There were widespread mass detentions in Bophuthatswana during October and November, as the struggle for political rights continued. New detentions under both Section 29 of the Internal Security Act and the Public Safety Act were condemned by the ANC as a violation of the spirit of the Pretoria Minute. More evidence also emerged of assault by police of anti-apartheid activists in detention.
A campaign for the release of people held in detention and for freedom of political activity, called Let Our People Go, was launched in Johannesburg on 28 November. It was supported by organisations including the ANC, COSATU, the National Association of Democratic Lawyers, the National Medical and Dental Association, the South African Health Workers Congress, the South African Communist Party, the ANC Youth League and the South African National Students Congress (SANSCO). The aim of the campaign is to maintain protest against detention laws and all forms of repression. It also drew attention to the number of people who have died and been tortured in detention.
During November, the Kwandebele bantustan administration was reported to have paid an out-of-court settlement totalling R205,000 to four former emergency detainees who were wrongfully arrested and assaulted during detention in 1987.
One of the four men was named as Johannes MAKITLA. A person with the same name was detained in July 1990 under Section 29 of the Internal Security Act. He was accused by police of involvement with Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) in the Moutse region of the Northern Transvaal, together with a lawyer, Jonas Ben SIBANYONI, who lost a second application for release from detention in the Pretoria Supreme Court on 8 November. An additional application by Sibanyoni seeking an interdict to prohibit members of the police from assaulting, threatening, coercing, intimidating or using abusive language towards him was dismissed on the same day. Sibanyoni was quoted as saying that a security police officer had told him to remember he was being held at John Vorster Square, 'where people fall out of top storeys'.
Two alleged members of MK who were detained on 16 September in Durban under Section 29 of the Internal Security Act, successfully obtained temporary interdicts on 12 October, preventing police from assaulting them, through applications filed against the Minister of Law and Order and the Commissioner of the South African Police. Police denied assault and claimed that both men, Dumisani GUMEDE and Siphiwe MAKHATINI, had volunteered information relating to arms caches and the whereabouts of other members of MK.
Most of those reported detained in Bophuthatswana between October and November were ANC members and supporters, and people engaged in organising for reincorporation of the bantustan. This included 44 activists detained in the days before and after a stayaway called in support of reincorporation and to protest against repression. It was reported at the end of November that all the detainees in Bophuthatswana had been released.
Forty-two residents of Winterveld were detained on 5 October during police raids on the homes of ANC members and other activists. One ANC supporter, Morgan MOTSHWENI, was killed at his home by bantustan police during the raid. The ANC Winterveld branch and the United Democratic Front (UDF) organised a mass stayaway for 24 October, the day of Motshweni's funeral, in protest over the killing and the detentions. Eight of those detained were later charged with murder and attempted murder and with operating unofficial courts. The remaining detainees were reported released on 8 October.
Two detainees, Sarah MEREOOTHLE (49) and Samuel NTSIMANE, were released after court applications heard in the Mmabatho Supreme Court were successful. Mereothle is the acting chairperson of a banned opposition party, the Bophuthatswana People's Patriotic Front (PPF). Hunter Kagiso MEREOOTHLE, her husband, began a seven year sentence for treason on 10 August 1989. He was one of eight political leaders imprisoned after being convicted for their role in an unsuccessful mutiny in the bantustan in 1988.
Ntsimane was detained in September, just after leaving a meeting to launch an ANC branch in Phokeng. He challenged his emergency detention of 35 days duration as being, 'wrongful', invalid in law and ultra vires. He reported to press that the police had questioned him about his ANC membership and about Bafokeng affairs. He was released on 12 October.
There were also detentions in October of bantustan residents organising in support of a popular traditional leader who had been forced to leave the bantustan. Eight members of the Bafokeng Support Committee were detained during early October by bantustan police in Phokeng for opposing the authority of the bantustan.
On 23 October another local support group, the Phokeng Action Committee (PHAC), had arranged a delegation to meet with 'acting Chief Molotlegi, to discuss the return of their traditional leader. Police detained Shadigolo MONTSHO, a PHAC executive member, some hours prior to the meeting, and Boy DIALE, also an executive member, during the meeting itself. No further news was received concerning the dispute.
