FBIS3-602
"drafr047_c_94027"
FBIS-AFR-94-047
Document Type:Daily Report
10 Mar 1994
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
Human Rights Commission Issues Weekly Report
MB0903205894 Johannesburg SAPA in English 2018 GMT 9 Mar 94
MB0903205894
Johannesburg SAPA
Language: English
Article Type:BFN
[Human Rights Commission Issues Weekly Repression Report on
the SAPA PR Wire Service]
[Text]
Weekly Repression Report for week no.10 from
02/03/94 to 08/03/94.
Fifty-one deaths and 67 injuries were recorded during this
period.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|Weekly death toll |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| |PWV |Natal |Elsewhere |Total |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|General incid-|9 |39 |-- |48 |
|ents | | | | |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|Security forc-|-- |1 |-- |1 |
|e activity | | | | |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|Attacks again-|1 |1 |-- |2 |
|st security f-| | | | |
|orces | | | | |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|Other inciden-|1 |-- |-- |-- |
|ts | | | | |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|Total |11 |41 |-- |51 |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Main incidents:
The PWV [Pretoria, Witwatersrand, Vereeniging] death toll of
11 shows encouraging signs of decreasing levels of violence in
this sub-region. The past two weeks recorded 16 and 13 deaths
respectively.
Natal's death toll includes another massacre of 11 ANC
[African National Congress] supporters. This is the third
massacre, within a month, in which all the victims have been ANC
supporters.
Bophuthatswana entered the spotlight of repressive activity
during a week of harsh security force action in response to mass
protests.
The HRC [Human Rights Commission] welcomes the Transitional
Executive Council's [TEC] decision to abolish Section 29 in
accordance with the Abolition of Restrictions on Free Political
Activity Act.
See attached report for details
A. Formal repression
Formal repression of persons
Detention without trial
According to the SAP [South African Police], there are
currently 4 people being held under Section 29 of the Internal
Security Act (ISA). One person was detained and 9 were released
under this legislation during the week. On 8 February 1994, the
Transitional Executive Council took the decision to abolish
Section 29 in accordance with the Abolition of Restrictions on
Free Political Activity Act.
There are 18 Congress of South African Students (Cosas) and
Pan Africanist Student Organisation (PASO) members presently
held under Section 50 (ISA). Among them are the president and
secretary of Cosas kwaThema branch.
B. Political violence
General incidents
PWV: 9 deaths and 18 injuries - lower than last week's 13
deaths and 27 injuries. For the third successive week, the death
toll has decreased from the previous week. Of concern this week
is Duduza which accounted for 3 deaths and 11 injuries in 13
incidents. Violence in the township was related to conflict
between ANC and IFP supporting hostel dwellers from Duduza
hostel. The hostel is unique in that it houses hostel dwellers
supporting both the IFP and the ANC and is not divided on ethnic
lines. Tension in the hostel however was reported to have
started on 17 February, when IFP supporters from the hostel
threatened ANC supporters putting up ANC posters in the vicinity
of the hostel. The violence was allegedly sparked off by an
attack on 2 Xhosa-speaking hostel dwellers. Following the
clashes, the township residents came to the assistance of the
ANC supporters, resulting in an attempt to burn down the hostel.
Other reports received included IFP supporters forcing residents
to join the IFP and intimidated residents living in the first
line of houses opposite the Duduza hostel, to evacuate their
homes. Allegations of security force collusion were also
received, isu police allegedly not taking action against IFP
supporters.
In other sub-regions, a female ANC recruitment officer, was
allegedly harassed by IFP who came to her apartment in
Johannesburg; 5 youths, including 2 Cosas members, were
allegedly abducted and assaulted by members of the public, for
allegedly murdering a taxi owner in Soweto; in Sharpeville, a
man was killed and a schoolgirl were assaulted allegedly by
members of the German gang.
The township of Bekkersdal recorded 2 deaths as compared to
last week's toll of 3 deaths and 21 injuries, residents however
report that the township is tense.
Natal: 39 deaths and 32 injuries. Twenty five deaths and 21
injuries were recorded in the Durban sub-region. Inanda (14
deaths and 17 injuries) emerged as a focal point of violence in
the sub-region. This included the massacre of 11 ANC supporters
in Bhambayi. The massacre toll included the deaths of 3 women, 7
injuries and 20 homes torched when the ANC-supporting Congo and
Angola settlements were attacked by a group of alleged IFP
supporters in a 5 hour attack. The ANC's Natal region alleged
that a white man was seen by witnesses at the scene of the
attack, and alleged that ISU [Internal Security Unit] vehicles
blocked the four entrances to Bhambayi during the attack. In
Ndwedwe, 5 people, including 4 women, were killed and 2 were
injured in an attack on a store in the ANC-supporting Sonkombo
area. Other sub-regions affected were N Natal (6 deaths), N
Coast (4 deaths, 11 injuries), Midlands (2 deaths) and S Coast
(2 deaths). In the incidents where the victims could be
ascertained, 1 death was of an IFP member and 17 deaths and 18
injuries of ANC members.
W Cape: no injuries, 3 incidents. In one incident the
Milnerton municipal offices were petrol bombed.
Ciskei: four teachers, including 3 whites, and a child (13)
who was walking by the college, were injured when gunmen
ambushed a minibus entering vunindela teachers' training college.
[words indistinct]
PWV: 7 injuries and 14 arrests all in the East Rand. In
Duduza, a young girl was allegedly shot and injured by members
of the ISU. Two reports were received of security forces
arresting and later releasing people - 8 people attending a
funeral were arrested and later released by members of the ISU
in kwaThema; 6 youths were arrested and assaulted by members of
the SADF [South African Defense Force] in Thokoza.
Natal: 1 death of an ANC member allegedly shot dead by the
SAP in Ntuzuma.
Bophuthatswana: at least 1 injury, 25 arrests in numerous
actions by the homeland security forces attempting to curb the
widespread strike by civil servants and workers, demanding wage
increases, pension payouts, free political and trade union
activity in the homeland. Monitors in the area report that at
the moment action by the security forces is so abundant and
continuous that not all incidents and casualties are being
recorded. Incidents reported include: - police using teargas,
rubber bullets and sjamboks against protesting teachers in
Ditsobotla - 3 ANC Mafikeng officials arrested after a police
raid on their homes - police using teargas to disperse workers
outside the Mafikeng offices of Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) -
at least 10 journalists detained at different times, some being
escorted out the homeland, other journalists were teargassed -
police using teargas against scholars.
OFS [Orange Free State]: 30 arrests at AECI [African
Explosives and Chemical Industries] explosives' factory in
Hennenman during a wage dispute.
Attacks against security forces
PWV: 1 death and 3 injuries in 7 attacks. All but one of the
attacks occurred in the townships of the East Rand. The only
other attack occurred in Mapetla, Soweto, where a off-duty
special constable was shot dead.
Natal: 1 death and 1 injury (of an alleged attacker) in 2
attacks in Inanda and Ezakheni.
W Cape: no casualties in 2 attacks on police in Khayelitsha
and Nyanga.
Bophuthatswana: no casualties. A police vehicle was set
alight and others stoned in Mafikeng.
Right wing actions
Bophuthatswana: the ANC Mafikeng offices were petrol bombed.
C. Other incidents
[words indistinct]
PWV: 1 death and 1 injury in Hillbrow, when a gunman opened
fire on commuters waiting at a taxi rank. The conflict is
reportedly between the Venda and Pietersburg taxi associations.