Description
This day began with Dr Yutar informing Judge De Wet that he wished to clarify a misunderstanding which arose as a result of Mr Berrange’s cross-examination of John Tshingane on Friday. Dr Yutar explained to Judge De Wet that the court had been given the impression that Mr Berrange had been reading from the trial records – of the case against Harold Strachan, Govan Mbeki and Jack Joseph – stating that the two youths from the Transkei had admitted to having committed an act of sabotage in Engcobo, Transkei, on the same night bombs were set off at Famesbry [Fransby] and the Labour Department in Port Elizabeth (Items 40 and 50 of Annexure B).
Dr Yutar stated that what Mr Berrange had actually read from was records of the proprietary examination for the trial and not the actual trial records themselves. Dr Yutar went on to explain that in the actual trial record the evidence was that the explosion at Engcobo had taken place 24hours after those in Port Elizabeth. In addition to this by the time of the Harold Strachan Trial one of these youths had disappeared completely, and had still not been found, and the other was charged with perjury in relation to his statements.
Mr Berrange assured the court that he had merely said that it was evidence given for the Harold Strachan Trial but Judge De Wet agreed with Dr Yutar, that it had been wrongly implied that it was in fact the actual court record. In order to clarify these issues formally Dr Yutar recalled W/O Jordaan to give evidence.
Perhaps the most significant moment on this day was the reading of the document Operation Mayibuye which the state claimed had been found lying open on a table in the Thatched Cottage at Liliesleaf Farm on the day of the Rivonia raid. The document was said to have been “the cornerstone of the whole case” by Dr Yutar and, as such, was read in its entirety to the court.
On this day witnesses also gave evidence regarding acts of sabotage in Johannesburg as well as the arrest of Accused No.3, Denis Goldberg, and others at the Mamre campsite. The day was concluded with Dr Yutar’s further reading of documents found during the raid of Liliesleaf Farm in Rivonia.
Witnesses Called
104th State Witness: Warrant Officer Johannes Jordaan – Security Branch, Port Elizabeth. (Recalled).
Further examination-in-chief by Dr Yutar.
W/O Jordaan explained that it was Win Mbandla who had escaped from custody and disappeared just before the trial of Harold Strachan, Govan Mbeki and Joseph Jack was about to start. The other Transkei youth, Sisa Dukada, was charged with perjury in connection with the evidence he gave at the Supreme Court which differed significantly which his evidence given in Port Elizabeth whilst in custody. W/O Jordaan stated that he was aware of the sabotage attack in Engcobo for which Sisa Dukada had been charged. He testified that there was more than enough time for the two youths to have travelled from Port Elizabeth, after the acts of sabotage were committed there, to Engcobo to carry out a further attack the very next night.
Cross-examination by Mr Berrange.
Under cross-examination W/O Jordaan confirmed that the whereabouts of Win Mbandla were still unknown to the police. Mr Berrange read from the statement made by Sisa Dukada at Port Elizabeth and W/O Jordaan confirmed that during the trial this Sisa dukada admitted that the evidence in this statement was hearsay and it was on this basis that he was charged with perjury and subsequently acquitted. W/O Jordaan did not deny that Dukada may have told the court that he had left PE before the 16th and had claimed that the reason they had not carried out the sabotage attack on the 16th was because it had been raining in Engcobo and they could not have done so. Mr Berrange puts it to W/O Jordaan that Sisa Dukada’s evidence had been that they had left PE at 7.15pm in the evening prior to 16th December, 1961.
Mr Berrange then, for the purpose of the record, gets W/O Jordaan to confirm that Accused No.4, Govan Mbeki, had been charged in relation to the sabotage at Engcobo and acquitted.
No re-examination.
Following the cross-examination of W/O Jordaan, Dr Yutar proposed to continue dealing with the Rivonia documents by reading out one, Exhibit R71, which was “most important for the state” and should be read at an early stage “while everyone is still fresh”. The document was found in Room One, the Thatched Cottage, and was entitled “Operation Mayibuye”. Mr Fischer told Judge De Wet that the defence had been furnished with copies of this document and did not feel that it was necessary to have it read out to the court. Judge De Wet seemed to have, at least partially, agreed with Mr Fischer and asked Dr Yutar if he could just read the points which were key for the state’s case. In response to this Dr Yutar said the following:
Well, My Lord, may I say this document is the cornerstone of the whole case. It’s so important that I feel almost I have to read every comma and full stop, My Lord. It’s terribly important my lord.
