The number of people living under banning orders fell to a total of eleven in July, when all banning orders issued under the old Internal Security Act automatically expired, a year after the new Internal Security Act came into operation. Ten of these orders were immediately renewed, while one further ban issued under the new Act remained in force.
This development follows a decline in recent years in the regime's use of banning. This form of restriction on opponents of apartheid has apparently failed to destroy the influence and commitment of those subjected to it, as is illustrated by statements made by some of those recently unbanned. The number of banned people has gradually fallen since the middle of 1981 from a peak of over 150 to a total of 67 at the end of June this year - 10 of whom were in exile.
There are also still at least 26 people banished for life to remote areas of the country in terms of the Black Administration Act, the Aliens Act and security legislation in the bantustan areas. The latest banishments occurred in July 1982 when two so-called 'citizens' of the Ciskei bantustan were confined to the Zwelitsha area in terms of the Aliens Act.
The latest changes in the use of the powers to ban people are part of the new Internal Security Act of 1982, which expanded the regime's powers to suppress opposition.
Those whose bans were renewed in July are listed below:
- Winnie MANDELA, the internationally known anti-apartheid activist who has been either banned or detained for 19 of the 20 years since 1962, was served with her sixth banning order, due to expire in June 1988. She remains confined to the town of Brandfort in the Orange Free State, nearly 200 miles from her home in Soweto.
- Rowley ARENSTEIN, a former attorney who defended many accused of political offences and whose banning order prevents him working in any legal firm, has lived under continuous banning orders since 1970. His ban was renewed for a further five years.
- Florence MKHIZE, an organiser in the ANC from 1955 until its banning in 1960, has continued to actively oppose the apartheid regime despite being subjected to three banning orders.
In 1980 she became Natal provincial secretary of the Women's Federation of South Africa which was active in the anti-Republic Day campaign of 1981. Her new order will expire in June 1985.
- Nathaniel MAXUILILI, Vice President of SWAPO and the only Namibian to have been banned under the South African Internal Security Act, has been restricted almost continuously since 1968, confined to Walvis Bay. His new order expires in June 1986.
- Dumile MAKANDA, chairman of the Eastern Cape-based Motor Assembly and Component Workers' Union (Macwusa), and Maxwell MADLINGOZI, an organiser of Macwusa and the General Workers' Union of South Africa, were both detained in 1981 for eight months, following industrial unrest in Port Elizabeth, and banned for two years in March 1982. They are now banned until March 1986.
- Bonisile CEKISANI, a former member of the Port Elizabeth Black Civic Organisation and a president of the now banned Black People's Convention, was first banned for five years in 1979. His ban was renewed for a further three years.
- Achmad CASSIEM, who was imprisoned for sabotage from 1964-69 and banned on release, was banned a second time in 1979 and detained in April 1980 for eight months. He is also a former president of the South African Students' Association. His present ban is for three years.
- John ISSEL, a regional secretary of the South African Students' Organisation until its banning in 1977, and a former organiser of Grassroots, the Cape community newsletter, was banned for the third time in July, for three years.
- Mathata TSEDU, a former journalist and executive member of the Media Workers' Association of South Africa in the Northern Transvaal, was first banned for three years in January 1981. He was detained in June 1982 and released at the end of the trial of THLOLOE and OTHERS in April this year. He is now banned for three more years.
The one remaining ban issued under the new Internal Security Act was that on Rev. Beyers NAUDE, banned for three years in October 1982. Three others whose bans expired at the same time and who are in exile, may not be quoted, under Section 56(1)(p) of the new Act. They are: Rev. Brian BROWN, Rev. Theodore KOTZE and former journalist, Donald WOODS. Under this section of the new Act, six other exiles whose bans were not renewed in July may also not be quoted. They are: Barney PITYANA, Sipho PITYANA, Kgophu Isaac MOROE, Rev Pule Isaac TSHENKENG, Mszeni (Shadrack) MAPHUMULO, and Sammy ADELMAN.
Among the 56 people whose bans were not renewed was Albertina SISULU, who, despite her almost continuous banning since 1963 was constantly involved in anti-apartheid campaigning. She spoke of the expiry of her latest banning order as a temporary relief: 'If we were banned because of our convictions, we are going to be banned again.' Less than a month after her ban expired Albertina Sisulu had already assumed a leading position in the Transvaal section of the United Democratic Front. She was arrested on 5 August and appeared in court on 8 August.
Her son, Zwelakhe SISULU, a former president of the Media Workers' Association of South Africa, whose order also expired, commented: 'The banning order has served to harden my attitude and to strengthen my resolve. That is the effect a banning order has on anybody.'
Also unbanned was Fatima MEER, who was one of those accused in the Treason Trial of 1956-61. She has been banned three times and was twice arrested for breaking her banning order. She said of her banning: 'No banned person is so lacking in personal integrity as to deliberately co-operate with the government and restrict their own freedom. The restrictions are so inhuman... to survive you have to break them.'
300 FEWER 'LISTED PERSONS'
Over 300 of the 450 names on the government's list of persons who may not be quoted or have their work published in South Africa were withdrawn in July: these 300 may, however, still not be quoted for a further four years. The list contains some new names, including Barbara HOGAN, the ANC member serving a ten-year sentence for high treason, and three people in preventive detention: Abel DUBE, David NTOBELA and Modika TSATSA. Also included are the three ANC members executed in June: Simon MOGOERANE, Jerry MOSOLOLI and Marcus MOTAUNG.
BANS EXPIRED BEFORE JULY
The banning orders on Nelson DIALE, Petrus NCHABELENG and Reggie VANDEYAR, all former ANC Robben Island prisoners, expired on 31 May. The five-year ban on a former PAC prisoner on Robben Island, Abel CHILOANE, expired on 30 June.
