Telegram by Alfred Nzo, Secretary-General of the ANC, to the UN Secretary-General, 4 March 1981

"On 30 January 1981, during the barbaric attack on ANC residences in Maputo, the racist South African troops captured three ANC members, Selby Mavuso (26), David Thobela (26) and Thibe Ntsekang (25). Unconfirmed reports say the South African Government is preparing to charge them under security laws.

"On 19 February 1981, South African police abducted another ANC member, Daya Joe Pillay, from Swaziland where he was granted political asylum and worked as a teacher at St Joseph's High School.

"ANC appeals to the United Nations to take urgent action to secure their release and hand over to the Governments of Mozambique and Swaziland."1

Footnotes

  1. In a press statement on 10 March (GA/AP/l181), the Chairman of the UN Special Committee against Apartheid denounced this new act of international banditry by the Pretoria regime which has a long record of kidnapping opponents of apartheid from neighbouring countries, in flagrant violation of international law and in defiance of United Nations resolutions. He urged Governments to exert their influence to persuade it to release the four persons forthwith and return them to the Governments of Mozambique and Swaziland.