MTSHWENI In a previously unreported trial, Isaac Sikhumbuzo MTSHWENI (28) was accused in Middelburg Regional Court in October on five charges under the Terrorism Act. Mtshweni was described as a former teacher and court interpreter, of Mhluzi township, Middelburg. No further details of the case were reported.
SAUL TFOTESI A student from Sebokeng, Saul Andrew TFOTESI (21) appeared in Vanderbijlpark Magistrates Court charged with four counts under the Terrorism Act on 22 August. It was alleged that he conspired with two others during February and March 1978 to recruit people to go for military training. Tfotesi pleaded not guilty and the case was remanded.
NGELEZA and MAGCAI / FOLEY, KALAKO and TINI Five persons were charged in July under the Terrorism Act in what was described as "the first major political trial in Port Elizabeth involving the African National Congress for a long time". When they appeared in Port Elizabeth Regional Court in August two of the accused, named as Eric NGELEZA (41) and Weaver MAGCAI (30) both of Soweto, were remanded until 25 September separately from the others, Ms Kholeka FOLEY (25) Mziwamadoda KALAKO (22) and Greeves TINI (22) all of KwaZakhele township Port Elizabeth. No details of the charges were available.
MOGALE and MABASO Two young men from the Soweto Students League appeared in Johannesburg Magistrates Court on 12 September charged with murder, arson, malicious damage, terrorism and alternat- ively sabotage. Linda Mario MOGALE (18) and Elias Jimmy MABASO (22) pleaded not guilty. The charges relate to an incident in Soweto on 19 February when a school principal's house was attacked with petrol bombs; his wife and two daughters died from burns. The accused are also alleged to have firebombed another princi- pal's house on 21 March, and set another on fire by mistake. It was claimed that Mogale and Mabaso joined the Soweto Students League after the Soweto SRC was banned in October 1977, and that earlier this year the SSL "accepted the aims of the South African Revolutionary Council which had the object of overthrowing the government and endangering law and order". The two appeared in court in leg irons and were remanded to 28 September.
MANQUPU and 3 OTHERS Four Soweto youths appeared in Johannesburg Regional Court on 26 September charged with possessing arms and ammunition. Ezrard MANQUPU (21) pleaded guilty to possessing a machine pistol, two hand grenades, ammunition and TNT. Bheki TSHABALALA (18) and Philip MOSETLHE (26) pleaded guilty to possessing the pistol and ammunition but not the grenades and explosive. Levine MOREBUDI (21) pleaded not guilty to all charges. The cases were separated. In a statement which he repeated in court, Manqupu said he had been shown the arms by Morebudi, who claimed to have found them in the veld, and together they took them back and buried them in the veld again. Their neighbours, Tshabalala and Mosethle, had been told of the find. MANQUPU was convicted; sentence was due on 4 October. The case against the others was postponed to 1 November.
MLAHLEKI A youth from Port Elizabeth appeared in Grahamstown Supreme Court on 2 October charged with sabotage, attempted murder and robbery. Timothy MLAHLEKI (19) pleaded not guilty on all counts, including alternative charges of arson, malicious damage and possessing a firearm. The offences are alleged to have been committed in the Port Elizabeth area in March and April 1978.
MOKGOSI and OTHERS Four youths appeared in Krugersdorp Regional Court on 15 and 22 August charged with sabotage. Three of them, Stanley MALUSI (MOALUSI) aged 18, Hendrik MOLEFE (19) and David MOKGOSI (20) were those named in FOCUS 18 p.11, but the fourth accused given in the earlier press reports (George MOTSEI) had apparently been replaced by an unnamed 15-year-old from Soweto. All were charged with petrol bombing four houses in Kagiso in February, including that of the Tswana School Board chairman. Four confessions admitting participation were laid before the court. Those allegedly by Malusi, Molefe and the 15-year-old were accepted by the magistrate in regard of alternative charges of arson and malicious damage. This suggests that they were acquitted of sabotage. Mokgosi's alleged statement was not accepted, and the case was said to be continuing, but no further press reports were received.
KHUMALO On 16 October a man described as a terrorist trained in Zambia and Mozambique, Mzilikazi KHUMALO (28) appeared in Durban Magistrates Court charged on various counts under the Terrorism and Riotous Assemblies Act. It was alleged that he had conspired to kill policemen and commit sabotage. No plea was entered and the case was remanded to 6 November.
ST AUGUSTINE STUDENTS Nine students from St Augustines School at Nqutu in Natal appeared in court on 14 August charged with murder following the death of a teacher at the school on 23 April 1978. They included Louis MANATHA and two unnamed juveniles together with Cedric MAVUNDLA (18) Caswell THABETHE (18) Milton MABASO (20) Sydney KHOZA (19) Oddie GAMEDE (19) Veli MKHONZA (19). All were acquitted of murder on 16 August in Ladysmith Supreme Court on the grounds that they, together with nine others, had already been convicted of public violence in Dundee Regional Court and could not be tried twice for the same offence. The judge ruled that public violence was a competent verdict on a charge of murder.
PANTSHWA and OTHERS Joseph PANTSHWA and others re-appeared in court on 25 August at Athlone, Cape Town, when Pantshwa (24) Sipho SINGISWA (19) P. PASIYA and Ndikho NKUKWANA (19) were charged with public violence, a non- security charge. In April Pantshwa and Singiswa were convicted with Mziwonke Solomon JACK (18) of sabotage following the burning of a school in Nyanga township. These three were freed on bail pending an appeal. Jack's bail was withdrawn in September after he had been late in reporting to the police. It is not known whether the public violence case against Pantshwa and Singiswa is in addition or alternative to the sabotage case, nor why Jack is not re-appearing with the others. The case was remanded to 3 October and bail was granted to Singiswa and Nkukwana but opposed for Pantshwa and Pasiya. Protesting spectators were ordered from the court and then marched through the streets of Athlone, when 16 of them were arrested by riot police. They were charged with creating a public disturbance and bailed to appear on 3 October. After a demonstration in court on 3 October, bail was withdrawn and the case remanded to be heard at Pollsmoor Prison on 11 October.
