Africa Defense and Aid Fund

Africa Defense and Aid Fund of the American Committee on Africa 164 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016 (212) 532-3700 September 11, 1975 To; Persons Concerned Abbut the Trial of Tapson Mawere & Synos Mangazva From: Gebrge M. Houser MAWERE ACQUITTED; HANGZVA FOUND GUILTY ON THREE COUNTS The trial of these two Africans, who were arrested and beaten in a racist incident in Delaware on June 7th, began the day after Labor Day. The prosecution and the defense rested their case on Friday afternoon, September 5th. The jury was out from the afternoon of the 5th until the end of the afternoon on Saturday the 6th. Paul Irish and I attended one day of the trial (Wednesday, September 3rd) while Judge William Booth, President of ACOA, appeared as a character witness on Friday morning September 5th. Throughout the trial we have kept closely in toucb with defense attorney, Conrad Lynn, the defendants, and others who were on the Aane To summarize the outcome, after two days of deliberation, the jury acquitted Mawere of the one charge against him - obstructing the police in the performance of their duty. (Tapson had, by his own admission, attempted to stop the police and some men dressed in civilian clothes from beating his companion). Mang4zva w6 found quilty on three charges - disorderly conduct, offensive touching ( or none felonious third degree assault), and resisting arrest. Mangazva was acquitted on the other charge of public intoxication. The judge has 60 days in which to give a sentence which he has not yet done. In spite of the fact that the three counts against Mangazva are all misdemeanors, one of them (resisting arrest) carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and the other two 6 months. The Setting The courtroom was not large. There are benches which would hold perhaps 75 or so visitors. Most of the time these seats were rather well-filled. The case has received a great deal of local Delaware publicity with front page stories in the Wilmington and Dover Press. During most of the days that the trial was in pro. gress, there were pickets outside the courthouse demanding the release of the two Zimbabweans - they made their presence felt. On one occazion the chanting was so loud that the court was recessed while the pickets were asked to be less noisy, The Jury The jury of 12 plus two alternates was chosen from a panel of 39, including 8 blacks. The jury finally chosen was composed of 4 men and 8 women mostly middlee aged and middle-class. Two of the women were black. The process of choosing the jury took one day. The system which is followed in Delaware is that the attorneys do not have the right of quest.oning the prospective jurors. The judge alone has this right. The attorneys may submit to the judge in advance a series of questions which they would like the judge to take into consideration. The defense attorney objected to this process at the beginning of the trial. Of the 13 questions which Conrad Lynn submitted, only one was granted. This was a question about whether any members of the panel felt that a police officer's word was more reliable than that of a civilian. Other questions such as whether any members of the panel had relatives who were law enforcement officers, whether any members of the panel were residents of Harrington (the town in which the restaurant where the arrests took place is located), whether any members of the panel had ever been victims of any crime, whether any mc.nber of the panel had s:. 1a relationships with black people, etc., were all not granted. The Witnesses About 20 witnesses were called by the prosecution. These included the two 17 or 18 year white waitresses, the white woman proprietor of the restaurant, two white lads ages 15 and 17 who were employees of the gas station next to the restaurant, the one male customer who was in the restaurant when the defendants came in on June 7th, local Harrington police, two state troopers, the white bus driver, etc. There were only three defense witnesses and they all appeared as character witnesses. They were William Booth, William Johnston, President of the Episcopal Churchmen for South Africa, and Davis M'Gabe, a Zimbabwean who teaches at the City University on Staten Island. The main case for the prosecution seemed to revolve around the charge of intoxication,. Circumstantial evidence was allowed by the judge over the objection of the defense. This included six empty cans of beer allegedly found near the seat on the bus where Mawere and Mangazva were seated, and an almost full bottle of scotch which was presented in a paper bag which some of the witnesses said they had seen in the hands of one of the defendants. No witnesses, however, indicated they had seen either of the two men drinking from either cans of beer or from the bottle. BothoMawere and Mangazva seemed to make an impact on the jury in their own tes. timony. They were quiet and deliberative in what they had to say. Their basic facts on what had happened on the occasion differed from the prosecution witnesses, who as indicated above, made the case that they were both drunk. From the outset the defendants had said that they had two empty beer cans which they had given to one of the waitresses when they first went into the restaurant to ask her to dispose of them in the paper bag in which they were held. They had not consumed the contents of the beer in the restaurant. The virulent racism of many of the Witnesses was quite apparent throughout the testimony, as the witnesses refused to refer to the defendants by name, but talked of "the short coloured fellow',' and "the tall one". At one point the brother of the Harrington police chief had Synos Mangazva, a PhD candidate, saying "me no understand"g to the arresting plainclothesman, in the manner of an illiterate. The defense was quite effective in exposing numerous contrAdictions in the testimony of those from Harrington. For example, one state trooper claimed that Synos showed no visible signs of injury at the police station, while the defense produced the jacket Mangazva was wearing, which was drenched in blood stains. Another witness claimed that Synos "tripped" into the glass door, when in fact the witness was in no position to see Mangazva's feet since his vision was blocked by a wooden door panel. One of the waitresses said sEie was visited by the FBI after the incident, which for unknown reasons to date, is interested in this case.

