A heavy crack-down by Vorster's security police on 'Black Consciousness' activists during October brought the total number of known detainees to 67 by the end of the month. Amongst those detained three persons who have already spent several months in detention since September 1974. The new batch of arrests follows an earlier swoop in August and September when numerous white students and others were detained following the capture of the Afrikaans poet Breyten Breytenbach, who was in disguise and about to leave the country after a brief visit.
All the detainees are being held under Section 6 of the Terrorism Act of 1967. This allows for indefinite detention in solitary confinement without trial, without access to relatives or lawyers, without reading matter or writing materials. By 1972 22 persons were known to have died while in detention, in circumstances indicating deliberate use of torture and psychologically disorienting techniques of interrogation. Mrs. Winnie Mandela, wife of the imprisoned ANC leader Nelson Mandela, who was herself detained for nearly 18 months under the Terrorism Act, has recently spoken of the experience of being arrested:
"I had heard what being detained under the Act meant. Yet the actual experience remains petrifying. It means being seized at dawn, it means lifting sleeping children from their mattresses to look under them. Informers are installed in the schools of the children, among friends and colleagues. Employers are interrogated as to why they employ you."
Mrs. Sheila Suttner, mother of a detained law lecturer has publicly described the 'hideous experience' which the families of detainees have with the 'front room boys' of the Security Police. (Her son was tortured with electric shocks). Addressing a meeting at Witwatersrand University to protest against detentions she spoke of the 'suicide' well-groomed, well-spoken, kindly and courteous gentlemen (of the Security Police) who attempt to lull one into a sense of self-security'. They make 'small concessions which appear tremendous gains momentarily.' But anything of significance such as access to family, doctors or lawyers is refused. 'The ultimate horror is the eventual discovery that the front room boys, who act as though they are all on a committee of child-welfare, are also the backroom boys who administer 'the treatment'. My family no longer has to surmise about what happens to people detained under Section 6 of the Terrorism Act. We know what happens and we are filled with bitterness.'
Evidence of police brutality in relation to the SASO/BPC activists detained since September last year has repeatedly emerged. (Some of them are currently on trial under the Terrorism Act. The full story of this case, one of the longest political trials under the Act, will appear in the next issue of 'Focus'.) Details are as follows:
- In November 1974 the fathers of four of the detainees and the fiancée of a fifth made an urgent application for a court order restraining the police from assaulting the detainees. The application was made on behalf of L. Mabandla, Saths Cooper (who later collapsed in Pretoria Central Prison and was treated for 'suspected convulsions'), Revabalan Cooper, Mosioua Lekota and Muntu Myeza.
In a supporting affidavit a Durban attorney Mr. S. Chetty, said that in an interview with Saths Cooper, the latter alleged that many detainees were being brutally assaulted, that Mr. Mabandla and Mr. R. Cooper were the most severely assaulted and as a result could not walk, and that his own knee was 'busted'. Police officers and other state witnesses denied the allegations, and the judge accepted their version of the facts. The application was refused.
- In April one of the accused, Strini Moodley, appeared in court on crutches.
- In September, challenging some of the accomplice evidence given by fellow-detainees, a defence lawyer alleged that detainees had been "punched, kicked and slapped" by their captors, who did so "whenever they were so disposed". Counsel, Mr. David Soggott, spoke of "brutal treatment" of detainees. He said six of the accused had been forced to maintain a "painful crouching position" during interrogation with their backs against a wall in a sitting position but without a chair for support. They were forced to stretch their arms out at the same time. When they could no longer bear the cramps and the pain they slipped to the floor.
Two of the accused were also refused food and drink during interrogation and were not allowed to go to the lavatory. There had been a "consistent series of assaults and psychological pressures" on all the accused, added Mr. Soggott.
- Early in October six former detainees issued summonses against the Minister of Justice for a total of R21,500 (about £12,500) for alleged assault and torture suffered in detention. Mr. Mabandla and his wife, who were detained for 172 and 171 days respectively, are suing for R2,000 each; Mr. Barney Pityana, former SASO president, who was detained for 160 days, is claiming R3,000; Mr. Revabalan Cooper who was detained for 189 days, is claiming R6,000; Mr. Mzimkhulu Gwentshe, formerly an organiser for the National Youth Organisation who was detained for 164 days, is claiming R6,500; and Mr. Mapetla Mohapi, detained for 160 days, is claiming R2,000.
Organisations chiefly affected by the latest arrests are the South African Students Organisation (SASO) and the Black Peoples Convention (BPC). Most recent detainees as at 31.10.75 were the following (with date of detention in brackets):
CEKESANI, Moki. BPC member in Port Elizabeth (16.10.75) JORDAN, Mike, SASO fieldworker in Durban (20.10.75) KHUTSWANE, Kingdom. SASO permanent organiser in Durban (appointed to replace Mapetla Mohapi, who was banned in September) LOUW, Ben. Organiser of the SASO 'free university scheme'. Was detained on 29 January 1975 and held without charge until 25 June. (16(?).10.75) MAJEKE, Phumzile (25). SASO local chairman at University of Fort Hare 1972-3; Natal regional sec. of SASO from 1974. Detained 11 October 1974 and held without charge until 24 March 1975. Arrested in Cape Town. (? October 1975) MANTHATA, Thomas Madikwe. Former vice-president of SASO, now employed by SA Council of Churches. Detained without trial from 7.11.74 to 25.6.75. (20.10.75) MOATSHE, Theo. (35) Son of Ambrose Moatshe, a Lichtenburg businessman and executive member of the Seoposengwe opposition party in BophuthaTswana homeland, who died in October. Theo, a married man with one child, was arrested after his father's funeral. (26.10.75) MTHOMBENI, Lwandle Charles. Executive member of the Reef branch of SASO. (24.10.75) NKONDO, Winston. Director of the BPC Black Community Programmes in Johannesburg. (16.10.75) NTSHONA, Boyce. A SASO activist detained in Cape Town (16.10.75) ZANI, Thami. Secretary-General of SASO. Arrested in the SASO head office in Durban. (16.10.75)
