleged that the torture of detainees included electrical shock and that Major Swanepoel hod himself been named as having administered electrical shock.

When Major Swanepoel contested this - 'I want to know the names of the people who said this about me' - Mr. Soggot produced six affidavits handed in to court during an application brought last November on behalf of o detainee, Gabriel Mbindi. Mbindi had been said in medicacl evidence to have two perforations of the ear drum.

Major Swanepoel suggested that these must have dome about before Mr. Mbindi was arrested.Mr. Soggot commented that the State's own medical evidence was that the perforations were recent.Major Swanepoel said, in answer to further questions on this point that he had wished to repudiate the allegations made in this application,Mr. Soggot asked how it had come about that the matter was settled out of court, and that the State had paia R3,0QD towards the cost of Mbindi's application, although none o f the allegations were conceded as being truthful,Major Swanepoel said he had no knowledge of how this had come about.Questioned further, Major Swanepoel said that during interrogation he tried to persuade detainees to make statements but if within half an hour or an hour they would not do so, they were returned to the prison.“ No unlawful methods were brought to bear on detainees." "Asked why detainees were taken to Compol Building for interrogation he said it was because that was where his office was. He preferred his office for questioning. There were administrative procedures to be completed."Major Swanepoel agreed that there was an order that no register be kept of the movement in and out of ja il for questioning of detainees.Mr. Soggot asked whether the inference was that the police did not want people or the courts to know how long a detainee was kept a t Compol.He said there had been o case where a detainee claimed that he was kept four days and nights at Security Headquarters, Johannesburg, and assaulted, but where the police claimed that he had been in prison during this time. An investigation had supported the detainee's claim that he was out of prison these four days.

Major Swanepoel said he had not had anything to do with the investigation of that case.Mr. Soggot asked M ajor Swanepoel whether he hod not been interrogating a detainee, Solojee, when the man jumped out of a window and was killed.The prosecutor objected. Mr. Soggot soid he wished to osk this question because the suicides of other people associated with interrogation might be relevant to the court but he wouid abide by the court's decision.The magistrate, Mr. J. J. H. Tukker, ruled that he could not put this question.Mr. Soggot asked Major Swanepoel if it was correct that at least two other detainees had died this year while in detention. The prosecutor again objected. Mr. Soggot said he wished to raise this question on other deaths since it might be relevant to the present hearingMr. Tukker ruled that he could not put this question.Major Swanepoel told the court that he was surprised when he heard of Lenkoe's death. It was inexplicable to him and he d id not think thot the statement Lenkoe had made had anything to do with his death.Earlier during yesterday's hearing Major Swonepoel had told the court that Lenkoe was a hired assassin.Lenkoe had given certain information no pressure was brought to bear on him.He had given this information voluntarily. Major Swanepoel said no pressure would be used because, in terms of a Supreme Court ruling such a statement wos inadmissable.In his experience detainees often voluntarily gave information. The was nothing exceptional about such a thing happening.

Detainee's death - doctor's evidence of prior assaultsPolice evidence of a fa ll in a shower was overshodowed by a doctor's evidence of severe assaults prior to death upon a detainee Mr. Nichodimus KgoatheUnder o Headline 'Detainee was hit, doctor tells inquest' the Rand Daily M ail reported on 7'6'69 as follows."A District Surgeon testified at o Pretoria inquest yesterday that an African detainee he had examined shortly before his deoth had marks on his body which could .have been caused by a sjambok and wounds which could hove come from an ossouit with the buckle of a belt."The inquest was held into the death of Mr. Nichodimus Kgoathe, who was detained in the Silverton police cells, Pretoria, under the Terrorism Act and who died on Februory 4, this year.

Evidence of Dr. P. J. E. Joubert, who was called by a Pretoria magistrate to see Mr. Kgoathe shortly before his death said Mr. Kgoathe had moved with the utmost difficulty. It was my opinion tha t he was suffering from the after affects of concussion and needed to be treated by a specialist. He could not accept Mr. Kgoathe's explanation of his having fallen in the shower room and had told him so. Only then did Mi Kgoathe say that he had been assaulted by members of the Security Police during in terrogation on Janurary 16.

“ It is my opinion,” said Di. Joubert, "tha t Mi Kgoothe’s injuries were the result of an assault. The linear marks on his shoulders could hove been caused by a sjambok while the U-formed wounds could have been the result of an assault with the buckle of o belt."

