On 18 November, four defendants in the treason trial, originally popularly known as the trial of the Vaal 22 (from the home area and original number of defendants) and later as the Delmas treason trial (after the court venue), were convicted of treason. In the same week Ebrahim Ismael EBRAHIM and Simon DLADLA were also convicted. The third accused in the trial of Ebrahim and Dladla, Acton MASEKO, was convicted of 'terrorism'. Ebrahim was kidnapped from Swaziland before being charged. Ebrahim, Dladla and Maseko were still awaiting sentence at the end of December.
Three of those convicted in the Vaal trial, UDF national officials Popo Simon MOLEFE, Patrick 'Terror' LEKOTA and Moses CHIKANE, had been refused bail throughout it. The fourth, South African Council of Churches worker Thomas MANTHATA, had his bail withdrawn on 15 November. On 8 December Lekota was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment, Molefe and Chikane to 10 years each and Manthata to six years. Seven others were convicted of 'terrorism': David MPHUTHI, Naphtali NKOPANE, Ephraim RAMAKGULA, Sekwati John MOKOENA, Serame Jacob HLANYANE, Sam MATLOLE and Gcinumuzi Petrus MALINDI, the only one to be given a custodial sentence, of five years. The other eight accused were acquitted.
Two men, who were detained in possession of arms and ammunition allegedly intended for the overthrow of the Transkei bantustan administration, appeared in the Pretoria Regional Court in September charged with 'terrorism'.
Sonwabo BALIZULU (41), a Cape Town petrol-pump attendant, and Jekwa KWEZA (32), an East London railway worker, were each sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment on 15 September after pleading guilty to four counts under the Internal Security Act.
They were detained in November 1987 in the Bophuthatswana bantustan and charged with being ANC members and undergoing military training between 1982 and 1987. The men said their weapons were to defend themselves against the ruling regime in the Transkei bantustan.
On 14 October 1988 the Vryburg Regional Court sentenced an alleged ANC combatant, David MAAPE (29), to an effective four years' imprisonment. Two additional years were conditionally suspended. Maape, who had been in detention since the previous November, reportedly admitted being a member of the ANC's military wing and undergoing military training in the Soviet Union. No other details were reported but a member of the Huhudi Youth Congress by the same name was detained in Vryburg on 6 November 1987.
Two men detained in June 1988 were convicted of 'terrorism' and membership of a banned organisation in the Johannesburg Regional Court in October. Teboho Augustine QHOBOSHIANA (27), from Chesterville in Durban, appeared with Sibusiso MDOLOSE (36).
Both men pleaded guilty and made certain admissions to the court. Mdolose joined the ANC in Swaziland and underwent 'general training' between 1976 and 1983. He returned to South Africa and reportedly arranged transport for people to come to Soweto from Botswana, some of them with weapons. In 1977 Qhoboshiana was detained without charge for two years. Following continuous raids on his school in 1980 he left the country. On 19 October Mdolose was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment and Qhoboshiana to nine years.
Solomon MODISELLA (21), who was referred to a psychiatric hospital after being detained in April 1988, was sentenced in Johannesburg in November to eight years' imprisonment. Modisella, from Naledi, Soweto, appeared in court in July with a medical certificate saying he was 'fit to stand trial'.
The charge of 'terrorism' related to hand-grenade attacks on the homes of two Soweto councillors, reportedly in October 1987. He acted as look-out while two companions, named only as 'Thabo' and 'Tswako', threw the grenades. Only minor damage was caused to the houses. Modisella was sentenced to 10 years, of which two were suspended for five years.
Three Eastern Cape residents were convicted in the Kenton-on-Sea Regional Court in August for alleged involvement in the ANC's armed struggle. Lindile Ora NXIWENI (28), Thanduxolo Kingsley NOKELE (21) and Sakhiwo Frederick MEHLO (26) were all accused of joining the ANC and undergoing military training between 1984-7.
They were convicted on the basis of evidence from an unidentified state witness, described as an ANC defector. He testified in conditions of great secrecy and only members of the press 'approved by the Attorney-General's representative' were present. He claimed to have met the accused in a camp in Angola. A confession allegedly made by Nxiweni in the Bophuthatswana bantustan to a member of the South African Security Branch was ruled inadmissible as evidence. The men were each sentenced to six years' imprisonment.
Themba Jack PHIKWANE (32) was convicted in the Johannesburg Regional Court on 19 September of 'terrorism' and membership of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC). Phikwane, whose home is in the Bophuthatswana bantustan, where he was detained, was alleged to have left the country in 1983 and undergone military training.
Evidence against Phikwane came from a statement made in custody and other statements by a number of his relatives, one of whom said he had himself been threatened with arrest. A clinical psychologist spoke for the defence, explaining the conditions in detention which would have influenced Phikwane to make a false statement. Phikwane was subsequently given two prison terms of seven and three years, to be served concurrently.
