RELEASES
- Breyten Breytenbach (44), the poet and painter who was jailed for nine years in 1975 for contravening the Terrorism Act, was released unconditionally on 2 December 1982.
A statement issued by the Prisons Service read "... Breytenbach was released ... in terms of a Government decision after he had qualified for remission of sentence in terms of declared policy which was announced earlier this year ... Decisions of this nature are the result of the total profile that is formed of a person's background, behaviour, adjustment, attitude, possible future behaviour and the expected risk or threat that such a person may pose to the community after release ... No hope for remission of sentence or conditional release whatsoever can be cherished for other persons who persist in their original criminal objectives".
This statement is a succinct declaration of the government's 'remission' policy.
- At least seven Robben Island political prisoners were granted remission of their sentences in December last year.
One of the prisoners, Lombaard MBATHA, was released on 12 December. He was sentenced to 20 years on 30 December 1963 and had been on the Island since March 1964. He was due to be released in December 1983.
Two of four men convicted of setting fire to a school and a post office in Kasselsvlei, Cape, in 1976, were released from Robben Island on 18 November last year after serving six year sentences.
Bertram Leon GONSALVES (24) and Rudolph Leonard KNIGHT (25) were sentenced with Frank Leo Coutries and Leslie Seleka in the Cape Town Supreme Court on 29 November 1976. The latter two were released in November last year.
- Six former top officials of the banned South African Students Organisation (SASO) and the Black Peoples' Convention (BPC) were released from prison on 20 December 1982 after completing their six year sentences.
The six black consciousness leaders were arrested in September 1974 and sentenced in December 1976 by the Pretoria Supreme Court after the marathon SASO/BPC Terrorism trial which began in June 1975.
They are Sathasivan (Saths) COOPER (32), former public relations officer for BPC; Muntu Lindane MYEZA (32), 1973 SASO president and 1974 secretary general; Mosioua LEKOTA (34), 1974 SASO permanent organiser; Aubrey MAKOAPE (37), former BPC Durban Branch chairman; Nkwenkwe NKOMO (30), former BPC permanent organiser; Phandelani NEFOLOVHODWE (31), 1974 SASO president.
Three others who were tried with the above six were released last year after completing five-year sentences. They were Strini Moodley, Zitulele Cindi and Kaborane Sedibe.
PRISONERS KILLED IN MASERU RAID
Five of those killed in the 9 December raid on Maseru were former Robben Island prisoners (see back page of this issue for details of the raid).
Zola NQINI (46), from Uitenhage, was the Chief Representative of the ANC in Lesotho at the time of his death. He was among the first 14 people to be detained under the 90-day detention law introduced in 1963. In 1964, together with 160 others from Port Elizabeth, he was convicted for ANC membership and served five and a half years on Robben Island. On his release in 1969, he was served with a two year banning order, renewed in November 1977 for a further two years.
Jackson TAYO (51), from Lady Frere, was one of 45 accused in the 'Goodwood Trial' which took place in Cape Town from November 1963 to August 1974, when he was sentenced to six years' imprisonment. He had already spent 19 months in custody, including three months as a detainee under the 90-day law. He and 14 other accused alleged police torture and assault while in detention.
Alfred MARWANQANA was visiting Maseru at the time of the raid. He had arrived the day before from Ilinge, together with his daughter Rhandiswa, who was also killed. His son Mzukise was also among the dead.
Pakamile MPONQOSHE (50) from Port Elizabeth, was also imprisoned during the 1960s for furthering the aims of the ANC.
Titus YOBO had served almost 18 years in prison. He had arrived in Maseru the day before the raid on a visit, travelling from one of the border areas.
PRISON FARM DEATHS
Three black male long-term prisoners died at the Barberton Prison Farm on 29 December 1982 due to heat exhaustion.
Confirming the deaths, the Chief Liaison Officer for the Prisons Service said that 44 other prisoners had to be treated for the same complaint.
The prisoners concerned had been transferred from Durban Prison the day before and had been sent out to work for the first time. Temperatures in the area were above 30°C at the time.
Police and the Inspector of Prisons immediately began independent investigations into the deaths. The Commissioner of Prisons, Lieutenant-General J. F. Otto, admitted that 'irregular actions' by prison officials might have contributed to the deaths.
On average there are about 200 deaths in South African prisons every year. Although the majority of these (about 80 per cent) are ascribed to 'natural' causes, many of the remaining 'unnatural' deaths are the result of prison gang murders and 'suicides'. There have been many recorded deaths due to assault by warders.
