EPISCOPAL CHURCHPEOPLE for a :REE SOUTHERN AFRICA E 339 Lafayette Street, New York, N.Y. 10012·2725 C (212) 4n ..<JOSS FAX: (212) 9 79 -101 3 S A 30 January'1990 #95 Nelson Mandela The long expected release of Nelson Mandela appears to be within sight. Pretoria's overlords dare not do otherwise, but they stall, terrified. The publication of the world's rrost famous political prisoner's statement to his captors heightens the expectation and the tension. Mandela's release will be seized upon by the South African regime and its allies to declare apartheid dead and a free South Africa assured - so, get rid of those economic sanc­ tions. Ms Winnie Mandela stated on the weekend that her husband would not accept release until the demands of the African National Cong£€S5 ai"1d the VldSS Iemocratic !"lovement are met: release of all poIitical prisoners; end of the state of emergency; lifting of all restrictions on banned organizations and individuals; the end of all political trials and executions. Even with Nelson Mandela free the struggle is not won - it enters a new phase. fure than ever, the international com­ munity must enforce total economic sanctions and all other pressures to complement the drive.for liberation by those Artist's sketoh of NeLson MandeLa brave people in South Africa. as he Looks today oonstruoted from desoriptions from eye witnesses. Last-minute nerves delay Mandela's release date I emergency and Ihe unb&nnin& BUI rhetoric _nen ill thia De K1erk risks provoking! .Johannesburg of Ihe ANC's inlernal ally, !he delicale game ofpre-negotiation trouble on Ihe domeslic front as t Uniled Democratic Franl. He poaturina. Nerves are edp' and well if his Friday speech is too mighl also unveil IOverom~nl Preloria needa to placate Ita 'se­ much of a lel-down. A series of THE freeing of African Na­ plans 10 change lhe law 0II1epa­ curocrata' .. much .. !he ANC riolll and clashes with the police tional Congress leader Nelson rale amenities. does ita auerri1laa, both of during lhe pasl week Suggesls Mandela has been delayed and The release of Mandela, who which see !heir power bases di­ thaI racial lensions are rising ~ is nol now expecled "'!ltil ~ither WI!! jailed 27 yean: -,,0, will be m".ishing if negotiations gel agaL'I - 2ltd dashing of hop'" Ihe second halfofnexl monlh or Jefl unlillaler - possIbly taI<ina underway. over Mandela's release could I early in March. lhe form of an administrative De K1erk wants time 10 pUI louch offa new wave ofunresl. I Wilh 2,000 foreign journal­ announcemenl about 72 hours diplomatic presaure on Ihe The worsl incidenl "'as a riot islll and TV creww flocking inlo before he ii freed. ANC for a modifteation of lhal in cen!ra) Cape Town lasl Tues­ lhe country in anlicipalion of a The lougher issue of lifting statement. Whether he will gel day, when police broke up a release announcemenl on Fri­ Ihe ban on Ihe ANC is likely 10 il is uneenain. The ANC can af­ crowd of about 5,000 demon­ day, when Presidenl F. W. de be laler slill. Al a Cabinel meel­ ford 10 wait more than he can. slraling againsl Ihe inferior Klerk opens Ihe Soulh African ing lasl Wednesday, at which Having raised ao many reform black education syslem. Ihese key decisions were taken, expectations, it is de K1erk who parliament's new session in As police opened up with a Cape Town, govemmenl agenls fresh doubls were raised by faces Ihe problem of time run­ some of P. W. Botha's old 'se­ ning OUI on him and an inlerna­ waler cannon, youlhs raced are scurrying aboul Ihis week­ through lhe SlreelS, smashing end, pUlling OUI Ihe message: curocrals', whose influence has lional backlash selling in if he 'Nol yel-a lillie laler.' been reduced bUI nol com­ takes 100 long 10 deliver. cars and shop windows in an I orgy nOI seen since Ihe !roubles I Sources close 10 de K1erk say pletely eliminated since de Already Ihere is nervousness lhe reason for Ihe delay is Ihal KJerk look over as Presidenl. in Preloria thaI his decision nOI oflhe mid-1980s. I he is worried aboullhe dramalic They are said to have ob­ to announce Mandela's release The Opposilion Democralic I impaCI of announcing Mande­ jected specifically 10 ~ state­ on Friday may cause an 8Oli­ Party has accused Ihe Govern- i la's release, Ihe unbanning of ment, in a communique issued climax similar to the notorious menl of clamping down on pro- , !he ANC and an end 10 Ihe slale afler the ANC's recenl meeting 'Rubicon' speech in 1986. ThaI tests again, after several liberal of emergency all al once. He in Lusaka, lhallhe armed strug­ was when Botha, lhen South months, in order to reassure fears this would look as Ihough gle would be inlensilied unlil Africa's leader, dashed expecta­ whites wilh a show of loughness , Ihe Governmenl was capilulal­ PrelOria accepled ils negolialion lions of a major reformisl 80­ before Mandela'. release. ing in face of Ihe ANC's de­ lerms - and lhat only Ihen nouncemenl and instead made a belligerenl 'no movemenl' For lheir parl, Ihe black mands. would il be suspended. movemenls appear to be slep­ 'I don'l Ihink you'll gel Ihe This appeared 10 be no more Slalemenl which sel off lhe wonl financial crisis in the ping up polilical prolesls as 3 whole lilany all al once,' one than a rhelOrical gesture 10 pla­ means of increasing pressure on source said. 