Hi, my name is Johnathan Umlutkiti and I am a citizen of Johannesburg and I am also writing to make people aware of all of the turmoil, and terror that has been going on in South Africa for the past 6 years. I have witnessed everything that has gone on since 1943 when most of the craziness started with political groups such as the ANC to the PAC clashing with the government about who should have rights, and what rights those people should have. The disagreements with these rebellious political groups and the South African government have caused many deaths to the people of our country and have scared people away from within and outside of our land.
After the many of the high ranking members of the ANC and PAC were arrested and these group were banned by the government, the remaining members that were hotheaded and now even more furious decided to keep their group going strong but underground so they could still express their beliefs. The military part of the ANC run by Umkhonto we Sizwe targeted specific places like police stations and power plants to make a point but to make sure that no human beings were injured or killed for any reason at all. The PAC military sector of only blacks run by Poqo took a more violent stance by picking out African chiefs and headmen that were supposively working with the government and assassinated them. A few fed up young white students and professionals formed an organization called the antiapartheid African resistance Movement, and executed several bomb attacks killing at least one person at the railway station in Johannesburg.
Although these groups were kept a secret all of the movements and demonstrations attempted were shut down by police by 1964. In 1963 17 Umkhonto high ranking officers were arrested in Rivonia at a farm house including Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu who were already put in jail on other charges but now put in prison for life on treason charges. 6 other officers of those 17 besides Mandela and Sisulu were put in prison for life on the same charges if not similar. Winning a Nobel Peace Prize in 1960, Albert Luthuli was confined in his rural home in Zululand until his death in 1967 by the government. Escaping from South Africa, Tambo became the president of the underground operated ANC in exile. Up until 1967 Robert Sobukwe of Poqo was jailed on Robben Island and then was placed under house arrest in Kimberley and a banning order until he passed away in 1978. After marching into the gallows at the Johannesburg railway station singing “We shall overcome”, he was later hung.
John Vorster, minister of justice and General Hendrik J. van den Bergh who was head of the Bureau of State Security also known as BOSS, put together the plot involving the government to defeat internal resistance. Both of these men were interned for promoting Nazi activity during World War II, after being former members of the Ossewabrandwag. To put down the resistance, Vorster and van den Bergh used new security legislation. To do this the General Law Amendment Act of 1963 allowed the police to detain people for 90 days without charging them and not letting them even contact a lawyer. But then after those people were detained for 90 days, they could then be re-detained for another 90 day period without being charged or being able to contact a lawyer, and since the courts could not order a person’s release, only the minister of justice could. But since he was in on shutting down internal government resistance, these people could be stuck for awhile. Due to his success in shutting down the ANC and the PAC, Vorster became the prime minister South Africa in 1966 after a coloured parliamentary messenger assassinated Verwoerd.
Now that I have witnessed 23 years of argumentation between political groups and the South African government, I would not be surprised if the government continued to argue with rebellious citizens who are fighting to have the rights that they deserve. This government has killed and wounded innocent people who are trying to let their beliefs and dreams be let known to the government so they can live their lives in peace. I would not be surprised to see this continue even though the ANC and the PAC really do not have much leadership anymore, but the desires are still out there of the people who are in these organizations. All I want is this fighting in our country to end and for South Africa to live in peace and harmony with the government and the people, working together to have both of their wants and needs met to make us stronger and more united as people and as a country.
-Johnathan Umlutkiti, February 12th, 1966
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