12 October 1989 Or (06752) 9 (Mr Sankwasa)
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315 out of 1 100 still' unaccounted for, but search will continue says Ahtisaari OF A TOTAL of 1100 alleged Swapo-held detainees, 315 are still unaccounted for and until their whereabouts are known no political party or person can be held "accountable". This was revealed yesterday by the materials, and had not been inhab United Nations Special Representa ited for several weeks. "The mission tive, Mr Marui Ahtisaari, after an found that there were no detainees in Untag mission was sent to Angola any of the alleged detention centres and Zambia to investigate reports of and other places which it visited in. people allegedly held by Swapo in Angola and Zambia," Mr Ahtisaari Angola and Zambia. said. The United Nations mission con But he added, "I assure you that .sisted of ten members and was led by for my part the search is not over. ". Ambassador B.A. Clark, Untag's "I will not disband this mission on representative in Angola. detainees," he asserted. The mission visited Angola and From the list of 1 100 names, pre Z:unbia between September 2 and sented to Untag by several human 21. rights organisations, of people alleg It was charged with five specific edly detained by Swapo, Mr Ahti tasks: saari said it was determined that 110 * To visit those sites where Na names were duplications. mibians are alleged to have been A further484 people on the list had detained; been. indentified as released from * to ascertain whether any Na dete~tion and repatriated. mibians are still being detained at He said"the mission found that a those locations; total of 71 people, including present * to make sure that any Namibian SWllpo office bearers who wcr;:. in who elected not to return at this time cluded in the list of alleged detainees, did so voluntarily; had never been detained. * to ' ensure the release of any Another 115 people were believed Namibians still detained, and ... to have died, while 52 people could * to determine the present where nQt be traced because of insufficient abouts"of persons who are alleged by information about their identi.ties. various sources to be still in Swapo That left 315 people who could not detention in either Angola or Zam be accounted for and for whom the bia. search would continue. The mission, which left for An The mission, Mr Ahtisaari contin gola on September 2, visited 30 loca ued, could not fmd any "evidence" tions in Angola and Zambia. _ that the alleged detainees had been The mission fmmd that at the al moved from any of the 30 locations leged places of detention the facili ties had been stripped of all valuable CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 Outjo suspects appear A SIXTH man arrested in connection with the grenade and machinegun attack on the United Nations Outjo office, in which a man died, appeared in court at the toWn in northern Namibia yesterday. He is Johan Coetzee, 23, of 2 Frelon Street, Bob Rogers Park, Blo emspruit, Bloemfontein. Other suspects, Horst K1einz, 52, a West. German citizen, address given as per a certain Vermaak, Duiwels Kloof, and South Africans, Mr Arthur Archer, 28, address not given, Mr Darryl Stopforth, 22, of 19 Norris Street, Rossetenville Street, Johaimeshurg, and Mr Leonard Veenendal, 23, of 2a Webb Street, Southdale, Johannesburg, appeared with Mr Coetzee and were not asked to plead. The court adjourned until Octobcr 25. MrCraig Barker, 21 , arrested with Mr Klenz andMr Archer at Rietfontein in south ~m Namibia in September was rele"ased after a previous court appearance by the suspects. A private security guard employed by the UN, Mr David Hoaseb, 22, was killed in a phosphorous grenade and mac hinegun attack on the Outjo office on thc night of August 10. VIGILANTE violence in northern Nam ibia destroyed this woman's house at Oshakati West on The arrests came after close cooperation between the Namibian. South Saturday evening when it was set alight. She is pictured by John Liebenberg with the remains of a African and Lebowa police forces, a spokesman said. handgrenade, found close to her burning hut. She told a reporter that former Koevoet members were A eourt official said the men, who had been held at Kalkfeld and Otjiwar armed with various handgrenades with wh ich they attacked houses. ongo, had been transfcrred to lhe Windhoek Prison. - Sapa. 2 Thursday Octobe( 12 1989 THE NAMIBIAN Eight 'security prisoners'win soon be free STATE president F.W. de Klerk on Tuesday night announced the unconditional release of eight security prisoners, including the former secretary-general of the African National Congress, Walter Sisulu. Sisulu, 77, has served for 26 years taJ:y wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear in prison. He