(3) The Verdict The jury was out from Friday afternoon until Saturday afternoon. The judge instructed and charged the jury on at least four occasions - when they first got the case on Friday afternoon, at 9:45 a.m. on Saturday morning, at noon on Saturday and again at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. Apparently he was concerned that it was taking the jury so long to reach a decision. At noon on Saturday the foreman of the jury had sent a message to the judge in which she said "We are in total disagreement". Ordinarily this would have meant a hung jury. However the judge did not allow it because the technical language which was supposed to be used was that the jury is "hopelessly deadlocked". The judge instructed the jury to this effect and made them go back for the Saturday afternoon session. At 4:00 in the afternoon the judge called the jury in to explain Delaware law in regard to the charge of resisting arrest. He said that it was a violation of the law for a person to resist arrest, even though the arresting officer may have been acting illegally. Apparently this"clarification" by the judge moved the jury to come to an agreement within the judge's interpretation of the Delaware law. Perhaps the most significant aspect of the verdict is that the charge of drunkeness was not upheld. And yet this was the key to the whole case which the prosecution was making. One prosecution witness after another, all local citizens, had claimed that Mawere and Mangazva were staggering, were bloodshot in the eyes, were loud and boisterous as soon as they left the bus and went into the small restaurant. The rest of the charges of disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and offensive touching (assault) all depended upon the charge of intoxication. And yet Mangazva was acquitted of this charge. What's Next? The judge has 60 days to give his sentence on the three charges against Mangazva. There are some legal aspects of the case which should be appealed to a higher court. If Mangazva is sentenced to prison, surely the case must be appealed. If the case is appealed, it will demand an additional expenditure of $3,000 at a minimum, it is estimated. So far, $2,000 has been raised and spent by the Africa Defense and Aid Fund of the ACOA on this case. Another $1,000 is necessary to fully cover the expenses of this trial. Conrad Lynn, the principle defense attorney, has given a great deal of his time, including the whole week during the trial and has only been partially compensated for his work. The Delaware attorney, James Gilliam, has not yet received anything from the Defense and Aid Fund. Letters to Delaware officials have had an important effect in demonstrating the importance in this case and in expressing solidarity with the Zimbabweans. Individual gifts are critical for covering the legal defense and we seek additional contributions to meet the remaining expenses.

Welcome to Delaware? Blacks Get Smyrna 'Hospitality' By WILLIAM HOFFMAN Eight days ago a pair of blacks were arrested in Harrington and hit with a variety of charges. One was charged with assault (if you're familiar with these things, that often means the arrested man's groin attacked the cop's knee, or his head decided to pick a fight with a nightstick), and there were some other charges like prosecution and disorderly con-A duct. One of the Hoffman blacks seemed to have been pretty bably roughed up. Eventually, he was taken to the hospital, but he refused treatment because they wanted to give him some shots and he didn't know what the shots were for. The two men ended up at the Smyrna prison where, they say, they were: stripped to their underwear and spent the night in a cold cell in maxium security. Now all this pretty common fare. Some of the people in Harrington are still fighting the Civil War, and the flagg they pay homage to is the Confederate one. Black people don't expect much in Harrington, and of course Delaware's prisons are packed with black people. BUT THIS CASE was a little different. The two blacks who were arrested had friends who could spring for their bail (most prisoners don't, and many end up waiting for a trial in a place where it's very easy to be raped) so, by and by, they got out. The two blacks turned out to be from a country named Zimbabwe in Africa, better known to some Americans as Rhodesia. Rhodesia is the most racist country on earth. It brand of apartheid is deadly, and just a few weeks ago the white segregationist government murdered 13 Africans in cold blood. Of course, they murder Africans every day: through starvation, over-work. arbitrary beatings, lynchings. The two men who were arrested were Tapson Mawere ahd Muda Mangazva. Both belong to an organization called the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), and that organization consists of some of the bravest women and men in the world. Mawere is ZANU's chief representative to the United States, Canada, and the Carribbean. Both men are people who should be honored with parades through Delaware, not with being thrown into the slammer. Zimbabwe is 96 per cent African, four per cent White.The whites rule with an iron hand, thanks in no small way to aid they receivd from the U.S. But, led by the heroes of ZANU and backed by the courageous Zimbabwe people, the Africans are fighting back against one of the most repressive regimes mankind has ever been forced to witness. And the Africans are winning. Their liberation struggle has captured vast amounts of Zimbabwe territory. BACK TO MAWERE and Mangazva. A good portion of the world regards these men the way many Americans regard George Washington. But Editor: I admire William Hoffman for his ability and courage to write the news as it happens. I refer to his editorial, "Blacks get Delaware Hospitality", which was published in the Delaware State News, Sunday, June 15th. As Hoffman was phoned and asked to help the two jailed Africans, he was present and informed of the events which occurred and reported the news. From whom did Staff Writer Don Glickstein, a reporter from Delaware State News, and Wilmington Morning News get their facts? Surely they conflict with Hoffman's editorial. Neither Staff Writer Don Glickstein nor the Wilmington News Journal were present at Court 7 in Dover. Hoffman and I were present. I procured the bondsman, Mr. Solomon Thomas, who obtained Mangazva's release from Delaware Corrections Center. His companion Mawere had been released earlier. Hoffman and I were present and saw Mangazva might still be in jail if it had not been for the efforts of the NAACP's Wilbert Cooper of Dover, and a black bail bondsman named Thomas, the only black bail bondsman south of the canal. You can bet your life that if a white Rhodesian "diplomat" (butcher would be a better phrase) were arrested in Harrington, he would not have ended up in Smyrna prison. Mawere and Mangazva came to America to garner support for the absolutely just struggle they and their friends are waging against racism in Zimbabwe, and they ran into racism in this country. In fact, when Mangazva was released from prison he was injured so badly he could not walk to the car that was waiting for him. He had a puncture wound in his arm, his shirt was bloodied, his pants were ripped. Now he didn't do all these things to himself. It was a nightmare for Mangazva; it was as though he had found himself back in Rhodesia. The governor should be on hand to greet Tapson Mawere and Muda Mangazva the next time they return to Delaware. Instead, what they face is a trial. A Mangazva's swollen ankle, bruise knees, lacerated right shoulder and dried blood stains on his shirt. He was in such pain that he could hardly walk. The biased reports in the Delaware State News and Wilmington Morning News Monday, June 9th, did mot seek details from the jailed Africans or eyewitnesses. Are they upholding the might and justice of the Harrington Police Department? If this is so, then Nixon was justified in his suspicion and distrust of the pre.: and news reporters. WILBERT L. COOPER, President Central Branch N.A.A.C.P. Dover, Del. F Hoffman Admirer Asks I Where Were the Newsmei At Trial of Two Africans?

