9 February: Special Court, Bulawayo TWOBOY KATANI DUBE, described as the "political commissar" of a guerilla group, was sentenced to death on 3 counts under the Law and Order (Maintenance) Act and to a total of 24 years imprisonment on a further 4 charges. He had been arrested in October 1976 after his group had crossed into Rhodesia from Zambia. An appeal was dismissed barely a month after the trial.
16 February: Salisbury High Court SIDNEY KAPUMBA, alias SEDUCE MAFONDERA (24), of Makoni TTL near Umtali, was sentenced to death on conviction of possessing arms of war. He was alleged to have been the "political commissar" of a guerilla group which had entered Rhodesia from Mozambique in February 1976, and as such responsible for mobilising the villagers to arrange food supplies. The group was alleged to have been responsible for a whole series of incidents, including a blast at Inyazwa filling station, the burning of sugar refinery trucks at Bethania School, Inyanga, the burning of council offices, buses and beerhalls in the Chiduku and Wedza areas, and the killing of, among others, a district assistant, two policemen and two chief's messengers. Kapumba had been discovered and arrested while lying wounded in a deserted kraal in Wedza in December 1976. He told the court that a police sergeant had subsequently threatened to shoot him unless he revealed information about guerilla acts committed by himself and others. He had been promised treatment at Andrew Fleming Hospital Salisbury, in return for information, and told that he would be released to work with the police.
5 April: Special Court, Salisbury Three captured guerillas, JAMES MAKAHA (23), RAINOS KASIMBE (19), and MILTON MANDEYAWYIKE (21), were sentenced to death for possessing offensive weapons. The court was told that the three men had been part of a 200-strong guerilla group which entered Rhodesia from Mozambique in November 1976, to operate in the Chikore TTL and the Inyanga area.
These new cases, together with those of Philliman Jiriguru, Davison Chindiwana and an unnamed 16-year-old (all first reported at the appeal stage, see below), bring the number of people reported over the period December 1976 to April 1977 to have been sentenced to death on political grounds to 25. Of these, only one person has had the death penalty commuted on appeal.
STOP PRESS On 26 April 1977, PINOS ZEHAMA (33), a provincial official of the ANC (Zimbabwe), was sentenced to death by a Salisbury court on conviction of recruiting and encouraging 24 young men to go for training outside Rhodesia. About 30 supporters of Mr. Joshua Nkomo, including senior officials, were in the court gallery. Before being led away, Zehama raised a hand in salute and the officials responded. Zehama's case brings the number of persons sentenced to death under the Law and Order (Maintenance) Act since April 1975 to 82.
