The four accused in the Terrorism Act trial in Randburg, Sibusiso NDEBELE (28), Tintswalo Godwin MASHAMBA (32), Happy Joyce MASHAMBA (27) and Percy TSHABALALA (41) were called to give evidence and denied the charges of actively participating in the activities of the banned African National Congress.
Ndebele denied introducing three medical students who had given evidence for the state to ANC recruiting agents in Swaziland, where he lived.
Mashamba denied evidence given by a former student of his that they had travelled together to the Eastern Transvaal with the aim of arranging "cover" for ANC recruits leaving South Africa.
Tshabalala agreed he had once been a member of the now banned ANC Youth wing. He was questioned about his giving advice to students on foreign travel but denied telling people they could go to the Soviet Union to study.
Defence counsel (Mr. L.S. Weinstock) argued that the medical student witnesses were accomplices and unreliable, anxious only to get themselves freed from detention by giving satisfactory evidence, and that the prosecution was confusing political conversations with "recruiting".
