Despite repeated claims to the contrary by the black parties to the internal settlement (notably Bishop Muzorewa), it has now been confirmed that political prisoners are continuing to be illegally executed in Rhodesia. Previous issues of FOCUS (nos. 16-20) have documented the various assurances by spokesmen for the regime on the hangings issue, since the signing of the internal settlement agreement in March 1978. In September 1978 the Rhodesian Attorney General, apparently refuting previous statements by Bishop Muzorewa and his colleagues, stated that the regime's Executive Council had not in fact formulated any policy of its own on the execution of political prisoners. (FOCUS 19 p.12) In other words, it appeared that the status quo, under which persons sentenced to death or political offences are hanged without undue delay after the dismissal of the appeal and the rejection of any final petition for clemency, remained in force.
It is now clear that this is the case. Reports published in the British press have also revealed that many more people have been sentenced to death under the internal settlement and are now facing execution, than were previously known. The additional cases are of people sentenced to death by military courts in martial law areas. On 8 February, the London Evening Standard reported that two people convicted of recruiting or helping guerillas had been hanged within the previous three weeks. This information came from church sources and relatives. Relatives have since reported to IDAF that in fact, at least six people were hanged in January (see EXECUTIONS). The Guardian of 9 February further reported that prison sources had stated that two "tribesmen" convicted by the military courts set up under the regime's martial law regulations, had been hanged at Salisbury's maximum security prison on 19 December 1978. These two executions, the paper said, were believed to be the first since March 1978. (Ev. St. 8.2.79; GN 9.2.79)
According to both the Guardian and the Daily Mail, a further nine people were at this time awaiting imminent execution in Chikurubi prison, 12 miles from Salisbury. All of the nine were believed to have been sentenced to death by military courts. Their names are not known. (GN 9.2.79; Daily Mail 10.2.79)
Information about the proceedings of the special courts martial established in martial law areas by the regime, under emergency legislation enacted in September 1978, is extremely sparse. Hearings have been held in camera and, as previously reported in FOCUS (20 p.6), defendants have been unable to secure legal defence at their trials. Under the regulations, the only form of appeal against a death sentence imposed by a special court martial is to a specially constituted Review Authority. A warrant signed by three or more members of a Review Authority shall confirm a death sentence and this will be carried out by secret hanging in any prison recognised as such in any part of the country (rather than exclusively in Salisbury Central Prison as in the past). No appeal to the civil courts will be permitted against decisions or other proceedings of either the Review Authority or the special courts martial themselves. (See FOCUS 19 p.8 for a full description of the martial law regulations) Martial law now covers most of Rhodesia — the only areas excluded are Salisbury and Bulawayo and the main urban centres along the main road between them.
With the inclusion of these eleven reported death sentences from special courts martial, it appears that at least 25 people have been sentenced to death under the internal settlement, of whom at least eight have already been hanged (see list of known names below). The real totals may possibly be considerably higher than this.
Over the period April 1975 (when the regime adopted its policy of carrying out executions in complete secrecy) to March 1978, a total of 121 people are known to have been sentenced to death on political grounds, (or in some cases were awaiting execution in April 1975). In only eight cases is the death sentence known to have been commuted. 14 convicted men are definitely known to have been executed, from information from relatives or other sources, and the great majority of the remainder have probably also been hanged.
(According to ZAPU (Patriotic Front), however, a total of 203 people were awaiting execution on political grounds at the end of 1978 - suggesting that the above figures may again underestimate the real situation. Paper presented to the International Commission of Inquiry into the Crimes of the Racist and Apartheid Regimes in Southern Africa, Brussels, February 1979).
