The townships of Port Elizabeth have continued in a state of violent unrest with frequent confrontations between students and police. In December Port Elizabeth was described as the only area where police were not in control and over the Christmas period a special task force of white police was drafted in to assist in keeping order.
Conflict has been fuelled by aggressive police tactics in response to the successful and sustained call by the SRC for a total boycott of classes by all Port Elizabeth students, including those attending Lovelale College and Healdtown Institute. In October police attacked a student meeting in New Brighton and arrested 474 youths. Twelve who were charged with illegal gathering and public violence were acquitted and the rest cleared. In another incident for the defence of the students were themselves arrested and charged with inciting public violence. Five out of six state witnesses gave false evidence; one, Muzukizi Nobhandula, died in jail accused of perjury.
As well as boycotting schools, students have also attacked other symbols of oppression such as the buses and the beer-halls. Police opened fire on crowds several times, killing at least eight in December-January and wounding many more. An indication of the prevailing atmosphere was the police statement made after the extra police were called in, that 'not a single stone has been thrown in Port Elizabeth black townships today'. Violence recurred however and on 8 January two youths - Mthobeli Austin Deliwe, 20 and Mzwabantu Alfred Gwaxula, 18 - were shot dead by police who fired on a crowd of mourners. In February police arrested a youth whom they had shot in the back after arson incidents at a school.