Rhodesian Lib Pair Arrested At Harrington By DON GLICKSTEIN Staff Writer HARRINGTON - Two Rhodesian freedom fighters were arrested at a Harrington restaurant Saturday after an alleged beer-throwing and pushing incident. "I don't know why I and my friend were arrested" said Tapson Revesai Mawere, who says he is the Chief Representative to the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean of the Zimbabwe African Nationalist Union (ZANU). Zimbabwe is the African name for the country controlled by the white segregationist government of Rhodesia. ZANU is a militant liberation group which claims to control a large portion of Rhodesian land. Harrington police chief Edward Layton said Mawere, 44 and Muda Mangazba, 38, who says he is ZANU's publicity secretary, were arrested for refusing to leave the Peoples Restaurant on U.S. 13 while drinking. About 5 p.m., a Norfolk-bound bus pulled into the restaurant for repairs, according to police. Police said Mawere and Mangazba entered the restaurant and were told by a waitress they could not drink there because the restaurant did not have a liquor license. Police said Mawere and Mangazba then became rowdy, .began pouring beer around the restaurant, and poured Scotch into their coffee. Police said the restaurant then called for help, and one off-duty Harrington officer and another on-duty officer reported. A scuffle ensued and a window in a door was broken. The police then called for more help and another Harrington officer and Continued on Page 2

TAPSON REVESAI MAWERE two State Police troopers came. The Zimbabweans version of the incident differs. Mawere said they brought empty beer cans into the restaurant so they could discard them. The waitress refused to allow them to do so, and a man in civilian clothes tried to push Mangazba out of the restaurant, Mawere said. Mangazba resisted because the man didn't identify himself as a police officer, Mawere said. Mawere was arrested for disorderly conduct and hindering prosecution. Mangazba was arrested for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, third degree assault, and public intoxication. The two stayed overnight at Delaware Correctional Center. They were released when ZANU supporters from Baltimore posted $250 bond for Mawere and $745 bond for Mangaba. Last week, another Zimbabwean representing a different group, James Chikerama, claimed in a New York News conference that Mawere was not a real ZANU leader. Mawere said this morning Chikerama is a spokesman for the Zambian government which is collaborating with the Rhodesians to suppress the ZANU freedom fighters. Harrington police said federal immigration officials will investigate the case because Mawere and Mangazba did not have a visa or passport when they were arrested. Police said the two men told them their passports were in New York. Mawere said his passport was in his luggage in the bus, and he has not yet been able to recover his luggage. The owner of the restaurant, Iris Brown, said the incident has been blown all out of proportion. She said the News-Journal papers misq,.loted her as saying the two men were boisterous and caused damage. She said she "quite often" must tell customers they can't drink in the restaurant. "It's not allowed in here," she said.* "I have payments to make on a mortgage, and I cannot afford to Ipse my license." MUDA MANGAZBA

20 * * Morning News, Wilmington, Del., Thursday, June 12, 1975 NAACP protests Harringto The central Delaware branch of the NAACP has added its voice to a growing protest over treatment of two Rhodesians arrested in Harrington over the weekend. Wilbert L. Cooper, president of the Kent County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said last night the cases against Tapson A. Revasai Maware and Muda Mangazba will probably be transferred to a higher court after a hearing at Dover's Magistrate Court 7 tomorrow. Maware, according to police and local black leaders, is representative to the United Nations and Canada of the Zimbabwe African Nationalist Union (ZANU), and his cousin, Mangazba, is publicity director. Cooper said Maware is "a big wheel" in the movement to gain control of Rhodesia for its black masses, now ruled by the whitesupremacist administration of Ian Smith. Last Saturday night, Maware and Mangazba were on their way to Norfolk, Va. for a speaking engagement, when they were arrested by Harrington police on a spate of charges, including disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. A melee ensued after the two men allegedly took liquor into a restaurant, and were told they n case could not drink because the place did not have a liquor license. Maware, of Jamaica, Long Island, N.Y., could not be contacted last night. Cooper said he and aides went to Delaware Correctional Center, near Smyrna, Sunday morning after the pair was released under bail following an all-night stay. Cooper said Mangazba was barely able to walk, and had a deep gash on his right shoulder. He said Mangazba told them he was kept in a room with "maximum security" written on the door, and forced to sleep in the cold cell in his underwear. Cooper said the NAACP will seek legal aid for the pair, and urge investigation of the treatment of Mangazba by police and corrections officials. Maware and Mapgazba say they have been in the U.S. since 1962 promoting ZANU.-Other Rhodesian liberation groups claim Maware is not an official representative to the U.N., and U.N. officials yesterday were at a loss to explain the status of the two men. Delaware members of the Congress of African Peoples and the NAACP say they have heard Maware's lectures before, and verified Maware's diplomatic status,

State News & Daily Eagle, Sunday, June 29, 1975- 7 Case of the Africans Critic Wrong on U.S. Aid to Racist Regime By WILLIAM HOFFMAN Some fellow named Toady from Greenwood, Del., has been writing to this newspaper pooh-poohing the case of the two Africans who were arrested June 7 after an incident in a restaurant at Harrington. Today is saying that he's been in touch with some white Rhodesians. The Rhodesians evidently told him that the two . Africans represent a terrorist organization that kills other Hoffman Africans. Toady then said the U.S. does not give aid to the racist Rhodesian government. Nothing could be further from the truth. Rhodesia is openly running advertisements asking for white mercenaries to come and fight for the apartheid government of Ian Smith. These are American newspapers, and it is clear the U.S. government could stop the ads if it wanted. Can anyone imagine a U.S. .newspaper being allowed to run an ad for mercenaries to fight agalns% the Smith regime? The United Nations is officially boycotting Rhodesian chrome. Most nations in the world honor this boycott, but not the U.S. If the U.S. did honor the boycott the Smith government would fall in a matter of weeks. Ergo, Toady is wrong when he says the U.S. gives no aid to the racists in Rhodesia. The case of the Africans came to Court No, 7 Friday and was transferred to another court. The only fair trial, of course, would be no trial. Two different people employed at Court No. 7 called the two AfricanE "boys." Also, at the court hearing,; reporters had a tough time getting in. Wilbert Cooper who writes for the Delaware Spectator almost didn't make it, and so did a reporter representing the New York Times. "I hope the guy from the Times doesn't get in," said one of the supporters of the Africans. "Then there really will be a story." . The judge came to his senses and finally let the guy in. However, this columnist was not allowed in, although Barbara Miller, a magistrate, was. Now Barbara Miller is a fine person, and maybe shell write something about what went on, but she herself said she was only there out of curiosity. There were a large number of people who showed up and a large number who didn't get in, though trials are supposed to be open to the public. If the room is too small, they should get a bigger one. Back to Toady. He doesn't even try to red-bait, he comes right out and accuses this columnist of being- a Communist. Toady should let his readers know if he is a member of the Fascist John Birch Society, or maybe some reporter who he likes to criticize will do the job for him. Toady said the wire services didn't cover the case. Amazing! The Associated Press was at the trial. Anyway, the day was an interesting one. Some provacateur wanted to fight; there were loads of plainclothes cops, and even a picket line outside the court. The 20th Century is catching up with Delaware.

