from Bob Pennington
The South African Supreme Court has rejected the appeal of Br. Neville Alexander and his ten comrades, A muinber of further requests for assistance have been received by the British Alexander Committee, A statement issued by the All-African Conven‘inn (AAC) and Unity Movement, from their Lusaka headquarters informs us that the former Unity president, Leo Linda Sihlali, and Louis Leo Mtshiza of East London have been arrested by the South African Government,
Sihlali was forced to resign as the Unity Movement president when the Government slapped a five-year ban on him, He was placed under house= arrest; prohibited from membership of any of the affiliates of the Unity Movement; not allowed to receive visitors and compelled to make regular reports to the police. During his teaching career, this former graduate of the University of South Africa had been elected president of the Cape African Teachers! Association, This organisation was banned by the Government and all its executive members dismissed from the teaching profession.
Denied the right to teach, he was forced to move his home and find work as a labourer, His wife, also a qualified teacher, had to take work as a domestic servant. After a police visit to his employers, he was instantly dismissed. From 1960 until 1964 he engaged in political activity around Johannesburg, living in hiding. In 1964 he was placed under house~ arrest, thus denied political and social contact with his fellow men. At this time his eldest child was due to enter the higher primary school, All the principals refused to enrol the child. Only by sending his children to the remote parts of Transkei, was he able to get them into schools,
This persecution made Sihlali decide to flee. Now he is incarcerated in Verwoerd's jail. His children will be evicted from their schools as there will be no one to pay their fees,
Mtshizana, ex-chatrman of the East London branch of the Society of Young Africa, one of the organisations affiliated to the Unity Movement, is a lawyer. His real crime is the prominent role that he has played in the defence of the victims of racial terror. Arrested twice on trumped-up charges, once for unlawful possession of a firearm. the other for failing to produce a pass when demanded by the police. The Supreme Court set aside the conviction awarded by a local magistrate on the first charge, the magistrate dismissed the second charges But Verwoerd's police are persistent, when Mtshizana was briefed to defend some young boys charged under the the Anti-Communism Act he was accused of weakening the State case. Advice he had given to his clients was considered tantamount to attempting to defeat the ends of justiee. He was tried, convicted and sentenced to two years! imprisonment. While his appeal was pending he was allowed out on bail of £500. Before the division of the Supreme Court met, he was arrested along with Sihlali and jailed.
Young paper and its readers gave much assistance and valuable help to in the campaign to publicise the case of the Alexander defendants and assisted our fund raising activities. We are sure that you will recognise the importance of helping these other victims of apartheid and give this case maximum publicity. Readers prepared to help with the work of the committee should write to: The Secretary, Alexander Committee, 27, Thursley House, Holmewood Gardens, London SeWe 2¢