Thereafter, Dr Yutar began to read, slowly and steadily, the whole of Operation Mayibuye. The document outlined a detailed plan for the seizing of state power in South Africa through acts of sabotage followed by guerrilla warfare assisted by foreign state intervention. One key extract from the document read as follows:
The following plan envisages a process which will place in the field, at a date fixed now, simultaneously in pre-selected areas, armed and trained guerrilla bands, who will find ready to join them local guerrilla bands with arms and equipment at their disposal. It will further coincide with a massive propaganda campaign both inside and outside South Africa and a general call for unprecedented mass struggle throughout the land, both violent and non-violent. In the initial period, when for a short while the military advantage will be ours, the plan envisages a massive onslaught on pre-selected targets which will create maximum havoc and confusion in the enemy camp, and which will inject into the masses of the people and other friendly forces a feeling of confidence that here at last is an army of liberation equipped and capable of leading them to victory.
In addition to the above, the document outlined a host of committees which would be set up in order to facilitate the armed over-take of state power and the transition to a new government. Under the heading “Personnel” the document provided the following details of who was to be in-charge of the named committees and what their immediate duties would be:
a) Intelligence Department: Alex Secundus Otto.
b) External Planning Committee: Johnson, Thabo and Joseph together with a senior A.N.C. rep. as well as so-opted personnel seconded to us by friendly governments.
c) Transport Committee: Percy Secundus Mbata.
d) Logistics Department: Bri-bri Secundus Frank.
e)
Special Directives to Heads of Departments
The Heads of Department are required to submit not later than 30th May, 1963, plans detailing: -
a) The structural organisation of their Department.
b) The type and number of personnel they require to be allocated to them and their duties and functions.
c) The funds required for their work both for immediate and long term purposes.
d) Schedule of time required to enable them to fulfil given targets and what these are.
e) Other matters relating to the efficient execution of the Departments’ Plans.
As can be seen in the above extract, the document firmly linked the ANC to the plan for guerrilla warfare and foreign military assisted struggle for state power in the Republic. In addition to this the names listed as Heads of Departments, such as Percy and Bri-Bri [Bree Bree], had been mentioned in evidence by previous state witnesses as referring to Accused No.10, Andrew Mlangeni, and Wilton Mkwai, respectively.
After reading the whole of the Operation Mayibuye document Dr Yutar did not make any additional comments and simply informed the court that he would be calling his next witness.
108th State Witness: Detective Sergeant Ronald Louis Swart – Security Branch, Uitenhage.
Examination-in-chief by Dr Yutar.
D/Sgt Swart was yet another investigating officer called to give evidence by the state regarding certain acts of sabotage which took place in the Eastern Cape Province. In his examination-in-chief D/Sgt Swart detailed the following acts of sabotage listed in Annexure B to the indictment:
Item 65: On 8th November, 1962, D/Sgt Swart visited a certain portion of the main railway line near Central Rivy Station 23 bolts had been loosened from railway line. Hamilton Bonani (No. 3), Frans Nxadi (No. 24), and Louis Toukani (No. 32) were found guilty for the act and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment each.
Item 112: On 30th November, 1962, a petrol bomb had been thrown in a room of a man named Rhoxo’s house at Pongola Street. There had been only minor damage and no arrests were made. Rhoxo took no part in politics according to D/Sgt Swart.
Item 113: Same evening as Item 112. A benzene bomb and a petrol bomb had been thown in the house of Nakani, a prominent shop owner whose political affiliations were neutral.
Item 114 Same evening as Items 112 and 113. The house of Bantu Constable Lindwa was damaged by a benzene bomb thrown into sitting room and bedroom. There was minor damage and no arrests had been made.
Item 141: A telephone pole and four of its wires had been cut on Addo Road, Port Elizabeth on 16th January, 1963.
Item 143: Same evening as above. A paraffin bomb was thrown into room of the Irrigation Store outside Addo. As a result venetian blinds and chair burned out.
Item 157: On the night of the 11th or 12th February, 1963, telephone wires were cut outside the Provincial Hospital.
Item 158: On the same night as above both wire leading to farm were cut.
No cross-examination.
109th State Witness: Frank Lesley Smith – Assistant Editor, SAPA.
Examination-in-chief by Dr Yutar.