Zimbabweans 'Trial Goes to Higher Court By DON GLICKSTEIN Staff Writer DOVER - With an entourage of supporters, their fired Wilmington lawyer, and attacks on the American judicial system and the press, two Zimbabwean representatives returned to Dover Friday almost three weeks after their arrest in Harrington. Although the trial of Tapson A. Mawere and Muda Mangazva again was postponed for at least two weeks so it could be transferred to a higher court, the action inside and outside the Magistrate Court in Dover did not wane. Mawere and Mangazva were arrested June 7 and charged with a variety of offenses ranging from disorderly conduct to resisting arrest during an alleged beer- throwing incident in a Harrington restaurant. They claim they were victims of an unprovoked attack by Harrington police. The two are representatives of the Zimbabwe African Nationalist Union (ZANU), a militant group trying to free the country commonly known as Rhodesia from its white segregationist rulers. Half-an-hour before the hearing was scheduled to begin, supporters from Norfolk, Va., New York, Baltimore, and Dover began assembling on the steps of the Magistrate Court - Dover's former railroad station. State witnesses also began to arrive, including three Harrington policemen carrying a paper shopping bag filled with evidence gathered from the incident at Harrington's Peoples Restaurant. Soon after three p.m., a half-hour late, Manwere and Mangazva arrived with Wilmington attorney Louis L. Redding. The two Zimbabweans greeted their more than two dozen supporters with raised fists and exuberant shouts of "pamber ne chimurenga," which is Shona language for "forward with the revolution." Photographers clicked away. The tiny courtroom had 21 chairs plus the chair of Judge Russell T. Rash. Court officers stationed at the entrance to the room permitted lawyers, three reporters, the defendants, police and an off-duty magistrate to enter the room before stopping an accredited reporter from the Delaware Spectator and a parttime reporter for the New York Times. The barred reporters as well as the Zimbabweans' supporters vocally protested, saying if the courtroom was too small, the trial should be moved. Eventually, the reporters and a few supporters were admitted and the door was closed. The hearing began. Attorney Redding, Delaware's first black lawyer, told Judge Rash the Zimbabweans fired him in favor of a New York lawyer who could not be there because of a previous commitment. Redding asked Rash to transfer the proceedings to the Court of Common Pleas. With the agreement of Deputy Atty. Gen. Kenneth Abraham, Rash approved Redding's request. Just as Rash adjourned the court, a tall, short-haired, white man wearing a blue shirt stood up and told Rash his court has no jurisdiction in Mawere's case. As an official observor for ZANU at the United Nations, Mawere has diplomatic immunity, the man told Rash. "This man (Mawere) was railroaded," the stranger said. Rash, warning that he could cite the man for contempt, quickly reconvened the court. Redding apologized for the man, whom he said was Mawere's friend, and Rash finally concluded the hearing. The man later identified himself as Alan DeJardin, a member of the "Baltimore Workshop for Non-Violence", a group which he said is trying to prevent Rhodesian chrome from being unloaded at Baltimore docks. The United Nations has declared a boycott of Rhodesian products, including chrome. Outside the courtroom, Mawere and Mangazva were talking to supporters. Redding, Mawere said, was fired because he advised the two to plead guilty to lesser charges. This the Zimbabweans refused to do because, Mawere said, they are innocent. Mawere told reporters that he thinks the American judicial system is "corrupt, absolutely corrupt." Later, he lit into reporters themselves, calling previous State News stories "distortions of the truth." He was joined by Central Branch NAACP Pres. Wilbert Cooper of Dover who announced, "I don't trust the white press." Back at Magistrate Court, however, State News columnist William 1Ioffman was being harangued by a white, shorthaired, middle-aged man who came to the court with Harrington Police. The man threatened to "spill" Hoffman's head if the columnist ever came to Harrington. The man was restrained and led off by Harrington Police. He described himself as "a citizen of Harrington, Delaware, and I'm not in the Civil War." A Hoffman column about the Zimbabweans had accused Harrington of still fighting the Civil War. Attorney Redding' also was involved briefly in a quiet exchange with Zimbabwe supporters. When he told the supporters that "you can't propogandize in a courtroom," supporters argued back that that is what judges do. The two Zimbabweans are expected to be arraigned before Common Pleas Judge Merrill C. Trader on July 11.

