A campaign calling for the release of Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners on Robben Island is being pursued by the Sunday Post and leading figures in the black community. This call emerged after the idea of a national convention was raised by the Nationalist Party in response to the ZANU-PF victory in Zimbabwe. One of the lessons of the Rhodesian election, commented Die Vaderland was that "the traditional leaders are not the men with the people behind them . . . We must therefore talk to the true leaders."
Dr Nthato Motlana of the Soweto Civic Association said "when the government calls a convention we'll be ready and willing to talk. But our authentic leaders on Robben Island must be present when such a convention is held". The acting chairman of PEBCO added "there are many black spokesmen who do not represent our aspirations and the only person we can be confident in is Nelson Mandela and other leaders imprisoned with him."
The Sunday Post is printing a petition which readers are asked to fill in and return to the Editor "in support of our efforts to influence the government to release Mandela" who, the paper says "commands a following unheard of in this land".
