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.