On 26 May at a special court session held at Umtali Magistrates Court MASHAMA SIBILISIOS (37), the chairman of the Mtoko South branch of the ANC, was sentenced to death by Mr Justice Beck, seated with two assessors, on conviction of recruiting 45 people for guerilla training in Mozambique.
The same special court session also sentenced a 30-year-old guerilla, STEVEN CHAPUNGU, to death for carrying arms of war between January and March 1976. Chapungu was alleged to have entered Rhodesia in the company of 65 other guerillas, who had then split up into different sections. The judge said that the escalation of guerilla activity in the area made the deterrent aspect of the sentence "terribly important."
The special court was then moved on to Inyanga, where, at a session on 28 May six unnamed guerillas were sentenced to death on conviction of possessing arms of war in the Salwunyama TTL in northern Inyanga district, during the period 16 to 30 April 1976.
At special court hearings at Chiredzi in the first week of June, 10 men were reported to have received prison sentences for failing to report the presence of guerillas to the authorities. One of these was a senior chief and a member of the Council of Chiefs, CHIEF NESH-URO MOSES SHOKO (50). He was sentenced to 5 years' imprisonment with 4½ years conditionally suspended for 3 years. AMOND TARUSARIRA (40), PHILIMON GWAYENDA (57), both kraalheads, and ZEVGARI MEGARI (54) an acting chief, were each sentenced to 5 years with 4 years conditionally suspended for 3 years. The other sentences were: KAZAMULA (50) and HLENGANI (45) - 5 years each, with 2 years conditionally suspended for 3 years; PAHLELA VIVINYA - 7 years; MUZONDIWA JOHANE CHIDARA - 6 years. Two unnamed juveniles, aged about 18, were sentenced to 6 cuts each with a light cane and 2 years imprisonment conditionally suspended for 3 years. Another man, EDSON SITHOLE MAUMBE, received a 10 year sentence on conviction of recruiting for guerilla training.
In Salisbury, where the special court had its first sitting on 10 June, LAZERUS GAHADZIKWA (20) was sentenced to death on conviction of carrying arms of war in the Mtoko area in September 1975. He had been wounded and captured by security forces during an engagement with guerillas.
