The State closed its case in the Silverton siege trial on 13 October 1980, after a statement from the ninth accused, Thomas MNGADI (29), was handed into the Pretoria Supreme Court. The nine alleged ANC guerillas are charged with treason, attempted murder and terrorism in incidents including an attack on the Soekmakaar police station and the siege at the Silverton branch of the Volkskas Bank in January 1980.
Giving evidence during the presentation of the defence case, Petrus MASHIGO (20), the second accused, said that the attack on the Soekmekaar police station had been intended as an "armed propaganda" attack in protest at the forced removal of black residents in the area, and to demonstrate that the ANC sympathised with them.
Mashigo also described the training that he and 120 other South Africans had received in Angola. He said the ANC was against the type of violence carried out by the Red Army in Japan and the recent bombing at the Munich Oktoberfest. They had been instructed not to use methods which involved the killing of civilians or to take hostages for ransom and kill them when their demands were not met.
Moses MOLEBATSI (27) said the policy of the ANC was to attack targets which were symbols of apartheid but it was 'against indiscriminate killing".
The case against three executive members of the Black Municipal Workers Union (BMWU) has been repeatedly postponed in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court, the latest being to 19 November 1980, pending a decision by the Attorney General.
Joseph MAVI, president of BMWU, Phillip DLAMINI and Gatsby MAZWI, both BMWU officials, are charged under the Sabotage Act in connection with the Johannesburg strike of black municipal workers in July 1980.
In October, Mavi formally laid a charge of contempt of court against the Johannesburg City Council, following the distribution by the Council of 140,000 copies of a newsletter defending its handling of the strike.
The defence closed its case on 2 October 1980 at the trial before the Kempton Park Regional Court of Thandi Ruth MODISE (21), Khowi Moses NKOSI (24) and Slim Aaron MOGALE (21).
Ms Modise, who is facing three charges under the Terrorism Act, one under the Sabotage Act and another of arson or malicious damage to property, subsequently described to the court how she underwent military training in Angola and had the ideology of the ANC explained to her. She said that the ANC's aim was for South Africa to belong to all its people, irrespective of colour and that everybody was entitled to enjoy equal rights. At Funda, in Angola, she was instructed in guerilla warfare, specialising in sabotage, topography and reconnaissance, and learned how to use the Scorpion and Uzi firearms.
Nkosi, the father of Modise's child, told the court that he met her in February 1979 after she returned to South Africa, and while he was employed as an outdoor salesman. He and Mogale, Modise's cousin, both described a bag which Modise asked them to look after, containing a Scorpion pistol and ammunition.
A Mamelodi medical practitioner, Dr Fabian Defu RIBEIRO (48), Jan Caiaphas MASHILO (18), and a 16-year-old youth appeared before the Pretoria Regional Court on 16 October 1980 on five counts under the Terrorism Act. No evidence was led and the case was postponed to 28 October.
Dr. Ribeiro, who was detained in May 1980, is charged with inciting or encouraging seven youths to undergo military training outside South Africa and supplying them with money for their journey to Mozambique. The youths are alleged to have met at Dr Ribeiro's Mamelodi home between January and April 1980.
Mashilo and the 16-year-old youth are charged with attempting to go for military training abroad. Mashilo is further alleged to have encouraged another youth to do the same, during meetings at Dr Ribeiro's house.
