During 1983 there were 453 detentions according to the South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR), the Detainees Parents Support Committee (DPSC) and the Dependants Conference of the South African Council of Churches (SACC). This increase of seventy per cent over 1982, was attributed mainly to greater repression in the bantustan areas. By the end of February 323 detainees had been released and sixty remained in detention, 38 of them in the bantustans. The Minister of Law and Order stated that at the end of January 21 people were detained under Section 29 of the Internal Security Act, none of whom had been held for more than three months.
Three students from Ibhongo Secondary School in Soweto were detained on 23 February. Thami MCEGWA, George NGWENYA and Stanley SIGOTYANE were all held under Section 50 of the Internal Security Act which permits detention for fourteen days. Sigotyane was previously held under the same section in July 1983. Ibhongo was one of several schools affected by boycotts at the beginning of 1984. The main issues were the very high failure rate among black matriculation candidates, age restriction regulations which barred many older students from education, and effective representation for students. Schools were boycotted in Pretoria, Johannesburg and the Eastern Cape. The worst violence occurred in Atteridgeville, Pretoria, where a 14 year old student was killed by a police vehicle.
Steve TSHWETE, president of the Border branch of the United Democratic Front (UDF) was released on 20 January after four months detention under Section 26 of the Ciskei National Security Act. After his release he was dismissed from his teaching post by the Ciskei bantustan education authority for 'reasons that may not be revealed'.
Moses TWEBE was also released from detention in the Ciskei bantustan on 20 January. He had been held since July and was admitted to hospital during his detention. A month later, on 22 February, Twebe was redetained at his home in Dimbaza. Two other Dimbaza residents were detained on 17 February: Jack MADIKANE (55) and Mbuyiselo MAXATHI (23).
More students were released from detention in the Ciskei bantustan in late December. Thando MALI, Wally KOMANISI and Xolani CINGO were all released on 30 December. Only Mali's detention had been reported in FOCUS.
Denzil Guga MBAMBO was detained from October 1983 until 24 February 1984.
