Father Maximin Z. MUZUNGU (36), the deputy priest in charge of the Roman Catholic Regina Coeli Mission, was found guilty of attempting to assist guerillas. At the time of his arrest in November 1978, Father Muzungu had been acting as liaison for the International Red Cross and had been instrumental in opening three clinics in the area, the Nyamaropa TTL. His trial was attended by, among others, Bishop Donal Lamont of Umtali.
7 May: Fort Victoria Magistrates Court A Nuanetsi Ranch paymaster, SACHARIAS JACOBA DE BEER (58) appeared on 11 counts of assisting guerillas, to which he pleaded not guilty. According to the allegations against him, Mr. de Beer indicated to some of the ranch labourers in 1977 that he was interested in meeting guerillas operating in or passing through the area. A meeting was arranged and an agreement apparently reached that Mr. de Beer would come to no harm if he assisted the guerillas. He subsequently transported guerillas and their equipment in his car on various occasions, and supplied money and medicines. In his defence Mr. de Beer said that he had been beaten up by the police and forced to make a statement.
APPEALS An appeal by JACOB GIDEON RASHAYI (32) against an effective prison term of 17 years imposed for acts of terrorism and robbery was dismissed in the Salisbury Appellate Division on 16 March.
CURFEW BREAKERS A number of people have appeared before Magistrates Courts charged with breaking the curfew in the Salisbury area. In March, an unemployed man was given a 3 month suspended prison sentence after breaking the curfew introduced a week previously in the heavy industrial sites. Over 30 curfew breakers were each sentenced to 6 months imprisonment (with in one case 3, and in the rest, 5 months suspended) in May. These cases are somewhat unusual, as curfew breakers have in other instances been shot on sight by the security forces, and probably reflect the fact that the offences occurred in the capital city.
