Prisoners in both Pretoria and Robben Island have, during 1982, been moved. While in some cases the moves have meant improvements in some respects, their net effect appears to have been a deterioration in conditions for most people.
As reported in FOCUS 39, the Department of Prisoners has said that it plans to close down Robben Island prison.
PRETORIA MOVE The white political prisoners who were being kept in the condemned section of Pretoria Central Prison were moved in November to what was described as 'a new R10 million structure incorporating all the sophisticated equipment needed to ensure a high level of security'.
The prisoners were moved into the new building after being kept for nearly three years in the section of Pretoria Central prison to which they had been moved after the escape of three political prisoners from part of the Pretoria Prison complex in 1979. The authorities had said that they would be moved again once a building with improved security was ready.
In the new building, political prisoners, and other prisoners housed there, will be under closer surveillance than before, by means of the 'sophisticated' equipment.
LANGUAGE RESTRICTIONS One group of political prisoners moved from Robben Island have experienced a worsening of conditions as far as visits from relatives are concerned. The authorities were reported to be insisting that the prisoners and their relatives communicate in either English or Afrikaans.
The prisoners at the Helderstroom prison near Caledon, were amongst many who have been moved from Robben Island during 1982. They were refusing, in August, to speak any language to their visitors other than their own language, Xhosa. While on Robben Island they had been allowed to use Xhosa.
A general rule for prison visits is that communication should be in English or Afrikaans, although another language may be used if an interpreter is available.
However, when the prisoners at Helderstroom insisted on speaking Xhosa to their relatives who had travelled from Port Elizabeth, it was not allowed and they could not communicate.
RELEASES Tony HOLIDAY, a journalist sentenced to six years imprisonment in 1976 for producing and distributing pamphlets for the ANC and the South African Communist Party, completed his term at Pretoria Central Prison in November. He left the country shortly after his release and went to Britain. Holiday was a political reporter on the Rand Daily Mail and the Cape Times at the time of his arrest.
Speaking at a press conference in London after his arrival in Britain, Holiday called for greater international pressure in support of political prisoners in South Africa.
'All efforts to support us and agitate for better prison conditions and the release of political prisoners are a tremendous encouragement to us in prison'.
He called in particular for international pressure in support of the six young ANC members facing the death penalty. He described this as the major issue at the moment for those campaigning for political prisoners.
Michael JENKIN, one of three men jailed in April for harbouring an escaped political prisoner, Stephen LEE, was released on parole in November after serving six months of his sentence. Jenkin, along with Prema NAIDOO and Shirish NANABHAI, was sentenced to three years imprisonment with two years' suspended, under the Prisons Act.
POLITICAL TRIALS IN 1982 At the beginning of 1982 the Minister of Law and Order, Louis Le Grange stated that 21 'Terror' trials were pending. He hinted that a number of these trials would be of a 'very serious' nature and would feature many of the people in detention at that time.
According to past issues of FOCUS, from the beginning of the year to the end of November, 26 major 'security' trials had commenced involving 52 people. A number of trials which began in 1981 were completed in 1982 and two, the trial of Oscar MPETHA and 17 others and MOTLHABAKWE and four others, were continuing.
Over the same period 22 trials were completed, involving 42 people. Of these, 11 had charges withdrawn or were acquitted, one received a suspended sentence. Four people were sentenced to 10 days imprisonment, one to one month, one to three months, one to 18 months, one to two years, seven to five years, five to seven years, three to ten years four to twenty years and three to death. Apart from two, all of those who received sentences of more than three months were accused of being members of the ANC. There were almost forty instances reported of witnesses refusing to testify or of being charged with perjury after giving evidence. Twenty-four such cases resulted in jail sentences averaging two years.
A number of serious charges were brought against trade unionists but only one of these (Hogan) resulted in a conviction. The others were acquitted or had their charges withdrawn as the state was unable to prove their case. The majority of sentences of 10 years and more were given for participation in armed actions. Eight of those convicted were convicted of high treason.
- The five-year banning order served on Abraham WALKER, former personal adviser to the Chief Minister of the Lebowa bantustan, Dr Cedric Phatudi, expired in October 1982.
- The banning order on Mohamed ESSOP, a former Robben Island prisoner now in exile, expired in October 1982. Essop was banned for five years on his release in October 1977 after serving a five-year sentence under the Terrorism Act for furthering the aims of the ANC.
- The third five-year banning order served on Moses BHENGU, a former organiser for the South African Congress of Trade Unions, expired on 31 August. He was first banned in February 1964 for five years, then rebanned in March 1971 and December 1977.
BAN LIFTED * The five-year banning order on Harold NXASANA, a former union organiser in the textile industry, was lifted in October 1982. The order, which was due to expire on 31 December, restricted Nxasana to Umlazi and prevented him from taking up a factory job, so that he was forced to work at home.
