A MILESTONE IN POLITICAL TRIALS by R. Mutch*
Politician: "seeeand we will form a Department of Shipping."
Member of audience: "But Bechuanaland is landlocked and has no ships."
Politician: "That's 0.K.e, South Africa has a Minister of Justice."
This joke is widely circulated in the African territories adjoining the Union of South Africa,
Political trials are nothing new to South Africa but of late another milestone has been passed. The political "show trial" has made its obscene debut as was to be expected in a racialist, fascist state with its titulary messiah = Dr. Verwoerd. The technique of show trials is, of course, well known in recent political history but itis the trials of Nazi Germany that a pear so horrifyingly parallelled by this first South African manifestation. This is to be expected in view of the similarity of beliefs.
The necessary paraphernalia has been in existence, now it has been assembled. The Party judge, the ominiscient Special Branch (Political Police) with unlimited powers of arrest and detention without trial in solitary confinement; the technique of brainwashing and torture knowm and used (the former is in its infancy and may remain so, for "supermen" have never had much use for it); the prisoner held incommunicado as long as the police desire and the deaths of many political prisoners unable to stand up to torture; much of this has been documented but it is doubtful if more than a fraction has been exposed,
Police torture is an accepted part of the scene in South Africas so much so that when an African was tortured to death, in ea case involving £10, the police officer responsible pleaded for leniency when prosecuted. The grounds offered were that torture is used extensively "in every police station in South Africa" and that this death was not exceptional. Torture, indefinite solitary confinement, etc. are know and accepted; what is new is the "Reichstag Fire" type show trial,
This was typified in the trial of John Harris which has just come to an. end. John Harris was accused of placing a bomb in Johannesburg station. He has been sentenced to death and will soon be executed. A number of curious circumstances presented themselves in this trial:
- Harris was savagely beaten over a period of two weeks, so badly that another prisoner who had known him before failed to recognise him when they passed one another going to and from the interrogation room. The beatings resulted in concussion, a fractured skull, a broken jaw and, it is said, broken ribs.
- After being kept incommunicado in solitary confinement for some three months a dazed and broken Harris was. presented to the white public and court, both thirsty for revenge. His lawyer stated that he was unable at this juncture to . plead for Harris as Harris was unable to talk to him and requested a deferment of the trial which was refused. Examination by a panel of competent psychiatrists was refused 2s was a medical examination of Harris, With obscene haste Harris was condemned to death.
A number of facts have, however, clandestinely emerged from the proceed= ings. A phone call was received by the police about 15 minutes before the bomb explosion informing them of where and when it would take place. They took no action whatsoever. It is well knowm in South Africa that the Special Branch harboured great personal animosity for John Harris for his courageous stand on multiracial sport. Some months previously his passport was withdrawn a few hours before he was due to leave for Britain. He was served with the customary order * A member of the South African Resistance Group who has recently escapede