Mrs. Mavis Magubane, wife of Truman Magubane jailed for 15 years in the ANC/SACTU trial held at Pietermaritzburg and herself detained for 13 months without charge from September 1976 to October 1977, claimed R8000 damages from the Minister of Police for injuries inflicted by security police in Durban. During assaults Mrs. Magubane received an open head wound, losing hair and skin and suffering great pain. She claimed the wound took eight months to heal. The majority of the accused witnesses in this trial were subject to assaults and torture—from which Joseph Mdluli died—apparently carried out in a very vindictive manner.
A total of 18 separate actions for damages are said to be currently under way against the police on behalf of detainees or next of kin. They include the widows of Steve Biko and Mapetla Mohapi; Mr and Mrs Pityana; seven persons involved in the ANC/SACTU case in addition to Mrs. Magubane (Anthony Xaba, John Nene, Cleopas Ndhlovu, Truman Magubane and Joseph Nduli—all convicted; William Khanyile—acquitted; Stephen Dlamini—detained); two of those involved in the SASO/BPC case (Saths Cooper—convicted; and his brother Revabalam Cooper—detained); Dr Mampela Ramphele; Moki Cekisani; and two persons named as X. S. Mene and L. Marai.