Rhodesian case shifted; outside, some commotion By Sam Waltz Dover Bureau U The firing of Wilming DOVER - Two New York City attorney Louis L. Redding, Delwares pioneer civil rights attor men who claim to represent a ney, by Maware and Mangazba. revolutionary movement in white- Redding represented Maware ruled Rhodesia yesterday had and Mangazba at the hearing, altheir day in court here postponed though he had learned just for at least another 2 weeks. Wednesday that he was to be reThe two, who were arrested in a placed by New York City attorney June 7 fracas in a Harrington cafe, Conrad J. Lynn. Redding said asked that their case be transfer- Lynn was scheduled to be in anothred from Magistrate Court 7, to er trial yesterday, and asked the the Kent County Court of Common postponement to Common Pleas in Pleas. Lynn's behalf. Judge Russell Rash agreed Under questioning by the judge, after Asst. Att. Gen. Ken Abra- Maware said Redding hadn't been ham, who is prosecuting the case, representing the defendant's best agreed to the defense request. On interests. Later outside the courtJuly 11 the two are expected to be room he elaborated, saying they arraigned before Judge Merrill C. disagreed with Redding's advice Trader. that they plead guilty to the lesser, Tapso A. Revesai Maware,'who charges in order to get the others yesterday indentified himself as dropped. an accredited "official observer" U A demonstration outside the at the United Nations representing magistrate's court building -by . the Zimbabwe African Nationalist about a dozen supporters of MaUnion (ZANU), is charged with ware and Mangazba. hindering prosecution and disor- N An exchange at the fringe of derly conduct. His $250 bail was the demostration in which a white I ontinued. Muda Mangazba, Ma- Harrington man threatened Delaware's cousin, who says he is the ware Stata News' columnist Wil&ANU publicity director, had his Uam Hoffman with, "I'll spill your 1775 bail continued on charges of head," if Hoffman ever came to lisorderly, conduct, resisting ar- Harrington. Hoffman had been considered an ally by the ZANU rest, public intoxication and 3d-de- supporters after his first column gree assault. supported their cause. ZANU is trying to overthrow the The incident came after the white minority rule of Rhodesian ZANU defendants and their sup-! Prime Minister Ian Smith through porters greeted Hoffman as a guerilla and other tactics. Ma- friend. Hoffman restrained any ware, who says he's ZANU's top response to the husky, graying i Mangazba (left) and Tapso A. Revesai Maware (right) arrived grinning representative to North America, Harrington man who left the 3gistrate Court 7 in Dover yesterday only to have their arraignment for a courthouse with the three Har- 7 Harrington cafe fracas transferred and postponed another 2 weeks. although he is not recognized by rington policemen who had been -in Fleming photo) the United States or Canadian gov- involved in the arrest of Maware ernments as a diplomat, is in the and Mangazba. Some of HoffU.S. to get political and public sup- man's friends shouted back to the port as well as financial contribu- Harrington man - who was then himself restrained by his three tions. The transfer of the case yester- uniformed companions - that day to a higher court was almost Harrington residents still thought eclipsed by' other events, both in the Civil War was in progress. and out of the courtroom, such as: Hoffman's column drew fire from one side, but the regular news coverage drew complaints from the other. Wilbert L. Cooper, the head of the Kent County NAACP lashed out at the white press representatives, then all whites. "I don't trust the white press," Cooper told two reporters, "In fact, I don't think I trust any white people," he added.

Fr'd4'i -~ i A group gathered outside the Court of Common Pleas on Friday following the arraignment of Tapson A. Mawere and Muda Mangazva, representatives of the Zlibabwe African National Union. Atty. Gen. Richard W. Weir Jr. said In- Staff Photo by Chuck Snyder terventon by the U.S. State Department will have no effect on the prosecution of- the case. Gov. Sherman W. Tribbltt received a letter from the Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs on behalf of the two.

State Dept. Concern Expressed on ZANU By DON GLICISTEI Staff Writer DOVER - The prosecution of two black Rhodesians on charges stemming from a Harrington restaurant incident last month is a matter of "concern" to the U.S. State Department, Gov. Sherman W. Tribbitt has been told. A June 25 letter from Charles A. James, deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, told Delaware's governor the arrest of the pair after a scuffle with police "suggests some disturbing overtones." The two, Tapson A. Mawere, 44, and Muda Mangazva, 38, pleaded not guilty in Dover this morning to charges stemming from the June 7 incident. They were arrested after a bus they were riding from New York to Norfolk, Va. stopped for repairs in Harrlngton. Police were summoned after the management of the restaurant warned the pair they could not consume alcoholic beverages on the premises, police said. The men are self-avowed members of the Zimbabwe African Nationalist .Union (ZANU), a militant black group seeking control of white-dominated Rhodesia. "We are concerned that foreign nationals living in or visiting the United States receive complete fairness and respect in our culture and under our system of laws," James wrote. "Negative impressions of U.S. society or laws can ultimately produce a lack of understanding at best, and a hostility at worst, in other countries around the world, thereby causing a disservice to United States interests and ad- vancement of United States policies." James wrote that the State Department is concerned about "isolated experience" which may distort conditions from what they really are. He concluded with a hope that the "processes of justice" in the Delaware incident will be "in accord with our national objectives." Delaware prosecutors could not be reached for comment on the letter today. While supporters quietly crowded the doorway to the Common Pleas courtroom in Dover this morning, Judge Merrill C. Trader set a trial by jury for July 29. He noted, however, that pretrial motions may cause a delay in the trial. The lawyer for the two men, Conrad J. Lynn of New York, could not be reached for comment immediately. But he indicated earlier that he will ask for removal of the trial to Wilmington. Wilmington lawyer Louis L. Redding denied published reports he had been fired by the Rhodesians, since he had never been the official "attorney of record" in the case. He merely assisted Lynn, he said. Reports that he recommended plea bargaining to the two men were also incorrect, Redding said. He only told the two men of an offer from the attorney general's office, he said.

Tapsou A. Mawere, chief representative for the Zimbabwe The trial of Mawere and Muds Mangava was transferred to African National Union to the U.S., Canadaandthe theCourtofCommonPleas. .4,b ..SSot. Caribbean Is shown after leaving Magistrate Court No. 7. T- e J.

