KATLEHONG (Germiston) Further Particulars to the Indictment Set Out

601

KATLEHONG (Germiston)

further particulars to the indictment set out {p.77) that since September to November 1984 the East Rand Peoples Organisation and the Katlehong Youth Steering Committee organised in Katlehong and that violence and riots occurred.

No oral evidence was led by the state in support of these allegations.

It was admitted that in the period September to November 1984 eight houses were stoned and burnt; a swimming-bath and buildings were damaged; bottle stores and beerhalls were set alight; three councillors1 homes were attacked; stones were thrown at the police; streets were blocked whereby traffic was obstructed and a petrolbomb was thrown into a policeman's house. Exh AAS.3.

There is no evidence or admission that the Katlehong Youth Steering Committee was ever affiliated to the UDF.

The state relied on .a number of documents.'' In respect of some .the defence contested their admissibility. This aspect has been dealt with in our chapter dealing with the law. 602

A meeting of the general council of the UDF Transvaal held on 17 September 1983 was informed that the UDF would be addressing a meeting in Katlehong in the next few weeks. . Exh K.1. A mass meeting of squatters was addressed probably on the issue of removals. Exh W.24 p.2 last column.

On 12 December 1983 the Transvaal General Council meeting heard a verbal progress report from Katlehong on the issue of Black Local Authorities. Exh M.2.

Exh C.99 is a report on a civic workshop. It is undated but was not written before 1984. It was found in the UDF offices Johannesburg on 23 July 1985. It records that ERAPO (a UDF affiliate) did not have a branch in Katlehong but would like to have one there. It was involved with the "home seekers committee" as well as the bucket system in Katlehong. We do not know who the author of this document is.

Exh C.118 is.an emergency UDF working document under the letter- head of the Transvaal regional office dated 25 September 1984 and found on 15 February 1985 in possession of E A Saloojee, the national treasurer of the UDF, in Johannesburg. It mentions the UDF's "victories of the past few weeks" and in the light of detentions and suppressive measures suggests the immediate establishment of in'ter alia an East Rand Area Committee including Katlehong amongst other townships, with assignment the Community Worker and Students 603

struggles. As area committees consist of affiliates this presupposes a UDF presence in Katlehong.

It is significant that at a time when Katlehong was disrupted by riots the UDF considered the urgent establishment of an area committee to address community workers and students struggles there.

The defence submitted that there is no evidence that the pro- posed area committee came into existence or that the proposals were adopted or implemented. The minutes of the UDF Transvaal REC meeting of 11 October 1984 (wrongly dated as 11 September 1984) (exh S.10) record, however, that this area committee was in fact formed. On 7 December 1984 the Evaluation Commission reported to the REC that the East Rand Area Committee was not functioning and that it was hoped that it would begin functioning before the end of the year. Exh S.17.

The state relied on Speak of March 1985 (exh W.2). This document does not support its case as it relates events of 1985 and actions of the Katlehong Action Committee. The latter was not proved to have been affiliated to the UDF and the events described are unrelated to the state's case as pleaded.

Exh W.32, SASPU National December 1984 on which the state relied as proof of the fact that councillors resigned in Katlehong and of facts about the school boycott is inadmissible for that purpose. 604

The UDF News of October 1985 (found in possession of accused No 14) (exh W.42 pp.2 and 3) evidences that the UDF supports the pupils (called students) against the Department of Education and Training. It sets out students demands and records that the students boycotted classes during the election for the new parliament demonstrating their opposition to apartheid elections. Despite the police arrests, firing of tear-smoke and killing of students the latter keep on organising and are strong. In Katlehong there are 6 000 boycotting the schools. They are organised by COSAS a UDF affiliate.

Exh W.68 the EYE of March 1985 on which the state relied for facts about a meeting of the Katlehong action committee on 17 February 1985 is inadmissible for that purpose.

The state also relied on SASPU National March 1985 {exh AAC.55 p.12). This document was found with accused No 22 and is admissible. t A It does not take the state's case any further. It merely states that a parent committee has been set up in Katlehong.

Exh AAV.6 p.12 on which the state also relied is equally irrele- vant. It records that Katlehong Youth League borrowed the video on the UDF launch from AFRASCOPE on 21 July 1984. A report dated February 1985 titled UDF and The Black Local Authorities, (exh C.110), was found in the UDF offices Johannesburg on 23 July 1985. It is admissible as prima facie proof of the objects of the UDF in terms of section 246 of the Criminal Procedure Act and as prima facie proof of its contents under section 69(4) of the Internal Security Act.

It records (p.7) that in Katlehong the opposition to rent increases.was led by opposition councillors who called residents' meetings. The report further states "the demand by students for democratic student representative councils country-wide coincided with problems faced by the residents as a result of the BLA. As in 1976, this coincidence of students demands and residents1 problems generated resistance not only to the rent increases but to all forms of apartheid rule in the townships. To the call for lower"rents and SRC's was added the call for the BLA to resign."

The report further sets out that councillor Khoali resigned in January 1985. ERAPO and Katlehong Youth Steering Committee were the organisations active in the area and the issues taken up were water cuts, rent, education and "shacks. The report contains the following sentence "unrest started in Katlehong in September, no clear cause, but appears to be related to the schools situation". GOO

Counsel for the state sought to read into the document that the coincidental demand for SRC's and the problems of the residents as a result of the ftlack Local Authorities were orchestrated. We cannot find that to be the only possible interpretation.

The evidence shows that the UDF was active in the area in October 1983 by addressing a mass meeting of squatters and that it kept a continuing interest in Katlehong. Its affiliate ERAPO was active on local issues. No clear cause for the unrest is discernible. It probably was a spill over of the schools situation.

We do not find proof in the above facts that the UDF was responsible for the unrest" in Katlefifjrfl? " • •'"

G Historical Papers, Wits University

DELMAS TREASON TRIAL 1985-1989

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Document ID:- AK2117-K2117-L9-10 Document Title:- Katlehong 601-606

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