He said he had made arrangements for Mr. Kgoathe’s adm ittance to hospital, where he was taken on January 21. He died 14 days later.

During his stay in hospital, Mr, Kgoathe was treated for infection in his lungs and bladder.

A hospital report read that Mr. Kgoathe had died as a result of excessive lung infection and kidney failure.

A post mortem report soid the cause of death was bronchial pneumonia.

The magistrate, Mr. G. J. Strijdom, found that, in the light of the evidence and statements before the court, he was not in a position to conclude that any person was to blame for Mr Kgoathe's death.In statements before the court, several members of the Security Branch said they were informed by M ajor F. Hugo that he wos investigating the death of Mr. Kgoothe, who was a lleged!/ assaulted by members of the Security Branch during interrogation. Mrs. Monica Kgoathe, 46, wife of Mr. Kgoathe, said in o statement '. . . when he (Kgoathe) left for Johannesburg on Sunday, November 3 last year, he was in good health and did not complain of any illness. She did not try to see him because her son also informed her that no visitors were allowed to see her husband.' She never sow or heard anything from Mr. Kgoathe. She said that the police informed her on February 5, this year, that her husband had been taken to hospital where he died on February 4.Detective-Warrant O fficer J. M. Venter, of the Security Police, said in a statement that he was informed by M ajor F. Hugo on April 14 that he (M ajor Hugo) wos investigating the death of Mr. Kgoathe and certain allegations of an assault on Mr. Kgoathe by members of the Security Branch.W arrant-O fficer Venter and Sergeant De Meyer continued to question Mr. Kgoathe until about midnight on January 16. They then left Mr. Kgoathe in the compony of Bontu Detective Sergeant Solomon Chauke to sleep in one of the offices. He and Sergeant De Meyer slept in an adjo in ing office, Mr. Venter said. The follow ing morning, about 6 a.m., when the questioning of Mr. Kgoathe was resumed, Mr. Venter said he noticed a swelling on Mr. Kgoathe’s left eye. Asked about the swelling Mr. Kgoathe explained that he had sustained the injury the previous afternoon when he hod slipped and fell against o wall while having o shower.W arrant O fficer Smit said tha t he interrogated Mr. Kgoathe from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on January 16. About 1 p.m. Mr. Kgoathe had asked permission to have o shower ond since it was o hot day and the facilities were available, he gave Mr. Kgoathe permission."H e had explained that he had slipped ond fallen against the wall o f the shower from the previous day."M ajor Van Zyl said the Rev. John H. Barlett, the police chaplain arrived simultaneously. Asked by them whether his injury was not perhaps caused by an ossauft, Mr. Kgoathe .had said he had fallen while having a shower and that nobody had assaulted him, Warrant O fficer Smit said.Lieutenant J. R. Bodenstein of the Security Branch, told o similar story. He said that he mode pertinent inquiries from Mr. Kgoathe whether he had perhaps been assaulted, to which Mr. Kgoathe replied that he hod slipped and fallen against a wall.

Police Sergeant A. B. Oildenhuys of Silverton soid that M i. Kgoathe had complained of body pains on January 18. He gave instructions that a doctor be called.

When he saw Mr. Kgoathe agoin later thot doy, Mr Kgoothe still complained of pain and told Sergeant Gildenhuys that he had been assaulted by members of the Security Police during their interrogation.

Mr. Kgoathe did not want to loy a charge and refused to make a statement.

Dr. W. J. Pieterse, who examined Mr Kgoothe on Januory 18, said he saw o wound on Mr. Kgoathe's left eye as well as a gall on his left shoulder.

A Pretoria magistrate, Mr. C. G. Jordaan, who hod visited the detainees on January 20, soid he sow Mr, Kgoathe. also known as Kabi, Kalkadi or Nichodimus Kwagthe.

Mr. Jordaan said he saw on his second visit Mr. Kgoathe’s condition had deteriorated extremely and asked for a doctor to be called.

As a result o f this request Dr. P. J. E. Joubert was called.

According to his statement the following were found on Mr. Kgoathe: linear bruise marks over both shoulders ond behind the neck, three bruises behind the right upper orm, three U-formed bruises behind the right thigh as well as o wound on the left eye.

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SOUTH AFRICAN WORKERS AND THE STRUGGLE FOR LIBERATIONStephen Dlamini, President of SACTU now serving 7 years on Robben Island

"The future of the people of South Africa is in the hands of the workers. Only the working class, in alliance with other progressively-minded sections of the community, can build a happy life for all South Africans..." - Preamble to the constitution of the South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU).