Frank Smith was the Assistant Editor of the South African Press Association with offices in Commissioner Street, Johannesburg. On 28th June, 1963, Frank Smith received a letter at his offices (Exhibit AP) and it was a full text of an inaugural broadcast made by Radio Liberation from the radio of the ANC on Wednesday 26th June, 1963. As the document had already been read out to the court as Exhibit R. 60 (an identical copy), Dr Yutar simply confirmed that this was in fact what Frank Smith had received. Frank Smith confirmed this and was then excused from court.
No cross-examination.
110th State Witness: Joachim Paulus Siebritz – Post Office Clerk, Saxonwold.
Examination-in-chief by Dr Yutar.
On 20th June, 1963, Joachim Siebritz, was on duty when a completed form (Exhibit AQ), which was an application for a private post box by Mr D. Williams, was handed to him. As a result the post box was rented to Mr. Williams.
No cross-examination.
111th State Witness: Patrick Moore – Clerk, Orlando East.
Examination-in-chief by Dr Yutar.
Dr Yutar explains that he is leading this witness because of the name D. Moore and an associated address which was found on Exhibit T. 53. Patrick Moore said that his sister-in-law’s name was Dorcas Moore and that he received letters at his home address, in Orlando East, which were addressed to D. Moore sometime in 1962. Patrick Moore said that the letter he received was picked up from his house by Duma Nokwe’s wife. Duma Nokwe, according to Patrick Moore, was an advocate but he had only heard from others that he was a member of the ANC.
Further letters arrived at Patrick Moore’s house and one he remembered had been sent from Umtata, Transkei. Duma Nokwe’s wife came and collected all of these letters.
No cross-examination.
112th State Witness: Yusaf Solomon Bokhary – Proprietor, Royal Printers.
Examination-in-chief by Dr Yutar.
Yusaf Bokhary’s company was in Johannesburg and dealt in all general printing. There was a particular imprint with the name of the firm and the date that his company’s printers left on all documents they had produced. Looking around the courtroom Yusaf Bokhary stated that he knew Accused Nos. 5, 2 and 1, Ahmed Kathrada, Walter Sisulu and Nelson Mandela. Yusaf Bokhary had known Nelson Mandela for a number of years and was aware that he was “the leader of the African National Congress. Nelson Mandela had engaged Yusaf Bokhary on several occasions to do printing for the ANC.
Dr Yutar produced a letter handwritten by Nelson Mandela which had been personally handed over to Yusaf Bokhary, requesting a large order of pamphlets to be printed for the ANC. Yusaf Bokhary did fulfil this and a second order and was paid by Nelson Mandela on both occasions in 1961. These two pamphlets were submitted as Exhibits AR and AS.
Cross-examination by Mr Berrange.
Mr Berrange told Judge De Wet that at this stage he simply wanted to clarify the content of these two leaflets with Yusaf Bokhary. Both of the leaflets had been issued by the All-In African National Action Council. Yusaf Bokhary claimed that he did not know what this organisation was. Mr Berrange went on to summarise that the one leaflet addressed to students and scholars dealt with the imminence of the Republic and made reference to the All-In African Conference which was held in Pietermaritzburg in March, 1961. The document complained that the opinion of the African people had not been sort in the establishment of the Republic. The document called upon people to participate in up-coming demonstrations, to boycott the forthcoming Republican celebrations, and to popularise the Maritzburg Declaration.
The second leaflet addressed to the people of South West Africa dealt with the same subject of complaint and referred to a forthcoming strike at the end of May.
No re-examination.
113th State Witness: Cyril Egnal – Auditor, Ruron (Pty) Ltd.
Examination-in-chief by Dr Yutar.
Dr Yutar informed Judge De Wet that he was leading this witness because the company name Ruron (Pty) Ltd., for which Cyril Egnal was appointed as an auditor, had appeared in the books of the firm James Kantor and Partners. Cyril Egnal had been appointed by Julius First of the company Ruron, whom he had known since about 1940. Cyril Egnal believed that Julius First had leftist political views and that he was currently in England. When asked by Dr Yutar, Cyril Egnal stated that he and his colleagues had no idea where the books for Ruron were.
The minor shareholders of Ruron where Julius First and his wife Mathilda First who each held one share. The major shareholders were his daughter, Ruth Slovo, and his son, Ronald First, who each held 499 shares. Cyril Egnal said that the company had been formed for the purpose of trading and with the object of diverting certain personal assets of Mr and Mrs First to the company which sold sewing machines. Cyril Egnal was then required to go over the turnover of the company for the period 1959 to 1962.
