The inquest into the death of Mputle Matsobane on Robben Island last August was held at Pollsmoor in February. It was found that no-one was to blame.
According to testimony from fellow-prisoners, four of whom shared a room with him in the prison hospital, Matsobane was admitted to the hospital on 4 August in a disturbed state: "He would run around the room, hit and kick against the walls" said one witness; "we were scared of him because he was like a madman". After complaints, Matsobane was sent to Valkenberg psychiatric hospital on 8 August and returned to Robben Island the same day, still raving. During the night the other prisoners, unable to obtain help from prison officers, tied his hands behind his back and put him face down on his bed in order to calm his screaming. He suffocated and was found dead in the morning.
The inquest court accepted this account of events and cleared Matsobane's fellow prisoners of negligence. The four men involved were Victor Nkabinde, convicted of attempted sabotage on behalf of the PAC in 1963 and serving 20 years, Zkathe Jezathu (aged 65) identified at the inquest as a political prisoner on the Island since 1963, Hidwell Galeni and Nontente Kamteni (no details known)