The SACTU c o n s titu tio n was a do p te d m ore th a n fifte e n years a go . As the p re am b le shows. SACTU saw the ro le o f the w o rk in g class, n o t on ly to a g ita te fo r im provem ents in c o n d itio ns o f w ork, b u t a lso th a t o f be ing the le a d in g class in the L ibe ra tio n s trugg le . The p u rpo se o f th is a rtic le is to e xam ine b rie fly th is c o n s titu tio n . From its in c e p tio n SACTU, as the o n ly g e n u in e ly n o n -ra c ia l South A fr ic a n tra de u n io n fe d e ra tio n , u n e qu ivo ca lly th rew its w e ig h t on the s ide o f the L ib e ra tio n M ovem en t ond becam e o m em ber o f the C ongress A llia n c e . SACTU p a r tic ip a te d fu lly in a ll c a m p a ig n s la un ch ed by the C o n gress A llia n c e . A la rg e num ber o f its le ad e rs a t a ll levels have suffe red

b a n n in g , im p rison m e n t and ex ile for th e p a rt they p layed in the strugg le . M any, many mem bers o f SACTU have been hou nd e d o u t o f jobs. W ith o u t d o u b t SACTU has lived up to the ro le it set fo r itse lf.

The m ethods o f s tru g g le in the '50s too k the form ch ie fly o f dem onstra- itons, boycotts, s tays-at-hom e and s trikes u nd e r a g e n e ra l po licy o f n on v io lence . C le a rly th e Congress A llia n c e was la rg e ly conce rned w ith d e m o n s tra tin g the s treng th o f the o rg an ise d body o f th e oppressed peo p le w ith a view to b r in g in g a b o u t c o n d itio n s fo r a m e a n in g fu l d ia lo g u e w ith the oppressor, Both the m ethod o f s tru g g le a nd , f lo w in g from this, the o b je c tive have now changed ra d i

ca lly . The m a in co n te n t o f the s tru g g le now is laying the bas is fo r a Peoples Revolu tionary W a r w ith the o b je c tiv e o f a to ta l se izure o f power, It is no more a q ue s tion o f ta lk in g to th e oppressor bu t o f b r in g in g a b o u t his co m p le te d es tru c tio n . This im m e d ia te ly poses the ques tions "W ho will se ize power? W ho will com e out on top?" To answ er these questions c o rre c tly we must unders tand the n a tu re o f South A fr ica n society and its com pos ition .

Brief Analysis ol South African Society(1) The R uling C la ss : It is gen e ra lly a g ree d th a t South A fr ic o is an ad-

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vanced c a p ita lis t- im p e ria lis t co un try hav ing w e ll-de ve lop ed links w ith in te rn a tio n a l im pe ria lism . The ru lin g class is, however, n o t hom ogeneous b u t com posed o f an a llia n c e o f in te rn a tio n a l im pe ria lism w ith lo ca l m onopo ly c a p ita l on the one hand a n d th e sem i-feuda l la nd barons o f a g r ic u ltu re in a llia n c e w ith sm a lle r business on th e o the r. The la tte r em com passes la rg e ly the A fr ik a n e r (B oer) p o p u la tio n a nd is re flected p o litic a lly in th e ru lin g fasc is t N a tio n a lis t Party. The fo rm e r encom passes English a n d o th e r (m a in ly Jew ish) W h ite in te res t in a llia n c e m a in ly w ith B ritish and U. S. im pe ria lism . The South A fr ic a n W h ite p o p u la tio n b e in g la rg e ly A fr ik a n e r a n d g iven th e ch au v in is tic a p p e a l o f th e N a tio n a lis t Party, im pe ria lism /m on o po ly c a p ita l fo r a t im e was on th e re tre a t p o lit ic a lly as th e U n ited Party su ffe red several de fea ts a t th e po lls. The ris ing tid e o f the lib e ra tio n s tru gg le in the la te fift ie s saw th is e lem en t fos te ring th e Progressive Party as a p re lud e to a poss ib le com prom ise w ith th e Black m a jo rity .

The s itu a tio n is, however, n o t s ta tic . A fr ik a n e r c a p ita l has over the years, espec ia lly in th e sixties, ga in e d en try in to b ig business pa rtly by the e ffe c tive use o f it