According to Cyril Egnal he and his co-workers could not complete the audit for the year end of 1963 because the books, last in the possession of Julius Fist, were not made available. Cyril Egnal stated that the decline in sales could be explained by the fact that the Firsts had struggled to find proper sales staff and had to give up this part of this business. Their main part of trading activities in 1962 was repossessions. The Firsts had also received income from rent on a property they co-owned in Johannesburg and from interest on a loan to a private company. Cyril Egnal was not aware of any sources of income from overseas in the books of Ruron nor was he aware that the company had had any connections with companies overseas.
Dr Yutar then showed a series of receipts of money Ruron received from London and Cyril Egnal said that he had no personal knowledge of the sources of this money.
No cross-examination.
114th State Witness: Pieter Johannes Louw – Superintendent, Mamre.
Examination-in-chief by Mr Krog.
Pieter Louw was a superintendent at the Mamre offices of the Department of Coloured Affairs. Mamre is on the main road between Cape Town and Darling. On 29th December, 1962, a board member gave information to Pieter Louw which led to himself and members of the SAP going to the campsite about four and a half miles away. Pieter Louw and the police officers proceeded on foot to a dense, bushy area obscured from nearby roads, where five tents had been set up.
At first they could see nobody, but after a while Accused No.3, Denis Goldberg, came out of one of the tents and spoke with Pieter Louw and his police companions. According to Pieter Louw, Denis Goldberg refused to give his name. The police officers and Pieter Louw demanded to see the other people who were at the campsite so that they could be counted. In total there were “17 Bantu a few coloureds and 2 Europeans”. Denis Goldberg claimed that he “had permission” for these men to be there but Pieter Louw said that nobody was permitted to camp in the area where they had set their tents up. At a later stage Denis Goldberg did give his real name and was joined in conversation, with the police and Pieter Louw, by advocate Albie Sachs.
Pieter Louw and the police searched the camp and found certain suspicious items, such as a plan of a motor engine, telephone apparatus, a blackboard and a Morse code apparatus, amongst other things. Pieter Louw purportedly told Denis Goldberg and Albie Sachs that they were not allowed to camp at the site where they were currently located. Denis Goldberg then replied that they could not leave the area because of a lack of transport. Pieter Louw then told the two men to remain there until Monday, 31st December. Pieter Louw then went back to his offices and immediately informed the Darling Police Station as to what he had seen.
Pieter Louw describes in some detail the operations he and the police underwent the following day in order to capture Albie Sachs and four black men leaving the campsite with a duplicating machine in their car as well as Denis Goldberg driving away in a separate car. The campsite was searched again and more incriminating items, such as communist records and a gramophone. Haven taken those found at the campsite back to the Darling police station, Lieut. Sauerman and another member of the Security Branch were contacted and arrived about an hour later. Pieter Louw made a report to the two members of the Security Branch and showed took them to the campsite.
Cross-examination reserved.
Dr Yutar then continues with his reading of the Rivonia documents. The exhibits submitted and read to the court at this stage, by Dr Yutar, are listed below with details as given in the notes of the defence team. All of these documents were found in the Coal Shed at Liliesleaf Farm:
Exhibit R.72: A series of maps of Natal Area.
Exhibit R.73: 57 detailed maps of Cape Province.
Exhibit R.74: 8 detailed maps of Orange Free State.
Exhibit R.75: Two road maps of Republic of South Africa.
Exhibit R.76: Three documents
(i) Index, showing complete list of maps put in.
(ii) Index, showing maps of South Africa.
(iii) Magisterial districts of South Africa.
Exhibit R.77: 11 traced copies of maps of South Africa.
Exhibit R.78: 13 copies “On our new draft program” – by Central Committee of S.A.C.P.
Exhibit R.79: Series of wax sheets with addressing people throughout South Africa.
Exhibit R.80: Envelope with three copies “Sibanye”. S.A.; S.W.A. and Mr. Carpio.
Exhibit R.81: New problems of Democratic Movement. (Copy found in Naicker’s wastepaper basket).
Exhibit R.82: “Nats. Invasion Scare”.
