How Many Detained? * Emergency detainees National Detainees Day, organised on 12 March, focused attention on the question of how many people had been detained. The DPSC said that at least 25,000 people had been detained under the emergency regulations since 12 June last year. The figure was based on lists tabled in Parliament by the government and on the organisation's own information and previous experience in monitoring detentions
In February, when Parliament reopened after a recess, the Minister of Law and Order tabled a list of 3,857 names of people detained for 30 days or more under the Emergency. In September last year before the recess he tabled two similar lists with a total of 9,387 names. There is no obligation on the government to publish the names of people held for less than 30 days, and it has refused to do so. Monitoring groups have however collected the names of short-term detainees and their estimates take these into account.
- Detention under other laws The police have continued to use powers under other laws to detain people: both the Internal Security Act and laws in force in the bantustans. The central government refuses to disclose how many people are detained in the 'independent' bantustans, but in February gave
DETAINEES — Additional to previous FOCUS lists (Emergency detentions not listed)
[Table of detainees omitted for brevity]
Abbreviations Laws: BISA - Bophuthatswana Internal Security Act; ISA - Internal Security Act; NSA - (Ciskei) National Security Act; TPSA - Transkei Public Security Act. Organisations: AZAPO - Azanian People's Organisation; KRO - Kagiso Residents Organisation; SAAWU - South African Allied Workers Union; SACBC - Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference; SARWHU - South African Railway & Harbour Workers Union