12 * * Morning News, Wilminglon, Del., Saturday, July'12, 1975 U.S. officials concerned a bout Africans' trial From the Dover Bureau A U.S. State Department official has written Gov. Sherman W. Tribbitt suggesting the arrest of two men who claim to represent a South African revolutionary movement may have some "disturbing overtones." But Tribbitt said yesterday he has "absolutely no reservations" about the ability of the two black Rhodesian liberation group members to get a fair trial in Delaware. The pair, Tapson A. Mawere, 44, and Muda Mangazwa, 38, entered not guilty pleas yesterday morning to several charges stemming from their June 7 arrest at a Harrington Restaurant. The attorney for the two Africans was given 10 days yesterday by a Kent County Superior Court judge to file briefs justifying their request to move the trial to Wiltnington. $'In Wilmington, there are more blacks. We would have more of a chance to get blacks on the jury," said Conrad C. Lynn, a black New York lawyer representing the two men. Judge Merrill C. Trader set the jury trial for July 29, although he said the pretrial motions might delay it. The State Department letter came from Charles A. James, deputy assistant secretary of state for African affairs. "We are concerned that foreign nationals living or visiting in the United States receive complete fairness and re- spect in our culture and under our system of laws," the June 25 letter said in part. "I have no reason whatsoever to -believe that any person anywhere in the world is not going to receive a fair hearing under our judicial system," Tribbitt responded. The men claim to be representatives of the Zimbabwe African Nationalist Union, (ZANU), which is seeking to overthrow the rule of white Prime Minister Ian Smith. The men had been on a speaking tour when the bus they were riding stopped at Harrington and they entered a small restaurant there. According to local officials, police were summoned after the management warned them they could not consume alcoholic beverages on the premises. The two pleaded innocent to charges including disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Shortly after their arrest they claimed that they had been the victims of police brutality, but the state attorney general's office said its investigation of the arrest showed no evidence of that. Tribbitt said he would respond to James letter and yesterday received a report from the head of the state police on the incident, but hadn't yet had time to read it. Several blacks and whites demonstrated outside the courthouse in support of Mawere and Mangazwa shortly before noon yesterday. Both men are free on bail.

Trial Of Two Africans The Concern of All Minorities By WILLIAM HOFFMAN The trial of the two Africans, Muda Mangazva and Tapson Mawere, was postponed again Friday. This is the third time they have been to Delaware; the first was to get arrested, the second two were in U connection with . the charges. These two men live a long way from Delaware. It costs money to get here, money for lawyers - they have to pay a Delaware lawyer as well as their own New York Hoffman attorney. What's the purpose of this? They don't want a Delaware lawyer. One year short of two centuries is a But they have to pay one anyway. long time to have to fight for justice. Under this sort of arrangement you lose even if you win. You get arrested, have to post bond, go through the rigmarole of expensive hearings and an expensive trial: it's estimated that the whole show will cost $2,700. This trial is not just about the rights of two brave Africans fighting the most racist regime in the world. It's a trial that concerns all black people and national minorities. If two representatives of a whole liberation movement can be thrown into the slammer and put through this legal monstrosity, it's easy to see what can happen to average black people. Most blacks would still be in jail. Wier Won't Bow To State Dept. DOVER - Atty. Gen. Richard R. arguments by then. Vier Jr. said intervention by the U.S. The two have denied the charges and tate Department in the case of two have said they were victims of police black Rhodesians arrested in brutality, but a statement from Wier's iarrington will have no effect on the office last month declared those ase's prosecution, charges groundless. "We're treating this like any other criminal case, and we certainly won't bow to external pressure to treat it any differently," Wier said. Wier was referring to a letter written by the Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, Charles A. James, to Gov. Sherman W. Tribbitt on behalf of Tapson A. Mawere and Muda Mangazva who were arrested June 7 in a Harrington restaurant. 'The men, arraigned Friday, were charged with a variety of offenses ranging from disorderly conduct to assault. Ajury trial in Court of Common Pleas in Dover has been set for July 29, pending completion of written James' letter to Tribbitt said the State Department is concerned over "isolated incidents" that distort images *of America and do not serve American interests. Mawere and Mangazva are representatives of te Zimbabwe African National Union. a guerrilla group trying to liberate the country commonly known as Rhodesia from its white segregationist rulers. Governor Tribbitt said of the letter, "I have no reason whatsoever to believe that any person anywhere in the world is not going to receive a fair hearing under our judicial system.", LET ME TELL YOU a little about the two Africans who came to America to fight racism and ran into racism in this country. Muda Mangazva is an economics teacher at Hostos Community College in the Bronx. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. candidate at the New School for Social Research. Tapson Mawere is a graduate of Cornell with a degree in agricultural engineering. He works full-time for the cause of freedom for his people in Zimbabwe. These are the two dangerous men the state claims assaulted six policemen. Conrad Lynn, an outstanding civil rights lawyer, is handling the defense of Mangazva and Mawere. The court evidently feels that this man who practices in front of the U.S. Supreme Court needs help from a Delaware lawyer. What is needed, if the phrase "trial by your peers" is not to be a joke, is an all- black jury. Of course, there shouldn't be any trial at all. Mangazva and Mawere have gotten a good deal of support from all over the east and south, and even from Chicago and San Francisco. Progressive longshoremen on east coast ports have been refusing to unload Rhodesan chrome, and have really put a dent in the exports of Ian Smith's disgusting apartheid government. THE AFRICANS are supported by black professors and students at Southern University who were the people who sparked the first boycott of chrome from Rhodesia. Tapson Mawere and Muda Mangazva should be honored by the people of this state. They are genuine heroes. Mawere has gone into the deep south, and right in the heart of Klan country has spoken to black people, in the finest tradition of people struggling for dignity. The Africans need funds. The expense of the trial necessarily cuts down on the money they have to travel the country in behalf of the Zimbabwe people. Contributions can be sent to the American Committee on Africa, 164 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016. b cI ,5eypW 5W. -:013