Exhibit R.83: Statement by Central Committee of S.A.C.P. (Same as R40)
Exhibit R.84: Handwritten document. Three pages. “Into 1963” Refers to M.K., Pass Laws, etc.
Exhibit R.85: “Fight for wages”. Handwritten.
Exhibit R.86: A number of newspaper cuttings.
(i) 17.12.61. Sunday Express Home Journal, on Kruschev.
(ii) 18.12.61. Transvaler “Sontplogjongs”.
(iii) New Age Hope of Africa.
(iv) Map of British Protectorate.
(v) “Watchman failed Durban Plot”.
(vi) “S.A. Wide Police Nets” – refers to plastic bombs etc.
(vii) Cutting found in plastic cover.
(viii) No record.
(ix) Ben Turok is not at home.
(x) Sunday Times _ 17.12.61 – handbill entitled MH.
(xi) No record.
Exhibit R.87: Book in your languages – deals with explosives etc – (same diagram as one found at Travallyn).
Exhibit R.88: North African Star.
Exhibit R.89: Notes on “Gnl. De Wet”, by E. Rosenthal handwritten.
Exhibit R.90: “J.M. Hertzog” by O. Pirow.
Exhibit R.91: “Survey of Rustenburg Magisterial Area in relation to Native Reserves” – handwritten (Probably Wolpe).
Exhibit R.92: Roneoed document – 3 copies “The New Year – some tasks and perspectives.
Exhibit R.93: “All African National Council”.
Exhibit R.94: “Dear Eddie” – “undated’ – sgd “E.C.L”.
Exhibit R.95: Packet of 58 copies of syllabus – Marxism Advance Classes.
114th State Witness: Pieter Johannes Louw – Superintendent, Mamre. (Recalled).
Cross-examination by Mr Berrange.
Under cross-examination Mr Berrange asked Pieter Louw if he was certain that the record album he had seen at the campsite was not in fact titled “Songs of New China”. Pieter Louw insisted that the album cover he had seen had the words “Red China” on it and not “New China”. Mr Berrange then put it to Pieter Louw that the person who Denis Goladberg had received permission to be at the site from was Herman Johannes, who was not a member of the Advisory Board as was suggested during his examination-in-chief. Mr Berrange went on to state that Denis Goldberg would say that Herman Johannes had given permission to Denis Goldberg on the basis that the bit of ground they were camping on was to be purchased and transferred to Herman Johannes. Pieter Louw responded that the transfer of that land was not possible and if Denis Goldberg had been told that, it was a lie. Pieter Louw went on to say that Herman Johannes had denied that this was true when he was on the campsite and Denis Goldberg was still there. According to Pieter Louw, Herman Johannes was not intentionally at the campsite and may have been walking home when he denied the claims made by Denis Goldberg.
Mr Berrange then asked Pieter Louw to look at Exhibit AT, a rough map of the campsite area, and to tell the court describe the scene as he recalled it. Thereafter, Mr Berrange goes over Pieter Louw’s recollection of first interacting with Denis Goldberg at the campsite and submits Exhibit RE, a copy of the first report he made of people camping at the site.
Re-examination by Mr Krog.
Despite some uncertainty raised by Mr Berrange during cross-examination, Pieter Louw confirms that the place where the five tents had been set up was not visible to a person travelling by car or on foot on either the main road or the gravel road nearby.
No further cross-examination.
115th State Witness: Warrant Officer Jan Wihelm Strumpher [Sharpher] – C.I.D. Pretoria.
Examination-in-chief by Dr Yutar.
W/O Strumpher was attached to the Security Branch in Pretoria and gave evidence of the following acts of sabotage which he investigated, listed in Annexure B:
Item No.84: On 19th October, 1962, W/O Strumpher inspected the scene of the Minister of Agriculture and his Secretary’s offices which had been destroyed by explosives. The total damage amounted to more than R1, 000 and no arrests had been made.
Item No.124: On the same evening as the date above, W/O Strumpher inspected the scene of an explosion which had gone off in a new uninhabited dwelling in the Indian township, Lauduin. The building belonged to the Town Council and the house was due to be occupied by Nana Sita who, according to W/O Strumpher, was one of the main protestors against separate living areas. Nana Sita had refused to occupy the new house and even still now, at the time of the trial, refused to occupy it. Extensive damage to the roof windows and walls had been caused by the explosion.
