The trial of six young men and a woman on Terrorism Act charges resumed in Durban Regional Court in May and July. On 16 July four of the accused were discharged by the presiding magistrate at the end of the state's case, on a defence application.
The four, Eric Fanavele MALABA (22) Nhlanhla Victor NGIDI (25) Kwenzakhe Elijah MALABA (26) and Penuel Mpanipa MADUNA (26) were acquitted of inciting others to go for military training. Immediately, security police redetained Maduna, allegedly for contempt of court and assault on the police, who said he would probably be released on bail. Defending lawyers said that Eric Malaba had also been redetained; he faces a further charge of attempting to leave the country.
The remaining three accused, Sithembiso Ernest NGOBESE (26) Themba Patrick NXUMALO (26) and Ms. Sibongile Albertina KUBHEKA (27) are still charged with inciting others to go for military training. In addition, Ngobese and Nxumalo are charged together with Eric Malaba with attempting to go for military training themselves. All have pleaded not guilty.
The young man accused of planting a bomb inside Cape Town Supreme Court in May made two brief appearances in court before the case was remanded for trial on 16 October.
Bhekizitha Oliver NOQBELANI (26) appeared in Cape Town Magistrates Court on 14 June and in Cape Town Supreme Court on 1 August. He was not asked to plead. He faces a main Terrorism Act charge and alternate charges of attempted murder.
The charge sheet alleges that Nqubelani entered South Africa from Botswana in June 1978 armed with an automatic pistol, and that he went to Botswana in April 1979 for "terrorism training", re-entering South Africa on 28 April with "explosive material". On 15 May he planted a bomb in a cloakroom at the Supreme Court which was discovered before it went off. Immediately after the discovery the Minister of Police stated that a "foreign-trained terrorist" of the African National Congress had been arrested.
The trial of six students from Sebokeng continued in Vereeniging Regional Court in July, where the accused face sabotage charges relating to the petrol bombing of an African security policeman's home in December 1978.
Johannes MARUME (18) Ezekiel SEAKGW A (19) Thomas NHLAPO (18) Lazarus LEBOLWANE and TWO UNNAMED JUVENILES have all pleaded not guilty. Police officers involved in the case denied they had assaulted, threatened or forced the accused to make confessions.
An elderly man, Simon Sampson BHENGU (73) appeared in Johannesburg Regional Court on 18 June charged under the Terrorism Act with having assisted two men undergo military training.
Paramount Chief Sabata DALINDYEBO, leader of the Transkei opposition Democratic Progressive Party, is to appear in court on 19 September to face charges under the Transkei Public Security Act. He has been meanwhile released on R1000 bail and stringent conditions prohibiting him from attending meetings and requiring him to report daily to the police.
As a chief, Dalindyebo is senior to Transkei's President Kaiser Matanzima, whose collaboration with the Pretoria government he opposes. He was arrested on 26 July, apparently on the contd. on p.6