2,- State News & Daily Eagle, Thursday, July 24, 1975 ZANU Lawyer Asks Dismissal of Charges By DON GLICKSTEIN Staff Writer DOVER - Citing pre-trial publicity and "hopelessly tainted" charges the lawyer for two black Rhodesians arrested in Harrington has asked the Delaware Court of Common Pleas to dismiss the charges against them. In lieu of a dismissal, the trial, now scheduled for July 29, should be moved out of Dover, New York attorney Conrad J. Lynn asked Judge Merrill C. Trader in motions filed this week. The Rhodesians, Tapson A. Mawere and Muda Mangazva, were arrested June 7 and charged with offenses ranging from hindering prosecution to disorderly conduct and assault stemming from an incident in a Harrington restaurant. . The men are presentatives of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), a militant group trying to overthrow the white segregationist government of Rhodesia. Lynn says the group has official observor status at the Uited Nations. Zimbabwe is the African name for Rhodesia. Lynn, in his court motions, also asked the prosecuting Attorney General's office for a detailed bill of particulars on facts surrounding the case. The bill of particulars should include whether any-electronic eavesdropping devices were used against the two men, whether an alcohol detection test was given them, and - whether any police received medical attention. If the Attorney General is not forced by the court to make a bill of particulars, the defendants risk encountering "the fabrication of events to accord with local prejudice, " Lynn said. The two Zimbabweans claim they were "brutally assaulted by so-called peace officers," according to a Lynn affadavit. Mawere is .charged with hindering prosecution. Mangazva is charged with public intoxication, resisting arrest, assault and disorderly conduct. A charge of disorderly conduct against Mawere was dropped. The chief contribution to the pre-trial publicity was a statement by "the Attorney, the chief officer of law enforcement in the State of Delaware...in which he expressed confidence that the police had acted properly," according to a Lynn affadavit. Deputy Atty. Gen. Kenneth Abraham, the prosecutor, actually issued the statement after what he said was an investigation hito the police brutality charges at the request of Attorney General Richard R. Wier Jr. Because of the statement, the defendants' chances of getting a fair trial are "fatally impaired," Lynn said. The lawyer described the Zimbabweans as "refugees from racial and political repression." A hearing on Lynn's motions will probably be held July 29, the scheduled trial date, according to Judge Trader. The trial date may be postponed, he said, but added that he has received no request for a postponement from either of the lawyers. Africans Haunted by Ritual Disclaimers By PATRICIA HOFFMAN Staff Writer Newswise, some people rate, and some don't. A case in point. Consider the saga of the two Africans - there seems to be general agreement on their origins, at least - who were arrested in Harrington, lo those many moons ago. For weeks their case has been prominently featured on the pages of area newspapers, and in publications as far southwest as Washington. But hardly ever are the two men referred to simply by name and title. Instead, readers get the ritual disclaimers: "Tapson Mawere and Muda Mangazva, claiming to be representatives for ZANU, an organization purporting to be... etc." In the first few days when the case was developing, such uncertainty and tentativeness were understandable. But surely enough time has now elapsed for newspeople to identify them by name and title without all this rigmarole. Other public figures aren't put through this hassle. One doesn't see Henry Kissinger, say, referred to as the Continued on Page 7 "alleged Secretary of State." But suppose this same diffidence were indeed applied to other newsworthy happenings. An unsentimental reporter, steeled to give only the facts as he sees them, might file the following dispatch: "(WASHINGTON, D.C.) A man calling himself the president of Mexico was received on the White House iawn yesterday by Gerald R, Ford, who claims to be president of the U.S. The self-styled Mexican leader, one Luis Echeverria, was accompanied by a woman reputed to be his wife, and also by two of their alleged children. The Echeverrias are making what is reported to be a state visit to Washington, and will remain here for four days, according to Ron Nessen. who, when questioned, identified himself as White House press secretary "

I Keep My Powder Dry 12 NEWS WEEK, WEEK OF JULY 17-23, 1975 Bv Jack Costelin " BLACKS WANT BLACK INK: Chapter two in the Big Put-On was played out in Common Pleas Court here last week. The two Black Rhodesians who got themselves arrested last month in Harrington showed up with their New York lawyer and got a jury trial set for July 29 and probably a change of location, to Wilmington. T1eft lawyer, who, no doubt, never heard of Dover before he arrived here last week, made an immediate analysis that a black couldn't get a fair trial here. and Wilmington would be better because more blacks would be on a jury up there. After watching the two revolutionaries perform every time a camera was turned on them (see the picture page) it strikes me that this whole thing is a phony. They certainly knew, having been in this country for years, that one cannot bring alcoholic beverages into a diner. They were M arrested to draw publicity to their cause, which is to forcibly overthrow the white government of Rhodesia. Now they want to go to Wilmington, where tle courtroom will be bigger, and they'll be able to draw more bleeding-heart ,":'. " pickets who will demand justice. And there will be more ,, " -i. reporters . . . and cameras..: .- ::

20 e * Morning News, Wilmington, Del., Thursday, June 12, 1975 NAACP protests Harringto The central Delaware branch of the NAACP has added its voice to a growing protest over treatment of two Rhodesians arrested in Harrington over the weekend. Wilbert L. Cooper, president of the Kent County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said last night the cases against Tapson A. Revasai Maware and Muda Mangazba will probably be transferred to a higher court after a hearing at Dover's Magistrate Court 7 tomorrow. Maware, according to police and local black leaders, is representative to the United Nations and Canada of the Zimbabwe African Nationalist Union (ZANU), and his cousin, Mangazba, is publicity director. Cooper said Maware is "a big wheel" in the movement to gain control of Rhodesia for its black masses, now ruled by the whitesupremacist administration of Ian Smith. Last Saturday night, Maware and Mangazba were on their way to Norfolk, Va. for a speaking engagement, when they were arrested by Harrington police on a spate of charges, including disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. A melee ensued after the two men allegedly took liquor into a restaurant, and were told they n case could not drink because the place did not have a liquor license. Maware, of Jamaica, Long Island, N.Y., could not be contacted last night. Cooper said he and aides went to Delaware Correctional Center, near Smyrna, Sunday morning after the pair was released under bail following an all-night stay. Cooper said Mangazba was barely able to walk, and had a deep #ash on his right shoulder. He said Mangazba told them he was kept in a room with "maximum security" written on the door, and forced to sleep in the cold cell in his underwear. Cooper said the NAACP will seek legal aid for the pair, and urge investigation of the treatment of Mangazba by police and corrections officials. Maware and Mapgazba say they have been in the U.S. since 1962 promoting ZANU.-Other Rhodesian liberation groups claim Maware is not an official representative to the U.N., and U.N. officials yesterday were at a loss to explain the status of the two men. Delaware members of the Congress of African Peoples and the NAACP say they have heard Maware's lectures before, and verified Maware's diplomatic status.