Item No.148: On 24th January, 1963, W/O Strumpher inspected the Old Synagogue which had suffered minor damage from an explosion which had broken a window at the back of the building. At the scene W/O Strumpher found a detonator tied to several sticks of dynamite with a partially burnt fuse. W/O Strumpher explained that the Synagogue was used as a criminal court and had been used for the Treason Trial and was currently being used for the AMCA case. The abbreviation A.E. & C.I. was imprinted on the dynamite which stood for African Explosives and Chemical Industries.
Item No.159: On 12th January, 1963, a brink was thrown through a window of a Post Office in Pretoria and five sticks of dynamite, with a detonator and fuse, were found by W/O Strumpher on the floor the following day. They had not exploded and thus there was no further damage aside from the broken window. W/O Strumpher commented that the dynamite found at the Post Office was very old.
W/O Strumpher gave evidence regarding AMCOR Magazine, which was just east of Lyttleton, and used to store dynamite and detonators. W/O Strumpher had inspected the place on 12th April, 1963, and his colleagues tried unsuccessfully to open the box which stored these devices there. Thereafter he gave evidence concerning an attempt which was made to cut the main electrical cable from Pretoria to Waterkloof Air Station. W/O Strumpher found a hacksaw at the scene.
Cross-examination reserved.
116th State Witness: Detective Sergeant Wynand Jacobus Wesssels – Special Branch, Vereeniging.
Examination-in-chief by Dr Yutar.
D/Sgt Wessels gave evidence of the following two acts of sabotage he investigated, listed in Annexure B:
Item No.40: On 4th July, 1962, D/Sgt Wessels visited the offices of the Bantu Commissioner in Everton. He found that the office floor was cover in oil and there was a homemade time bomb made with a tin filled with dynamite, chemicals and a fuse. The bomb had not gone off and D/Sgt Wessels secured the area. Attached on one of the wires which surrounded the building D/Sgt Wessels found a large piece of brown cardboard with a blue spearhead drawn one with a blue crayon.
Item No.138: On 11th January, 1963, D/Sgt Wessels received and report and went to the office of the Manager of Non-European Affairs of the Bantu Administration Offices. Near the garage of the building, where a number of ambulances of the Non-European services were parked, D/Sgt Wessels found a tin with dynamite, sulphur and a fuse. According to D/Sgt Wessels, had the attempt been successful the ambulances may have been destroyed.
As had been the case with previous state witness W?O Strumpher, D/Sgt Wessels had handed the explosives found at the scenes of these attempted sabotage attacks to an explosives expert connected with the Security Branch in Pretoria, called Cruywagen.
No cross-examination.
117th State Witness: Detective Sergeant Jacob Petrus Johannes Meyer – Railway Police, Johannesburg.
Examination-in-chief by Dr Yutar.
In total, D/Sgt Meyer, gave evidence of ten cases of sabotage involving railways in Johannesburg. The total damage which amounted from these cases was about R42, 000. Those acts of sabotage evidenced by D/Sgt Meyer were as follows, as listed in Annexure B:
Item No.64: On 29th September, 1962, a radio mast used to broadcast for South African Railways had been damaged by explosives.
Item No.82: On 16th October, 1962, a sub-power plant caught fire and was completely destroyed causing delays in the train services and damage of over R40, 000.
Item No.110: On 29th November, 1962, dynamite and other explosives had been used to destroy a signal box which also resulted in significant delays of train services.
Item No.149: Dr Yutar reminds the court that this had been referred to by Abel Mthembu. On 31st January, 1963, several sheds of dynamite were found on a signal box and cables which had not gone off. No damage had been caused.
Item No. 174: This had also been referred to by Abel Mthembu. On 8th March, 1963, was another unsuccessful attempt in which sticks of dynamite were recovered by D/Sgt Meyer.
Item No.184: This had also been referred to by Abel Mthembu. On 17th April, 1963, an empty building and signal box of the SAR was blown up with dynamite. Vandeyar, Naidoo and Nanabhai were arrested and charged in the Special Court in Johannesburg where they were convicted and sentenced.
Item No. 190. On 26th June, 1963, an SAR trailer parked in Fordsburg, Johannesburg, was found drenched in fuel and with a four-gallon tin of the same fuel placed between its back tires which had been set alight. An estimated R4, 000 of damage was cause.
No cross-examination.
