The South African Government has kept up its widespread use of detention without trial to quell the continuing upsurge of anti-apartheid activity and school boycotts. According to statistics issued by the Ministry of Justice early in August 57 people were being detained under Section 10 of the Internal Security Act which allows for indefinite 'preventive' detention. Many of these have since been released but others have been added to the list. It is impossible to establish accurately who is being or has been detained under Section 10 until lists of detainees are issued or until they are released. In addition to the Internal Security Act detainees, there are 155 people on the banned list. An undisclosed number of people are also being held under other security legislation.
During August and September a large number of detentions took place in the Cape Town area. These were connected with the 'Red Meat' boycott, the schools boycott and the bus boycott. This can be seen by the large number of detentions of leaders of civic associations in the various Cape townships. In connection with the schools boycott a number of teachers, student leaders and students have been detained.
TRADE UNIONISTS Trade unionist Phillip MASIA was released from detention under Section 6 of the Terrorism Act on 17 July. Five Cape Town trade unionists who were detained during the red meat boycott during June and July have been released. They are three organisers of the Western Province General Workers' Union - David LEWIS, Wilson SIDINA and Diane COOPER - and two WPGWU supporters who assisted it during the strike, Michael MORRIS and John FRANKISH. They were held under Section 10 of the Internal Security Act. Leon MQHAKAYI, organising secretary of the Commerical and Allied Workers' Union, who also played a leading role in the red meat boycott, was released on 22 August. He was detained with Oscar MPETHA (71), a founder member of SACTU and national organiser of the Food and Canning Workers' Union. Both were leaders of the Nyanga Resident's Association which has been active in organising the Cape bus boycott.
Half of the Executive Committee of the Black Municipal Workers' Union (BMWU) have been detained in connection with the strike in July of 10,000 municipal workers in Johannesburg. The Union's President, Joseph MAVI, was detained on 31 July and Phillip DLAMINI shortly after. On 13 August executive member Hope MAMABALO was detained and on 30 August Gatsby MAZWI, the acting Secretary. Mavi, Dlamini and Mazwi have been charged under the General Laws Amendment Act.
HUNGER STRIKES Detainees have continued to hold hunger strikes in protest against their detention under Section 10 of the Internal Security Act. Eight of the nine detainees at Victor Verster prison near Paarl went on hunger strike in solidarity with two detainees at Pollsmoor prison and nine detainees at Modderbee prison in Benoni went on hunger strike in sympathy with those in Cape Town.
RELEASES AND DETENTIONS On 10 August, 20 Internal Security Act detainees were released; one, Matthews THULO, was redetained and placed under Section 6 of the Terrorism Act. Nine others - all officials of the Azapo and Cosas branches in Bloemfontein - had their detention orders extended to 10 November. Among the released were six students from the University of Durban Westville. They are Yunus SHAIK, Altaf KARRIM, P.B. SOOB-RYAM, Yacoob OMAR, Mohamed OSMAN and Adhir MAHARAJ. Also released were Dr. 'Joe' VARIAVA, executive member of Azapo, Phillip MAKOU, Kgaogelo LEKGORO, Sandile NJOLI, Mithrasagran NAIDOO, Parsot PARBHOO, Lawrence MOEKETSI, Rajoo GANDHI, Cassiem COOVADIA, Farid THEBA, Moses CHIKANG, Duke MORE and Titus MOFOLO.
A former leader of the Black People's Convention (BPC) who was a friend of Steve BIKO and is now banned, Peter JONES, was released on 16 July after eight days detention. Several detainees being held under Section 6 of the Terrorism Act have been released in the past two months. These are Andrew BORAINE, President of NUSAS, Edwin ANGLESS, a tutor in industrial sociology from UCT, Temba MPETHA, son of Oscar MPETHA who is Chairman of the Nyanga Resident's Association and national organizer of the Food and Canning Workers' Union.
Two Natal University students, Harth SENEQUE and Mike PAGE, and former NUSAS President Nicholas 'Fink' HAYSOM were detained and held under Section 22 of the General Laws Amendment Act, and were released after a few days.
TRANSKEI In September it was announced that the former Transkei Minister of the Interior, Saul NDZUMO (58) had died in detention. He was detained on 1 September on suspicion of being involved in a plot to overthrow the Transkei Government. A post mortem revealed that he had died of natural causes. Also detained in connection with the alleged involvement in the abortive coup was the former Transkei Police Commissioner, Brigadier Elliot CWELE. It was claimed that he had supported the proposed coup which had been engineered by "a group of ANC and PAC dissidents".
Six alleged PAC members detained in the Transkei for nearly two years on suspicion of being involved in a plot to launch guerilla warfare against South Africa, have been freed. They are Synod MADLEBE, Valencia MKETI, Mackay MABOZA, Vuyisile MKETI, Siggibo MPENDULO, and Smally GUSHU. Five others remain in detention pending trial.
