Forty eight men and boys from Mamelodi township, Pretoria, stood trial during October and November accused of public violence in the township on 21 June. Specific charges included stoning vehicles, setting fire to a beer hall and a hostel, and inciting others to riot.
On 20 December 35 of those accused were convicted and 13 found not guilty. All 35 were sentenced to three years in prison, some with periods conditionally suspended. The magistrate said it was clear that the rioters had demonstrated support for 'Black Power', which indicated that they intended to disturb peace and stability.
The trial began with allegations of assault by the police from the accused, several of whom stated that they had signed confessions under duress. One 17 year old boy said that, like others, he had been hit by police to force him to admit to having taken part in the stoning of Mamelodi hostel. He had also been promised cigarettes, bread and fish and chips if he co-operated. The magistrate eventually ruled that the statements had not been made under duress.
In their own defence several of the accused said they had been arrested after seeking protection from the disturbances with the police. The picture that emerges of events on 21 June is that police control of the situation was minimal, and that while some of those on trial may have participated in the demonstrations many others were simply 'identified' as having done so because they were in police custody.
Thus Jacob Mohale said he was picked up by the police 'for his own protection' some distance from the crowd. He was taken to Mamelodi police station and two days later charged with rioting. A similar statement was made by John Sechele, who said he had been on his way to the local welfare office when he was ordered to climb into a police van for protection. Later he was told he had been arrested for stoning vehicles. Other men had been at work on 21 June when the incidents took place and were arrested afterwards apparently fortuitously. Peter Zwane returned from his job with Pretoria Public Works Dept. at 6.20pm to find that his brother had been shot dead during the afternoon's disturbances. When he went to the police station to report this he was told to stay the night for his own protection. But instead of being released in the morning he was taken away and 'identified' as one of the rioters. Zwane's white supervisor testified that he had been at work
