Although meetings have been frequently disrupted in recent months as a result of bannings and police harassment, a number, including several funerals of ANC combatants, have taken place in defiance of such restrictions.
At the end of June, mourners in Durban defied specially invoked police restrictions on the funerals of nine alleged ‘trained terrorists’. According to official reports, the nine, including three women, were killed in a shoot-out with the police near Piet Retief in the Eastern Transvaal. Despite police withholding permission until the last minute for a memorial service for the nine and restricting the number of mourners to 200, about 5,000 people attended the Durban service on 1 July. The congregation ignored emergency restrictions and read poetry and sang freedom songs.
On 4 August police arrested 236 mourners at a funeral in Pietermaritzburg. Police said emergency restrictions were ignored.
Restrictions placed on the funeral held at the end of August of an alleged ANC guerrilla Mncedisi KHETHELO, who was shot by police on 24 July, were defied. Despite a strong police presence up to 800 people at the funeral in Guguletu heard speeches delivered by the United Women’s Congress, the Guguletu Civic Association, the Western Cape Students’ Congress and the Cape Youth Congress.
