On their early release from Middledrift Prison, Alice, in the Ciskei bantustan, two political prisoners recently committed themselves to campaigning for better prison conditions. Rev Makhenkhesi Ar-nold STOFILE (44), general secretary of the Border branch of the UDF, was freed unconditionally on 2 December with Sakhumzi SOMYO, who was gaoled for refusing to give evidence against him. At the trial Somyo's identity was withheld.
Stofile was sentenced to 11 years on 25 May 1987 for allegedly supporting the ANC's armed struggle, while Somyo had a four-year sentence imposed two months earlier on 27 March 1987. The conduct of the trial was widely criticised but an appeal failed in November 1988. Stofile came to international prominence in 1984 when he visited New Zealand to campaign for South Africa's isolation from international sport. Three of his co-accused remain in prison: Mzwakhe Nelson NDLELA was sentenced to 15 years and Mveleli Gladwell GQIBITHOLE and Linda Michael STOFILE to eight years. Another state witness gaoled for four years for refusing to testify, Pierre-Andre Albertini, a French national, was released in September 1987.
Thousands of residents went onto the streets of Alice to celebrate the men's freedom. Bantustan officials insisted that the releases were 'humanitarian' and 'a contribution towards a new dispensation in Southern Africa', but it was clear that they had come under pressure to release the men, most recently from a church delegation. Subsequently, Rev Bongani Finca said the Border Council of Churches thanked the bantustan leader for honouring his promise to the churches and urged him to release all political prisoners in the bantustan.
Stofile and Somyo said they intended to 'harness international support' to rectify prison conditions which Stofile said were 'far from what human beings can expect'. The 500 inmates of Middledrift Prison endured unhealthy conditions and a poor diet, they said. They were deprived of study facilities and other privileges. He added that 'it was no use talking about recreational facilities, because there were none'. They described their cells as 'three-square metre duncgeons' where prisoners 'slept on cement floors ... just with mats and flea-infested blankets'. Stofile said regular complaints made 'every morning' had been ignored and no response had been given to a list of grievances presented to a Ciskei magistrate and a judge when they visited the prison.
Stofile said seven political prisoners were still held at Middledrift prison under maximum security. However, this excludes those sentenced for common law offences such as public violence, arson, and politically motivated murder.
