The South African government has responded to the renewed upsurge of anti-apartheid activity and demonstrations by using its powers to detain people without trial on a wide scale.
By the end of June over 400 people are reported to have been arrested and held under the Terrorism, Internal Security and General Laws Amendment Acts. They include nine staff from University of Western Cape, five leaders of the Natal Indian Congress, numerous university students, striking workers and trade union organisers. These detentions are in addition to the large numbers of students and demonstrators arrested during protest marches and meetings. Detentions continued in June, during the approach to the anniversaries of the Soweto shootings, the Rivonia verdict, and South Africa Freedom Day.
Because of the large number of detentions, there is not space in FOCUS to give full details, but a checklist of dates, names and brief details (where known) is given below.
On 2 June a public meeting was held in Johannesburg, organised by the "Concerned Citizens" group, to "highlight the countrywide unrest and wave of detentions". It was chaired by Rev. Sam Buti, President of SACC, and addressed by Dr N. Motlana of Soweto Action Committee, Mrs Helen Suzman MP, and a member of the Lenasia Parents Action Committee.
Other protests against detention included the march of clergy reported elsewhere in this issue, and a declaration by the Coloured Management Committee in Johannesburg that they would attend no further meetings with the City Council until their colleagues Mily RICHARDS and Achmet DANGOR were released.
Students in Natal who are boycotting classes in protest at inferior education were said to have resolved to maintain the boycott after the detention of the Natal Indian leaders. In Durban a committee of students' parents announced that the release of these detainees was a pre-condition for ending the boycott.
MANDELA RELATIVES DETAINED
Winnie Mandela's sister Mrs Niki XABA, her husband Gilbert XABA and their three children were detained at 2 a.m on 7 May. The were woken "by hard knocks on the doors and torches shone through the windows" by police who "told us they had come to search for arms and terrorists". Gilbert Xaba was assaulted by police in the process and the family split up. The two younger children aged 9 and 13 were taken into care, and the elder Thami XABA, aged 17, was held with his parents at John Vorster Square. Mrs Xaba was interrogated "from the time we arrived till the following day" and was released after four days, not knowing what had happened to her husband and children. After much pleading she was taken to the children's home where the younger children were. Gilbert Xaba was later transferred to Section Six detention.
TRANSKEI DETENTIONS
Those held since 1978 include Sibelo GQWETA, Xola MKETI, Mawethu VITSHIMA and Steve KUMALO, all of whom are believed to be connected with the Pan-Africanist Congress. Others arrested at around the same time, being in some way related or connected to the others, are Meyisi MKETI, Vuyisile MKETI, Valentina MKETI (thought to be brothers and sister-in-law to Xola) Synod MADLEBE, Agreement MPENDULO, Ziwele GUSHU and Makeyi MABOZA.
Of these 11 persons, two are former Robben Island prisoners, both Maboza and Madlebe having served 3 years' in the 1960's for political activities and having been detained several times since 1976. Xola Mketi has been on hunger strike in protest against his detention; his mother Sophie MKETI was held for three months in 1979 when trying to visit one of her detained sons in hospital. In December 1979 Mawethu Vitshima was sentenced to 3 months' for trying to escape from detention.
Information on Transkei detentions is hard to obtain; several of those listed in FOCUS 27 and 28 are believed to have been released. At least one, Stanley TYELANTSIMBI, was charged with insulting the State President but did not appear at a subsequent hearing and is thought to have left the country or gone into hiding. Those listed above have been held incommunicado for over a year, and in some cases without necessary medical attention.
New detentions in the Transkei include four former Robben Island prisoners, all detained in Butterworth on 10 March 1980: James BEN (released in April) Bensol LWANA, Christopher KHETANI, and Dick PONGOMA.
