The majority of South African political prisoners are held in two major prison centres - Robben Island and Pretoria Central. White male prisoners are held in the maximum security condemned section of Pretoria Central while black women prisoners are held in a separate section. Robben Island is where black male prisoners are held, but this prison is soon to be closed. It is not known where the prisoners will be moved when it closes. Other prisons where a few political prisoners are known to be held are Pollsmoor (Cape Town), Kroonstad and Leeuwkop (near Johannesburg).
A number of political prisoners were released toward the end of 1981. Most of these were people who were given five year prison sentences in 1976 for the part they played in the Soweto uprisings that year.
The rights and privileges of black political prisoners were reported to have deteriorated in certain respects and this resulted in two applications to the courts to alleviate their conditions.
During the last two months of 1981 a number of political prisoners were released from prison. Included amongst these were two women political prisoners.
Although there was no report of her release, Pauline LEKHULA (26) was due for release in November last year. She was sentenced, with another, to five years imprisonment in 1976 for setting fire to a railway ticket office in the aftermath of the Soweto uprising.
At the end of 1976 over 30 people were sentenced to five years imprisonment or more after being convicted of 'sabotage'. The names of 28 people given five year sentences were listed in FOCUS 8 p.12. Newspaper reports have only named seven of those who have recently been released. They are Fuzile MNGUNI, Sidwell Mazwi PHATHEKILE, Simon Boy FANA, Walter Tinta TSELE, Zwelakhe SUPHETHA, John SHIDUMO and Lefoka SEJAKE. Many of the 28 were minors at the time of their conviction.
The other woman prisoner released was Esther MALEKA (38). She was released with Pule David THATHE (31) on 14 December 1981. Both were sentenced in 1976 to five years imprisonment for recruiting others to join Umkhonto we Sizwe, the military wing of the ANC.
Three of the nine people who were convicted in the marathon SASO/BPC Terrorism trial in 1976 were released on 19 December 1981. They are Gilbert SEDIBE (31), former SRC president at the University of the North (Turfloop); Zitshulele CINDI (31), former BPC secretary-general; and Strini MOODLEY (35), former publications director of SASO.
In October 1981 five women political prisoners serving terms for offences under the Terrorism Act brought an application in the Pretoria Supreme Court seeking to have their detention declared illegal. The applicants were Caesarina MAKHOERE, Thandi MODISE, Elizabeth NHLAPO, Kate SEROKOLO and Elizabeth GUMEDE.
In a sworn affidavit Makhoere said she was in isolation for 23 hours each day between 12 April 1979 and 1 October 1981. She told the court that isolation 'is inflicted without any real regard for the nature of the offence, without our being given any opportunity to defend ourselves and for a duration which is indefinite and in the discretion of the prison officials'. The isolation included denial of work, restricted exercise, denial of any reading matter save the bible, restrictions on receipt of letters and visitors, and refusal of the right to study.
Makoere said that Gumede was over 60 and suffered from hypertension and that 'she screams for long periods of time'. The other four had been placed in isolation on 29 September 1981, with no reasons given. The cells in which they were kept were 2.5m by 2.5m with a small window high in the wall.
Responding to the application by the five prisoners, the State Counsel alleged at a hearing on 5 November 1981 that the applicants had been isolated because of bad behaviour, resisting orders and other disciplinary contraventions. Judgment was reserved.
According to Section 78 of the Prisons Act (No.8, 1959), which deals with the 'segregation' of prisoners, such 'segregation' may carry on for 'any period in pursuance of any scheme of treatment'. It also states that 'complete segregation . . . . shall not be deemed to be . . . . punishment'. Thus 'segregation' is considered as a form of 'treatment' and will go on until the prisoner has 'recovered'.
It was announced by the Commissioner of Prisons, Lieutenant-General J N Otto, on 3 December last year that visiting privileges at Robben Island had been suspended following an alleged hunger strike by several prisoners. Details of the hunger strike were not given but General Otto said that the 'majority' of the prisoners' demands were 'unrealistic or, because of policy, could not be considered'.
An urgent application to restore visiting privileges was made in the Cape Supreme Court on 5 December by friends and relatives who had travelled from various parts of the country to visit prisoners. The application was dropped when a sworn statement by the Commissioner of Prisons was submitted to the court. The Commissioner's statement said there was no general ban on visits, but only on visits to prisoners who had taken part in the hunger strike.
However, when a second group went to visit prisoners on 10 December they were refused permission and were told that all visits had been suspended until further notice.
On 15 December the Commissioner announced that visiting privileges had been restored. He revealed that a number of prisoners had refused meals from 27 November to 3 December. On the same day the relatives who had filed the application to have visits restored were awarded costs because prison officials had released erroneous information that a total ban had been imposed on visits.
In 1978 the then Minister of Prisons, J T Kruger, said that Robben Island prison was to be closed down and replaced by a maximum security prison at Leeuwkop near Johannesburg. The Department of Prisons has now announced that Leeuwkop will not be rebuilt to accommodate prisoners from Robben Island. A spokesman from the Department said it was not known when the prisoners would be moved but it would not be before alternative accommodation had been found. The spokesman did, however, indicate that the Diepkloof Prison now under construction near Soweto would be completed some time this year. The new prison will accommodate 4,250 people and will replace the Johannesburg Fort.
A large new prison is being erected at Walvis Bay and this has led to some speculation that it will be used to house prisoners from Robben Island. As the new prison will contain only 231 units for housing prisoners, it will not be possible to accommodate the entire prison population of Robben Island which is almost 500. Unconfirmed reports put the cost of the new prison at over R2 million and believe that it will be over 3km long.
Sam Nujoma, President of SWAPO, said in Salisbury on 23 January that a transfer of prisoners to Walvis Bay would be an act of aggression against the Namibian people. It would also be a clear violation of UN resolutions which declared Walvis Bay an integral part of Namibia.