'Il's more likely 10 cale Ihe guerrillas in the ANC's country's hislory. a regime Ihey saw as wavering 'Don't gel it wrong -Ihis is be phased.' mililary wing, particularly in and gelling ready 10 lalk. On this expectation, de K1erk lighl of a slalemenl al Ihe same nol anolher Rubicon,' !he gov­ Il makes for a volalile silUa­ is likely 10 make a firm declara­ meeling by Ihe movemenl's aCI­ ernmenl messengers are saying lion of inlenl on Friday, fol­ ing presidenl, Alfred Nzo, Ihal anxiously as Ihey allempl tion, in which any wrong move lowed by an announcemenl of a Ihe ANC lacked Ihe capacily 10 to damp down joumalisls' ex­ over Mandela could ignite 3 parlial liffing of Ihe Slale of inlensify its armed struggle. pectalions. powder-keg. Human Rights Commission - Fact Paper 5 Hangings in South Africa (excluding Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and Ciskei) 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 132 133 130 95 100 90 115 137 121 164 117 Hangings in South Africa (including Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and Ciskei) 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 132 138 132 100 107 93 130 165 129 181 121 4.Death row representative in respect of an appeal or any other matter, must take place within Sight and hearing 3. Statistics 'They are taken down a long. barred corridor, distance of a member or special warder of the prison From the creation of the Union of South Africa in through 1I series of gates, with 1I lot of clanking services. 1910 until the end of 1988 over 4 200 persons have and unlocking. A low murmuring song of the Offidal comment from the prison services been hanged in South Africa. From 1978 until the end other prisoners will accompany them and often emphasises that those on death row are treated with of 1988 a total of 1 335 people were executed in South those who are to be executed ago sing consideratior and respect. They are afforded greater Africa (excluding the nominally independent rhythmically as they take their lut walk... privileges than long-term prisoners and "there is no "homelands"), the number exceeding 100 each year The whole prison is silent at the end. You restriction on visits from families or friends; except for 1981 and 1983. cannot really hear it, it is more of a shudder. prisoners are allowed to buy a 'reasonable amount' of In 1987, 164 people were executed at Pretoria Then, strangely enough, life continues: tuck and cigarettes or tobacco; there is no restriction on the number of letters they may receive; they are Central Prison, the highest annual figure ever in not expected t.o do labour or exercises; tranquilisers, South Africa's history. In one week in December 1987, These are the words of Breyten Breytenbach, well ~xecuted prescribed by a doctor, will be given to them on 21 people were in groups of seven on three known exiled South African poet, who spent two of request; they are given a prescribed diet; the head of different days. ht the end of June 1989 there were 274 his seven years in prison for treason in Pretoria the prison visits them regularly to carry out people on death row. Central Prison, the prison where most of South 'reasonable requests'; they are given spiritual books In the five years between 1983 and 1987,627 Africa's executions take place. and spiritual leaders visit them regularly; medical people were executed in South Africa. It took Britain l1le convictt;d person will be taken by the deputy help is available, and women may use make-up, hair half a century to hang about the same number of sheriff to the prison stipulated by the minister, which solutions and deodorants." (A prison services people, namely U32. The 1987 figure of 164 executions would normally be Pretoria Central Prison. There the spokesperson quoted in Die Beeld, 26 July 1983,) was four more than Iran with a population of 47 prisoner will be placed in a cell on his or her own or million and 32 more than China with a population of with other death row prisoners, but totally apart 5.The execution two billion.