The Dependants Conference of the SA Council of Churches is launching an appeal to enable the families of political prisoners to visit Robben Island twice a year.
Most prisoners are permitted a monthly visit but many families cannot afford the fares, particularly those living in the Transvaal or Natal. A centre has already been provided in Cape Town to accommodate families visiting the Island.
It will cost R30 000 to pay for one visit by all families, and an appeal for this amount was announced in November by the former Archbishop of Cape Town Dr Selby Taylor at a meeting of the Anglican synod. It is hoped to raise a similar amount from overseas churches to cover the cost of a second visit.
Dr Selby Taylor said that some prisoners never received visits and while the Dependants Conference did not attempt to judge why the men were imprisoned, "it believes it has a work of compassion towards them".
In Johannesburg a campaign to help political prisoners and their families maintain contact has been launched by a group of young men, seven of whom received suspended sentences in the SASM trial.
In December the group said their aim was to get families of political prisoners to write to the prisoners and to publicise their plight. The main task was to trace families "who have disowned the prisoners from the day of detention, trial and while in prison". Because of fear of retaliation from the authorities, the group said, "some political prisoners are buried alive by their families and the black public". So far the group had contacted the families of 30 prisoners; they hoped to call a conference for all families and to establish regional branches.
