There has been widespread criticism of the recent much-publicised parole of political prisoners in South Africa. There is a belief among members of organisations concerned with political prisoners that the 'new dispensation' is no more than a publicity stunt by the government to impress the international community.
On 16 March the Minister of Justice, Kobie Coetsee, announced that a new Advisory Release Board was to be established to review the sentences of prisoners. Because the new board did not exclude from its power the recommending of remission and parole for political prisoners, hopes were raised that for the first time the sentences of political prisoners might also be subject to review.
In mid-May the Minister confirmed that prisoners under the principal security laws might in future qualify for remission and parole.
The appearance of a changed attitude toward political prisoners was welcomed by many, both in South Africa and abroad. Many organisations have campaigned for years for the granting of remission and parole to political prisoners.
At the same time as the new Advisory Release Board met for the first time at the beginning of July a number of political prisoners were released from prison. Much publicity followed and a number of political and legal personalities in South Africa made statements praising the government's 'new flexibility' and its move away from 'the strict remission policy of the Vorster era'.
The Department of Prisons refused to name those released but would only say that all had been on Robben Island and that none of the 'well-known security prisoners' were included. The Minister of Justice said that the requirements for remission would only apply to 'those prisoners with a good prognosis - in other words, to those who have co-operated and have shown that they have turned their backs on crime'.
When most of the names of the parolees were discovered, all except four out of 18 known to have been released were serving five year sentences, either in terms of the Terrorism Act or the Internal Security Act. The other four were serving four and six year sentences. Most had only a few weeks of their sentences left to serve.
The names of those known to have been paroled are: Amos MOLOKO, with two months left of a five year sentence; 'Rabbi' Vuyisile Joshua MSITSHANA (54) due for release in August. Sentenced to five years under the Terrorism Act for distributing pamphlets; Henry AFRIKA (25) due for release in August. Sentenced to four years under the internal Security Act for having banned literature; Siphile; Phillip NGWENYA (29), sentenced with Henry 'Afrika; Soloman MUSI, due to be released in November. Sentenced with five others under the Terrorism Act; Odi PEKUNYANE had a few weeks left of a five year sentence; Audridge MATHIBE, had a few months left after a five year sentence; Mr MATSELETSELE, released after serving a few weeks short of five years; Sailor PETER, five years with a short time left; two men known only as Sammy and Andy; Joseph MATI (49) due for release in November. Sentenced to five years for being an ANC member and for taking part in ANC activities. He previously served 10 years on Robben Island from 1964; Mluleki GEORGE (35) sentenced to five years in September 1978 under the Internal Security Act. One newspaper named a Mr JAXA and a Mr MATHIEBA as additional parolees.
Three Namibians who were also serving sentences on Robben Island were among those released (see ROBBEN ISLAND RELEASES on p. 9 for further details).
The Black Sash was one of the organisations which strongly criticised the widely publicised parole of political prisoners, calling it another example of the government 'cheating and misleading the press and the public'.
Tom Manthata, the secretary of the influential Soweto Committee of Ten, said that he thought 'proper remission will not come willy-nilly, but only through pressure exerted by the liberation struggle'.
After widespread criticism of the premature releases it was announced that the Advisory Release Board had not been behind the releases - and neither had the prisoners been released on parole.
A senior officer of the Prisons Service said that the releases had been remissions of sentence' and 'conditional releases' which were earned on an individual basis. He also said that the releases had been 'remissions of would depend on the 'executive authority' and should not be confused with the activities of the newly-founded Board.
