MSEKELI MGIJIMA A journalist studying at Rhodes University was jailed in September for five years by Port Elizabeth Regional Court after being convicted under the Internal Security and Unlawful Organisations Acts.
Ian Msekeli MGIJIMA (30) a student of journalism on a Daily Dispatch bursary, was charged with being a member of the banned ANC and of possessing ANC and SA Communist Party literature. He pleaded guilty, saying he had received pamphlets and a tape from Lesotho, which he showed to journalist Zubeida Jaffer, a Rhodes graduate and Gladstone V. Mqingwana a graduate student, both of whom were detained.
On 13 September Mgijima was sentenced to three years for acting for the ANC and two for possessing the literature, making a total term of five years.
The police claimed that Mgijima's brother was a trained ANC member operating in Swaziland and Zambia, and that the ANC had made arrangements for Mgijima to leave the country if granted bail. Leave to appeal was granted.
MATTHEW LEBELO A Soweto man who claimed to have become a pilot while undergoing military training in Nigeria was jailed in July for five years under the Terrorism Act by Johannesburg Regional Court.
Matthew Max LEBELO (27) said he decided to return to South Africa and was arrested on arrival at Johannesburg airport on 13 June. In court he thanked the Security Police for treating him well.
CONTINUING TRIALS NINE ANC GUERILLAS The trial of nine alleged ANC guerillas charged with treason, attempted murder and terrorism in incidents including the Silverton bank and Soekmekaar police station attacks, re-opened in Pretoria Supreme Court on 4 August.
The accused are Mcimbithi Johnson LUBISI (28), Petrus Tsepo MASHIGA (20), Naphthali MANANA (24), Ikan Yeng Moses MOLEBATSI (27), Hlolile Benjamin TAU (24), Phumulani Grant SHEZI (24), Jeremiah RADEBE (26), Boyce Johannes MOGALE (26), and Thomas MNGADI (29).
Evidence was given relating to the Silverton bank attack when three guerillas were killed by police. Parents of the three confirmed their identification in court and police and hostages described the shooting when police stormed the bank. The guerillas' demands were said to have been the release of Nelson Mandela and James Mange, together with the political demands contained in the Freedom Charter.
In connection with this attack, Tau and Molebatsi are said to have taken police to 'base camps' in the Ga-Rankuwa and Kwa-Thema areas where forged passports for themselves and one of the dead guerillas were found together with arms and food supplies. This evidence was challenged on the grounds that Tau had been assaulted and his information was inadmissible. Molebatsi was said by his brother to have hidden a gun in Atteridgeville township.
The attack on the Soekmekaar police station in the Northern Transvaal in January this year was described by the policemen stationed there. They said their force had been increased and armed to prevent violence during forced removals in the locality, where the Makgato people were being resettled.
The three accused of the Soekmekaar attack are Mashigo, arrested 26 January, Lubisi, arrested 30 January and Manana, arrested after Lubisi's interrogation the same day. According to statements made to the police, the three had hidden in a camp for a month before taking a vehicle and staging the attack.
Other evidence given to the court was from an alleged accomplice who claimed to be ANC guerilla commander for the southern Natal region who trained in Angola in 1977–78. He said he gave himself up to Pietermaritzburg police in December 1979. He identified six of the accused from the training camps. Another alleged accomplice said he had returned to South Africa with a guerilla detachment which he had betrayed to the police in January 1979; a skirmish followed near Lobatsi in which one of the guerillas was killed, the rest escaping. The relevance of this incident was challenged, but the witness identified Manana and Tau from Angolan training camps.
Col. H.D. Stadler of Durban gave lengthy evidence on the history and publications of the ANC.
MODISE, NKOSI, MOGALE When the trial of three young ANC members Thandi MODISE (20), Moses NKOSI (24) and Aaron MOGALE (21) resumed in August Ms. Modise gave evidence of being assaulted and insulted while in security police detention. On one occasion Capt. Heystek put a gun to her forehead and threatened to shoot her.
A statement allegedly made by Ms. Modise was challenged in court on the grounds that it had been made under duress. Her lawyer told the court that she had been subjected to strenuous interrogation while pregnant. Maj. Cronwright at John Vorster Square was in charge of the interrogation which was carried out by Capt. Heystek and W/O Jordaan. There was argument in court as to which policemen had been involved in the case, and the security police occurrence book was requested by defence lawyers.
Replying to a question on how persons could be injured while in custody, Sgt. E.J. Tierney told the court that at John Vorster Square 'the floor is so slippery that a person can fall and injure himself or even fall while sitting on a chair'. Sgt. Tierney had interrogated Nkosi (who is also said to have made a statement under duress) and told him he would be kept indefinitely in detention.
During the trial the defence applied for David Maduna, now a political prisoner on Robben Island to give evidence on assaults and torture by the police at John Vorster Square, where Maduna was also detained.
MAVI and OTHERS Three executive members of the Black Municipal Workers Union have been charged under the 'Sabotage' or General Law Amendment Act of 1962 following the strike of municipal workers in Johannesburg.
BMW president Joseph MAVI and secretary Phillip DLAMINI, both detained early in August, were charged on 14 August in Johannesburg Magistrates Court when the case was remanded to 28 August and bail was refused. They were charged under the clauses relating to interfering with law and order, maintenance of essential services and free movement of traffic.
On 20 August BMWU deputy secretary Gatsby MAZWI was also detained at the union offices and taken to John Vorster Square for questioning. On 26 August he was also charged under the Sabotage Act and released on bail, as were Mavi and Dlamini. All must report daily to the police in Soweto.
The three appeared briefly in Johannesburg Regional Court on 28 August, when the case was remanded to 29 September.
ATHLONE KHIMA A Pretoria man Athlone KHIMA appeared in the Regional Court in July accused of encouraging others to go abroad for military training.
It was alleged that in April Khima asked another man, who appeared as a witness, to accompany him to Mozambique after reading of the election result in Zimbabwe. The case was remanded to 13 August.
NKUMBI and NKUMBI The trial of two brothers from Soweto charged under the Terrorism Act with attempted recruiting resumed in July when defence lawyers stated that five out of the state witnesses had been severely assaulted. One had lost the sight of an eye.
Elias Sana NKUMBI (21) and Watson NKUMBI (18) are appearing in Johannesburg Regional Court and have pleaded not guilty.
MOGALE and MAKUNYANE It was reported that the trial of Ephraim MOGALE and Thabo MAKUNYANE resumed in Pietersburg Regional Court on 25 August and was remanded to 2 September, but no details of proceedings have been published.
FLORENCE MANCOTYWA The trial of Ms. Florence MANCOTYWA, of the Democratic Progressive Party and close associate of Sabata Indalyebo, was resumed in Umtata in August, when it was again postponed, to 30 September.
Ms. Mancotywa is charged under the Treskei Public Security Act with inciting racism, hatred. She was arrested in July 1979 and spent 119 days in detention before being granted bail, on condition that she report daily to the police.