Following the testimony of D/Sgt Meyer, Dr Yutar continues with his reading of the Rivonia documents to the court. Specifically Dr Yutar read more documents which had been found in the Coal Shed as well as some that had been found in Room Four at Rivonia. Below is a list of those documents read by Dr Yutar at this stage taken from the notes of the defence team:
Exhibit R.96: Envelope addressed to Archie, containing pamphlets. “Call to Youth”. Found in the Coal Shed.
Exhibit R.97: Booklet. “War Dept. – Basic Field Manual – Unarmed Defence for American Soldier”. Found in the Coal Shed.
Exhibit R.98: Hermes Portable Typewriter. Found in the Coal Shed.
Exhibit R.99: Smith-Corona Typewriter. Found in the Coal Shed.
Exhibit R.100. Questionaire (30 copies).
Exhibit R.101. Certificate to Motsanai whilst in B.O.A.C. Air Liner. 20.7.62. (Crossing the equator). (viz. Accused No. 1.).
Exhibit R.102. Organisation of a battalion.
Exhibit R.103. Envelope by airmail from S.R. TO Arthur Goldreich. Containing manual on rock blasting in three languages – deals with explosives etc., and how they are made. (Second part of this was handed in as R87).
Exhibit R.104: Four copies of African Communist. April 1960. May, 1961 (Solidarity with S.A.)., Sept., 1961. April/May 1962 (pp. 43 – pp. 48/49 –Umkhonto We Sizwe).
Exhibit R.105: 15 copies of the Rules as Revised by the 6th National Conference of S.A.C.P.
Exhibit R.106. Marxism Today – issues from March, 1961; July, 1961; and April, 1962.
Exhibit R.107: Six booklets - World Marxist Review dated Oct. 1960, Nov. 1960, Dec.1960, (2 copies) Feb. 1961, and March 1962.
Exhibit R.108: Book, “Battle for World”, Max Werner.
Exhibit R.109: “Fundamentals of Marxist-Leninism” – published in Moscow.
Exhibit R. 110: “August Revolution”. (RR 2nd Edn.) Truong Chinh.
Exhibit R. 111: “One Great Offensive” – Max Werner. (1943).
Exhibit R. 112: “Military Strength of the Powers” (1939). Max Werner.
Exhibit R. 113: “Civil War in Spain”. Jellinek (1938).
Exhibit R. 114: “Victory of the People.” Fidel Castro. (1961).
Exhibit R. 115: “Inner-Party Struggle”. Liv Shao – Chi. (Peking).
Exhibit R. 116: “International Policy of Nationalist Party of Guinea”. Tour.
Exhibit R. 117: “British Coal Mining Explosives” Taylor & Gay.
Exhibit R. 118: “Kenya Youth Wing Organization: Duty of Youth Wingers.”, “Selection of Youth Wingers” (Handwritten). With diagram of North Coast of Africa, etc.
Exhibit R. 119: Two pocket diaries. “Advocate Tom Kellock” appears on diary.
Exhibit R. 120: Host of visiting cards from people all over the world.
Exhibit R.121: A number of used wax sheets.
Exhibit R.121A: Rolled off by Police – “Central Committee of SACP.”
Exhibit R.121B: “Revolutionary Way Out” A statement by the Central Committee of the SACP.
Exhibit R.121C: “Differences in Communist Movement”. A Summary for information.
Exhibit R.122: 139 copies of a pamphlet entitled “June the 26th – Freedom Day”. (Same as R.10).
Following the reading of these exhibits, Judge De Wet calls for an adjournment until the next morning
.
Sources
Dictabelts: (Vol.51/6A/114c) (Vol.51/6A/115c) (Vol.51/6A/116c) (Vol.51/6A/117c) (Vol.51/6B/118c) (Vol.51/6B/119c) (Vol.51/6B/120c) (Vol.51/6B/121c) (Vol.51/6B/122c) (Vol.51/6B/123c).
Percy Yutar Papers:
Handwritten notes from the prosecution for 10th February, 1964 (Ms.385/36/7).
Evidence of Cyril Engal (MS.385/5).
Wits Historical Papers:
H1 – H63: Evidence includes that by Florence Ntomela, statements from witnesses, reading of exhibits (AD1844.A8.2).
Key Words
Sabotage, Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Operation Mayibuye, Police Witnesses, Rivonia Exhibits, Harold Strachan Trial, Govan Mbeki, Nelson Mandela, Mamre Camp, Denis Goldberg, Albie Sachs.