ACTION ALERT December 1991 - January 1992

Human Rights Campaign for South Africa ACTION ALERT December 1991 - January 1992

POLITICAL PRISONERS STILL IN JAIL - ANC CALLS FOR INTERIM GOVERNMENT

President de Klerk is eight months over to release any hunger strikers, then Globe (see editorial on the other side of due on his promise to release all of released some in November when this sheet.) South Africa's political prisoners. they were in danger of death. WHAT YOU CAN DO The South African government agreed in ~ At least 17 political prisoners are now 1990 to release all political prisoners as on death row, raising the possibility Please write to South African President a precondition for peaceful negotiations that they could be executed before F.W. de Klerk and Ambassador Harry with the African National Congress being released. Schwarz and urge them to do the (ANC) toward creating a new system of following: government. The deadline for the ~ Political prisoners are dying of abuse releases was April 30, 1991. and torture while in jail. On October 1. Free all remaining political prisoners in South Africa. Today, eight months later, as many as 14, Babusang Monnane died in Rooigrond prison. He had been given 500 political prisoners are still behind 2. Direct the bantustans to free the politi no medical care despite having bars. The government's failure to cal prisoners they are holding. coughed blood for three days. On the release them has proved once more that 3. Agree to the formation of an interim it is failing to negotiate in good faith same day, Solly Ramakgate died after being assaulted while in police cus government to lead South Africa during with its opponents, and has spurred calls tody in the Lebowa bantustan. the course of negotiations. for an interim government to be formed which can govern South Africa while ~ As the government releases some Mr. F.W. de Klerk negotiations are underway. political prisoners, it is in the process State President Private Bag X83 Here are some features of the current of creating more of them. More than Pretoria 0001 situation: 500 political trials were completed in 1991, involving 3,000 accused. At South Africa Fax 011 27 123233982 ~ The de Klerk government is playing a least 200 trials involving nearly 2,000 shell game with political prisoners. accused are continuing into 1992. Ambassador Harry Schwarz By denying that political prisoners Those convicted will join the ranks of Embassy of South Africa held in South Africa's bantustans (the political prisoners. 3051 Massachusetts Ave. NW so-called "homelands") are under Washington, DC 20008 South African jurisdiction, the govern The South African government's blatant Tel. (202) 232-4400 ment hides the number of political disregard for the spirit and substance of Fax (202) 265-1607 prisoners and the magnitude of politi its agreement with the ANC is just one cal repression. (For more informa demonstration of its bad faith in negotiat Ifpossible, please send us copies of tion, see the November 1991 Action ing with its opponents. your letters! To do so, or to obtain more Alert, "Bantustan Repression Un information or join the Campaign, write Organizations around the world have touched by Reforms.") to the Human Rights Campaign for called for the South African government South Africa, Mobilization for to turn over power to an interim govern ~ Many political prisoners have gone on Survival, 11 Garden Street, ment which would govern South Africa hunger strike to protest the fact that Cambridge MA 02138. Our telephone during the period of negotiations. Sup they have not yet been released, number is (617) 354-0008. porters of this call include the 14 Anti including prisoners at St. Albans Apartheid Movements in the member Sources for this Action Alert: Africa prison in Port Elizabeth and in the states of the European Community; Fund, Human Rights Commission, Bophuthatswana bantustan. Bophu Mayors David Dinkins of New York and Mafikeng Anti-Repression Forum, UN thatswana authorities at first refused Ray Flynn of Boston; and the Boston Centre Against Apartheid.

Boston Mobilization for Survival, 11 Garden Street, Cambridge MA 02138 (617) 354-0008. THE BOSTON GLOBE • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1991

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WILLIAM O. TAYLOR, Chairman of the Board and Publisher JOHN P. GIUGGIO, Vice Chairman JOHN S. DRISCOLL, Editor RICHARD C. OCKERBLOOM, President KIRK SCHARFENBERG, Editor, Editorial Page DAVID STANGER, Executive VP & General Manager BENJAMIN B. TAYLOR, Vice P1YJSident ARTHUR KINGSBURY, Vice P1YJsident

STEPHEN E. TAYLOR, Vice President HELEN W. DONOVAN, Managing Editor GODFREY W. KAUFFMANN JR., VP Circulation THOMAS F. MULVOY, JR., Managing Editor / News Operations OLIVER H.P. RODMAN JR., VP Adv81'tising ALFRED S. LARKIN JR., Managing Editor/Administration FRANK E. GRUNDSTROM JR., VP Hu.man Resources GREGORY L. MOORE, Deputy Managing Editol'/ Daily GREGORY 1. THORNTON, VP Employee Relations THOMAS E. ASHBROOK, Deputy Managing Edit.or/ Sunday WILLIAM B. HUFF, Treasurer H.D.S. GREENWAY, Senior Associate Editor LORETTA McLAUGHLIN, Associate Editor, Editorial Page Publishers CHARLES H. TAYLOR, 1873·1922 WILLIAM O. TAYLOR, 1922-1955 WM. DAVIS TAYLOR, 1955-1977 President Editor Editor JOHN 1. TAYLOR, 1963·1975 L.L. WINSHIP, 1955-1965 THOMAS WINSHIP, 1965·1984

..., South Africa's unendin~ scandal . Since the "Inkathagate" scandal broke earlier ly Mail, the Johannesburg newspaper that uncov this year, the South Mrican government has at- ered the scandal,: also reported that IFP members tempted to diminish its importance. But President received government funds for paramilitary train F. W. de Klerk will have difficulty playing down ing provided by the South Mrican Defense Forces. fresh allegations, which h~ve ~urfaced just before For police officials to insist that the peace rally more talks on a new constItutlOn ~e to be held. was organized not by Inkatha but by local Zulu ~ast sum:n~r, the South Ml'lcan government chiefs insults the public's intelligence. Inkatha is a actmItt.ed to grvmg $87,000 to the I~katha.Freed?m Zulu organization' Buthelezi is a Zulu chief. Party m 1989 and 1990 for two antr-sanctron rallles .:, and $525,000 to a workers' union affIliated with the !he Daily MaI~ s repo~ add credence to alle- party. But de Klerk insisted that covert support gatron~ by the -:Vl'lcan ~ atr.onal Congress and oth stopped in March 1990, and he attempted to re- e~ antr-apa:-theId orgamzatrons that the S?uth M store his credibility by demoting his law' and order :-ICan s.ecul'lty forces have operated. as a thrrd ~and and defense ministers. m fuelmg what ~as been characte11zed as factlOnal . But no amount of superficial Cabinet shuffling black-on-black VIOlence. will restore de Klerk's credibility this time. The reports also bolster the argument that the Police officials have confirmed that they fi- de Klerk government cannot be trusted to run the' nanced a peace rally featuring IFP leader Mango- South Mrican government while the country nego suthu Buthelezi in January - long after de Klerk tiates its transition to a nonracial democracy. An insisted that covert financing had ceased. The Dai- interim government must be established.