State News & Daily Eagle, Sunday, June 29, 1975- 7 Case of the Africans Critic Wrong on U.S. Aid to Racist Regime By WILLIAM HOFFMAN Some fellow named Toady from Greenwood, Del., has been writing to this newspaper pooh-poohing the case of the two Africans who were arrested June 7 after an incident in a restaurant at Harrington. Today is saying that he's been in touch with some white Rhodesians. The Rhodesians evidently told him that the two Africans represent a terrorist organization that kills other Huffman Africans. Toady then said the U.S. does not give aid to the racist Rhodesian government. Nothing could be further from the truth. Rhodesia is openly running advertisements asking for white mercenaries to come and fight for the apartheid government of Ian Smith. These are American newspapers, and it is clear the U.S. government could stop the ads if it wanted. Can anyone imagine a U.S..newspaper being allowed to run an ad for mercenaries to fight agains the Smith regime? The United Nations is officially boycotting Rhodesian chrome. Most nations in the world honor this boycott, but not the U.S. If the U.S. did honor the boycott the Smith government would fall in a matter of weeks. Ergo, Toady is wrong when he says the U.S. gives no aid to the racists in Rhodesia. The case of the Africans came to Court No, 7 Friday and was transferred to another court. The only fair trial, of course, would be no trial. Two different people employed at Court No. 7 called the two Africans "boys." Also, at the court hearing,. reporters had a tough time getting in. Wilbert Cooper who writes for the Delaware Spectator almost didn't make it, and so did a reporter representing the New York Times. "I hope the guy from the Times doesn't get in," said one of the supporters of the Africans. "Then there really will be a story." The judge came to his senses and finally let the guy in. However, this columnist was not allowed in, although Barbara Miller, a magistrate, was. Now Barbara Miller is a fine person, and maybe she'll write something about what went on, but she herself said she was only there out of curiosity. There were a large number of people who showed up and a large number who didn't get in, though trials are supposed to be open to the public. If the room is too small, they should get a bigger one. Back to Toady. He doesn't even try to red-bait, he comes right out and accuses this columnist of being. a Communist. Toady should let his readers know if he is a member of the Fascist John Birch Society, or maybe some reporter who he likes to criticize will do the job for him. Toady said the wire services didn't cover the case. Amazing! The Associated Press was at the trial. Anyway, the day was an interesting one. Some provacateur wanted to fight; there were loads of plainclothes cops, and even a picket line outside the court. The 20th Century is catching up with Delaware.

Trial Of Two Africans 5kkvetw J A1113 The Concern of All Minorities By WILLIAM HOFFMAN The trial of the two Africans, Muda Mangazva and Tapson Mawere, was postponed again Friday. This is the third time they have been to Delaware; the first was to get arrested, the second two were in P connection with . the-charges. These two men live a long way from Delaware. It costs money to get here, money for lawyers - they have to pay a Delaware lawyer A as well as their own New York Hoffman attorney. What's the purpose of this? They don't want a Delaware lawyer. But they have to pay one anyway. Under this sort of arrangement you lose even if you win. You get arrested, have to post bond, go through the rigmarole of expensive hearings and an expensive trial: it's estimated that the whole show will cost $2,700. This trial is not just about the rights of two brave Africans fighting the most racist regime in the world. It's a trial that concerns all black people and national minorities. If two representatives of a whole liberation movement can be thrown into the slammer and put through this legal monstrosity, it's easy to see what can happen to average black people. Most blacks would still be in jail. Wier Won't Bow To State Dept. DOVER - Atty. Gen. Richard R. arguments by then. Vier Jr. said intervention by the U.S. The two have denied the charges and tate Department in the case of two have said they were victims of police ilack Rhodesians arrested in brutality, but a statement from Wier's iarrington will have no effect on the office last month declared those ase's prosecution. charges groundless. "We're treating this like any other icriminal case, and we certainly won't bow to external pressure to treat it any differently," Wier said. Wier was referring to a letter written by the Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, Charles A. James, to Gov. Sherman W. Tribbitt on behalf of Tapson A. Mawere and Muda Mangazva who were arrested June 7 in a Harrington restaurant. ,The men, arraigned Friday, were charged with a variety of offenses ranging from disorderly conduct to assault. Ajury trial in Court of Common Pleas in Dover has been set for July 29, pending completion of *written James' letter to Tribbitt said the State Department is concerned over "isolated incidents" that distort images 'of America and do not serve American interests. Mawere and Mangazva are representatives of tde Zimbabwe African National Union. a guerrilla group trying to liberate the country commonly known as Rhodesia from its white segregationist rulers. Governor Tribbitt said of the letter, "I have no reason whatsoever to believe that any person anywhere in the world is not going to receive a fair hearing under our judicial system." One year short of two centuries is a long time to have to fight for justice. LET ME TELL YOU a little about the two Africans who came to America to fight racism and ran into racism in this country. Muda Mangazva is an economics teacher at Hostos Community College in the Bronx. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. candidate at the New School for Social Research. Tapson Mawere is a graduate of Cornell with a degree in agricultural engineering. He works full-time for the cause of freedom for his people in Zimbabwe. These are the two dangerous men the state claims assaulted six policemen. Conrad Lynn, an outstanding civil rights lawyer, is handling the defense of Mangazva and Mawere. The court evidently feels that this man who practices in front of the U.S. Supreme Court needs help from a Delaware lawyer. What is needed, if the phrase "trial by your peers" is not to be a joke, is an all- black jury. Of course, there shouldn't be any trial at all. Mangazva and Mawere have gotten a good deal of support from all over the east and south, and even from Chicago and San Francisco. Progressive longshoremen on east coast ports have been refusing to unload Rhodesian chrome, and have really put a dent in the exports of Ian Smith's disgusting apartheid government. THE AFRICANS are supported by black professors and students at Southern University who were the people who sparked the first boycott of chrome from Rhodesia. Tapson Mawere and Muda Mangazva should be honored by the people of this state. They are genuine heroes. Mawere has gone into the deep south, and right in the heart of Klan country has spoken to black people, in the finest tradition of people struggling for dignity. The Africans need funds. The expense of the trial necessarily cuts down on the money they have to travel the country in behalf of the Zimbabwe people. Contributions can be sent to the American Committee on Africa, 164 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016. b :C