Nineteen Eighty One was a year of mounting opposition to the apartheid regime. Popular mass actions against the 20th Republic Day celebrations, and the anti-South African Indian Council election campaign showed the extent to which the forces of resistance have mobilised to demonstrate their rejection of apartheid and its institutions. 1981 was also a year in which the armed struggle reached new heights. Sixty armed attacks or acts of sabotage were reported in the press during the year, 200 per cent more than the previous year.
To counteract this mass upsurge the state resorted to its traditional forms of repression - detention, torture, bannings, long prison sentences, death sentences, restrictions on meetings and gatherings, attacks on the press and the introduction of yet more repressive legislation. This review outlines some of the repressive actions taken by the state during 1981.
FOCUS listed the detentions of 672 people in 1981. The Detainees' Parents Support Committee assembled a list of 622 held in 1981. These were categorised in following way: Trade unionists and workers (306), Students and academics (80), Scholars and teachers (61), Political activists (36), Community workers (18), Clergymen (10), Journalists (7), Other (17), Unknown (85).
While these figures are down on the 956 recorded detentions in 1980, there has been a marked shift in the categories of people detained. In 1980, almost half were school or university students or teachers. This was due to the police clampdown during and after the widespread school boycott that year. In 1980 only 21 workers and trade unionists were detained whereas in 1981 over 100 were detained, not counting the 205 detained in the Ciskei in September and held for 10 days before most of them appeared in court on charges of riotous assembly and related charges.
A list published in the Government Gazette on 7 August 1981 named 157 banned people. A number of these have left South Africa and are living in exile but remain banned so that they or their writings may not be quoted in South Africa. During 1981 15 people received banning orders and five people had their bans renewed on expiry of their previous bans. Many people appeared in court during the year for contravening their banning orders.
Twenty-two people were named in FOCUS as having received prison sentences for committing offences under South Africa's main security laws. This does not include people who received suspended sentences. At least 15 of those sentenced were charged with engaging in activities for the ANC.
Details about minor security trials are scantily and inconsistently reported in the press. It is therefore impossible accurately to determine the number of people convicted of such offences. Mostly these are people convicted under various 'public order' laws as a result of their participation in political activity such as protests and demonstrations. As has been pointed out in past issues of FOCUS, many of those convicted of minor security offences are juveniles.
There are at least 500 'security prisoners' in South African jails. These are people who have been convicted under the country's main security laws, such as the Terrorism Act and the Internal Security Act. A report by the International Committee of the Red Cross reported that they had visited 505 'security prisoners' from 31 August to 14 September 1981.
It is not known whether the ICRC visited every convicted political prisoner during this visit. It is known, however, that many prisoners, before they are sent to one of the main prisons designated for political prisoners, are kept for short periods in local prisons. Additionally, prisoners due for release are often moved shortly prior to the expiry of their sentences to local prisons in the area where they are to be released.
Three people were sentenced to death for political activities in 1981. Anthony Bobby TSOTSOBE (25), Johannes SHABANGU (26) and David MOISE (25) were found guilty of 'high treason' in the Pretoria Supreme Court on 19 August 1981. They were accused, amongst other things, of attacking the Booslys Police Station and the Sasol oil-from-coal plant in 1980. The three are ANC members and were badly tortured during interrogation while in detention. They were granted leave to appeal against their sentences but by January 1982 no date had been set for the hearing of the appeal. They wait in the death cells with three other ANC militants, Ncimbithi LUBISI (29), Petrus MASHIGO (21) and Naphthali MANANA (25).
Between 1963 and 1978 at least 50 people had died while in detention under security laws in South Africa. As the result of international condemnation no deaths were reported until 1981, when it was learnt that four people had died in detention since September 1980. They were: Tshifhiwa MUOFHE who died on 12 November 1981, two days after being held by the Venda security police; Manana MGQWETA (60) died on 17 September 1981 while detained under Transkei security laws. He was a member of the opposition Transkei Democratic Progressive Party; Sifundile MATALASI (27) died in detention on 20 December 1980 after being held for 112 days under Transkei security laws; Saul NDZUMO, former Transkei 'Minister of the Interior', died on 9 September 1980 - eight days after his detention. He was accused of plotting to overthrow the Transkei 'Leaders'.
The government's continuing attack on the English-language, black and student press resulted in a large number of journalists being detained, banned, deported and charged in 1981. Among those detained were Nalini NAIDOO (Natal Witness), Joyce MOKHESI (Voice), Thami MAZWAI (news editor Sowetan), Zwelakhe SISULU (President MWASA), Clive VAN HEERDEN (Saspu National), John ISSEL (Grassroots). Amongst those banned were Mathata TSEDU(Post), Phil MTHIMKULU (Post), Joe THLOLOE (Post) and Charles NQAKULA (Daily Dispatch). Two foreign journalists were deported. Cynthia STEVENS (Associated Press) was deported in October. No reasons were given for this action but it followed a refusal to renew her work permit. Stephen BARDEN was deported to Britain in November. It is believed that his deportation was connected with reports that he sent to Australia describing repression against trade unionists in the Ciskei. Nathan GIBSON (UPI) was charged with a breach of the Defence Act by reporting a military operation during a motor strike in Uitenhage. The charges were dropped without explanation in October. Charges against Richard WICKSTEED of contravening the Official Secrets Act were withdrawn in August. He was charged with allegedly possessing documents concerning the work of a committee established to counter unrest in the Western Cape.
In January 1981 two of South Africa's major black daily newspapers, the Post and the Sunday Post were effectively banned. Due to a protracted strike the registration of the two papers lapsed in December 1980. The government threatened that if the newspapers re-registered they would be banned as soon as they reappeared.