DETENTIONS
### Early April Thozamile GQWETA; SAAWU, Ciskei Mzamo NJOKWENI; Ciskei MP 23.4.80. M.B. SOLDATI; Umtata Colleen METHERELL; JHB student 25.4.80. Richard STEVENS; UCT 30.4.80. Titi MTHENJANE; COSAS Wantu ZENZILE; COSAS
### Early May Ernest MOTSHUMI; Bloemfontein journalist Godfrey SEJANAMANE; Bloemfontein teacher Beveng MORAKI; Soweto Corrie ARRIES; UWC student Cecil ESAY; UWC student 2.5.80. Dr Yusuf VARIAVA; AZAPO, Lenasia Ishmael MOEKETSI; COSAS, Sharpeville Abdurazak ACHMAT; Cape Town Errol YON; Cape Town teacher Jack PHAHLAMOHLAKA; 'Funeral Brigade' Kgaugelo LEKGORO; Atteridgeville 3.5.80. Lincoln MAPHETU and 14 others; Turfloop 4.5.80. Yukile MAKINANA Fezeka BOTHA; Thozamile BOTHA's wife 7.5.80. Sipho SOMACELE Mosima CUKULU; prev. detained Niki XABA; SEE STORY Gilbert XABA Thami XABA Andile XABA Sinno XABA 9.5.80. Norman MONYAPOTE; Soweto Themba SHONGWE; Soweto, Wits University employee 12.5.80. '2 men' 21.5.80. Dr Fabian RIBEIRO; Mamelodi 24.5.80. Dr Neville ALEXANDER; UCT lecturer Rev. John Thorne; Congr. Church 25.5.80. James ISSEL; Mitchells Plain Rommel ROBERTS; Cape Town John FERRUS; Worcester 26.5.80. A. CHETTY; Pietermaritzburg Ahmed BAVA; Natal Univ. student Duncan INNES; former NUSAS president Malose MATSEMELA; Post reporter Bishop Desmond TUTU; Gen. Sec. SACC Rev. Thomas ANTONY; Canadian Rev. Joseph WING; Cong. Church Bishop T. BAVIN; Bishop of JHB Chris AITKEN; Gen Sec, Presb. Church Very Rev. S. NKOANE; Dean of JHB Mrs. Vesta SMITH Rev. Marthinus OCTOBER Rev Stanley PITTS; Methodist, JHB Rev. Margaret FOURIE, Methodist and 43 other clergymen and women (SEE CHURCHES STORY) 27.5.80. Prof. Jakes GERWELL; UWC Edna VAN HARTE; UWC Dennis ADONIS; UWC Jan PERSENS; UWC Jimmy ELLIS; UWC Lila ADAMS; UWC Basil KIVEDO; UWC Mily RICHARDS; CLP Achmet DANGOR; CLP Bernard BECK; JHB teacher Ethel AGUIHAS; JHB student Solly ASMAIL; JHB student Hurum KRULL; JHB student Murthie NAIDOO; clerk Moses CHIKANE; Pretoria Vijay RAMLUCKAN; Natal Univ. SRC Trevor SMITH; Natal Univ SRC Marimuthy SUBRAMONEY; D. News reporter Yunis RASOOL; Durban student Zunaid OSMAN; Durban student Yacoob OMAR; Durban student 29.5.80. Rustum NAIDOO Russell JAPHITA Desmond VAN WYK Kwezi KOBUS John CAROLLISSEN Sheppard MAKALIMA Yolisa KOBUS Jeffrey MAMPHUTA Mbabi MGCOTO Bulela KOMANI Raymond DE LELIE Owen GELDENHUYS Martin THOPS Charles KEEBLE Goliath SCHEEPERS Randolp ERASMUS Raulton Mark WILLIAMS Sedrick MACNIEL Phaldie VAHED Niel MACDONALD John BASTIAN Ridwaan ADAMS John FERRIS Teresa SOLOMONS Lionel NICOLAS Isaac MTHEMBO Yusuf CHIKTE Nombulelo MELANE Godfrey JULIES Clive CAROLLISSEN Kenneth JACOBS Jamaludien HAMDULAY Cornelius SCHEEPERS Junay DARCY Otto VAN NOIE Abdurahman HURZUK David LEWIS Diane COOPER Wilson SIDINA Zora MEHLOMAKULU Herman THERON; Cape Town. 30.5.80. Charles NQAKULA; Daily Dispatch reporter 31.5.80. Tex SEJANAMANE; AZAPO Mathatha LETSABO; AZAPO A. SEKOERE; AZAPO Sidwell MALAKALA; Fort Hare student Nthumotsa MOGESI; Fort Hare student Daniel SENOKWANE; Fort Hare student Ntala CHAKELA; Fort Hare student Gabi MAPATO; Fort Hare student Caswell TSOAELA; Fort Hare student End of May Y. ESHACK; Lenasia teacher A. ISMAIL; Lenasia teacher F. BULBULIA; Lenasia pupil Haroon KELL; Lenasia pupil Early June Kenny PADAYACHEE; Lenasia pupil Sharon PILLAY; Lenasia pupil Ashwin MOYENIE; Lenasia pupil Nazir OMAR; Lenasia pupil Fuad ABRAMS; Lenasia pupil Yusuf JADA; Lenasia pupil Zunaid MOHAMMED; Lenasia pupil Rajesh CHEEBUR; Lenasia pupil Ephraim PATEL; UWC student Patrick RICKETTS; Cape Town student Jean NAIDOO; Cape Town Tyrone SEALE; Cape Town pupil Percival ANTHONY; UWC student 5.6.80. Esme FILLMORE; Cape Town pupil 6.6.80. Dawood KHAN; Western Cape Traders Assoc. 7.6.80. George SEWPERSADH; Natal Indian Congress M.J. NAIDOO; Natal Indian Congress Thumba PILLAY; Natal Indian Congress Rabbi BUGWANDEEN; Natal Indian Congress Farouk MEER; Natal Indian Congress 11.6.80. Rashaad KHAN; lawyer, Committee of 81 13.6.80. Gideon ZWAKALA; worker on strike Dan MAVUME; worker on strike Mike MORRIS; UCT, also union organiser Dr John FRANKISH; union organiser 14.6.80 Andrew BORAINE; NUSAS President Edwin ANGLESS; UCT Student Frans KRUGER; UCT Student