has been in prison since of the Nation), after the arrest of the police seized him, Mandela and other Rivonia trialists in July 1963, is also ANC leaders during a raid on their to be freed from the life prison term headquarters at Rivonia, near Johan he received in 1964. nesburg in 1963. In his statement, Mr De Klerk said The announcement also named the unconditional release of all eight Oscar Mpetha, 80, said to be South prisoners will take place" as soon as Africa's oldest prisoner. He was the necessary formalities can be dealt THE convicted of terrorism in 1987 and with" . jailed for five years. He also said Nelson Mandela was The other security prisoners to be fully aware of the proposed released RIVONIA released are Ahmed Kathrada, 60; and had confirmed his own release DEt£MBER Andrew Mlangeni, 63; Elias Mot- . was not now on the agenda. 1956 soaledi, 65; Raymond Mhlaba, 69, He expressed the hope the release TRIAL, and JaftaMesemula, age not known. of the men would contribute to the Wilton Mkwayi, 66, who briefly spirit of reconciliation which was took command of the ANC' s mili- presently evident in South Africa. 1963-64 ON July 11, police raided a farm at Rivonia near Johannesburg, and Impromptu party to arrested several senior members of the Congress Alliance. On October 9, 1963, ten men appeared • In court on charges of sabotage, among celebrate release them Mandela, who was brought from prison to stand trial as the first accused. FIVE African National Congress guerrilla leaders imprisoned for The state alleged that the accused had life 2S years ago with ~elson Mandela are to be unconditionally embarked on a campaign to overthrow freed soon, President F.W. de Klerk announced on Tuesday. the government by violent revolution. There were four charges under security • They are amont eight long-time, from speaking to the press and made legislation: the Sabotage Act, the aging security prisoners De Klerk no comment whe.n she left the prison Suppression of Communism Act and the said would be released to " contrib with her daughter and two grandchil Criminal Law Amendment Act. ute to the spirit of reconciliation which dren. Earlier in the day she had vis The charge sheet listed 193 lich \If is presently evident in our country." ited her husband, the most prominent sabotage committed between June 27, A small group of black anti-apart of the eight men to be freed. 1962, and the date of the Rivonia rald, heid leaders, including Albertina The announcement had been ex 'allegedly carried· out by persons Sisulu, wife.ofMandela's close friend pected as amrmmition for British prime recruited by the accUsed of their and ANC colleague, Walter Sisulu, minister Margaret Thatcher to fight capacity as members of the HIgh Command ofUmkhonto. 4 were with the ANC leader during the off further economic sanctions against Charges against'one of the accused were announcement on government-run SouJh Africa during the Common Yater withdrawn, and another was television. wealth summit in Malaysia.on Octo- ber i8. ' . acquitted at the conclusion of the trial. They held an impromptu two-hour Mandela chose not to give evidence in party until22hOO in Mandela's house But National Union of Minework his own defence or be cross·examined, at the Victor Verster prison fann er~ general secretary Cyri1 Rama- ' THE accused - Mandela is in the centre of the third row from the but only to mak e a statement. north of Cape Town, and Mrs Sisulu phosa, one of those who met with bottom. was ecstatic about the pending re Mandela, said, "She should not de lease of her husband, said one of the lude herself1hat De Klerk's releas group, Cassim Saloojee. ing of our leaders indicates he is Saloojee read a statement ~rom going to abolish apartheid and give Mandela, saying: "My release is not in to the demands of the people. De Kle rk explains an issue at this stage." Saloojee said, The release was a result of maxi "His deepest concern is that all the mum pressure brought about by our other comrades be released." people. It is only through maximum "Mrs Sisulu couldn't contain her pressure, internal and external, that reasons for release joy, " Saloojee said. But she is barmed the apartheid regime will give in." STATE president F.W. de Klerk on TueSday night announced the will contribute to the spirit of recon unconditional release of eight "security prisoners" as soon as the ciliation which is presently evident "necessary formalities" had been dealt with. in the country. ,. Most South Africans are tired of EAST BERLIN -In stepped-up attacks on pro-democracy protesters the Among those to be set free are Mr Nelson Mandela was fully ap confrontation and wish to speak to East German government said 106 policemen were injured in last Walter Sisulu and Oscar Mpetha.