Since the death of Lebowa bantustan leader Cedric Phatudi in October 1987, his successor, Nelson Noko Ramodike, has tried to present a less repressive image of the bantustan. However, developments have revealed that repression, poverty and violence continue to mark the lives of the people living in the area
An announcement in January this year that there would be elections on 12 April for the bantustan legislative assembly was followed by a campaign of intimidation. Civil servants were threatened with loss of their jobs and old age pensioners were told would lose their pensions if they did not vote or support Ramodike. There were reports of violent intimidation against those who did not recognise the election process. Trade unions urged members to question the wisdom of taking part in the elections.
These developments took place after several years in which resistance, in particular by organised labour and students, has met fierce repression.
State violence In September last year the bantustan authorities dismissed M J Duba, the official responsible for the police, and dissolved an organisation with which he was closely associated.
The organisation, Thari-ya Sechaba, presented as a cultural movement, was an armed force which, although not constituted as an official structure, worked closely with the authorities. Its main objective was to destroy organisations opposed to the bantustan authority. An activist wrote in a letter to the New Nation that the group used rifles, shotguns, knobkerries, axes, sjamboks and pick-handles to coerce people and to impose curfews. Ramodike gave no undertaking to prosecute those involved.
The extent of police violence in the area during recent years was partly indicated by the fact that there were over 600 legal suits claiming damages of more than four million rands being blocked by the Lebowa Indemnity Act before it was ruled invalid in June last year by the Bloemfontein Appeal Court. This legislation, adopted in December 1986, gave indemnity to the bantustan authorities and police for actions taken 'in good faith' in the 'prevention or suppression of disorder' between June 1985 and June 1986. After the latter date the national State of Emergency guaranteed indemnity to police and army throughout the country.
One example of state violence during the period covered by the act was recently recalled during the inquest into the death of Ngoako Frans RAMALEPE, a student leader at a teacher training college. He was beaten to death by police in October 1985 after a protest at the execution of Benjamin Malesela Moloise (see FOCUS 64 p.1, 69 p.4). At least 13 policemen repeatedly assaulted him and a colleague. The two were later driven in a police van out of the township and dumped. Ramalepe was picked up by a passerby and taken to hospital where he died. The magistrate presiding over the inquest found members of the Lebowa bantustan police responsible for his death.
In an earlier inquest 10 policemen were found to have been responsible for the death in detention in April 1986 of Lucky Makompo KUTUMELA. They were subsequently charged, but were acquitted in March 1988.
More recent incidents have indicated that violent repression has continued since the change in bantustan leadership.
In September 1988, police shot and killed Martin MONYEKI (19) and injured William NKWE (22). The youths, travelling by bus to a holiday resort with a group of students, were shot, apparently without provocation, when the bus broke down.
In March this year three members of the Northern Transvaal Youth Congress (NOTYCO) were kidnapped from their homes in Nebo village by men in balaclavas. They were blindfolded and held in separate places for three days, where they were tortured with electric shocks to their genitals.
University of the North In April several organisations called for the ending of the continuing three-year occupation of the campus of the University of the North by the SADF, South African Police and Lebowa bantustan police. Representatives of the South African Council of Churches and the National Union of South African Students met and resolved to 'urgently consider joint action' to get the police and army off the campus.
The force has patrolled and controlled access to the campus, in order to prevent protest actions and demonstrations against the authorities. In one incident three students were shot and injured when troops and police opened fire on students returning from a football match. Such incidents led to protests and boycotts of classes for most of last year.
In spite of these actions the students continued to respond to national calls for protest action. In June last year they heeded a call by COSATU for a three-day stay-away in protest at the banning of organisations and against the Labour Relations Bill (see FOCUS 77 p.1).
Also in June students boycotted classes, calling for the troops to leave campus and demanding the right to form a Student Representative Council (SRC) with an assurance that the those who served on it would not be harassed. The university authorities granted the right to an SRC but troops were not withdrawn and SRC members have since been harassed.
In March this year three students were injured by soldiers when a group of them were distributing leaflets announcing a planned class boycott to demand the sacking of a lecturer who was a member of the Conservative Party. The students also boycotted classes in March, demanding the re-admission of over 400 students barred from entry on the grounds that they failed their first year examinations. They repeated their call for the withdrawal of troops.
