151 Persons Charged With Treason In South Africa

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28157, 21 December 1956, Page 11

151 Persons Charged With Treason In South Africa

(Tv.Z Press Association—Copyright)

JOHANNESBURG, December 19. A crowd of Africans tried to force their way into a makeshift court buildpg today when 151 persons of various races appeared for preliminary hearing or, allegations of treason.

VThile 5000 persons sang hymns outpde the hall, police with linked arms held back scores of Africans who tried » enter the building in the wake of

s van taking food for the accused. The hearing w.-s adjourned after pnly 10 minutes, because some of those e custody said they could not hear rhe proceedings.

The Magistrate ordered loudspeakers B be installed in the hall, which is being used because the local courthouses are not big enough.

Four hours later, this had not been completed, and the Court then adjourned till tomorrow, without any evidence being heard or any statement cf the Crown s case made.

Forty police with revolvers were cn duty, and a motor-cycle policeman drove through the crowd to make way the vanloads of arrested men to enter the premises.

As European, Indian and African pectators left the Court, scores of than gave the “thumbs up" salute of the African National Congress, chanting in African dialect: “We don’t care if they arrest us, but we want our freedom."

With the arrest of another Johannesburg African, the number of people of all races appearing at the preparatory examinaticn rose to 151. An Indian who was arrested at Cape Town at the week-end is in custody in Cape Town, and is not among those appearing today. When he joins the others, the total number of arrested people will be 152.

As defence counsel and the instructing attorneys took their seats, a Queen’s Counsel from Britain. Mr Gerald Gardiner, entered the courtroom. In London, the South African High Commissioner (Dr J. Holloway), today refused to see four Labour members of Parliament who delivered a letter of protest against the recent wave of arrests in South Africa. The M.P.’s, members of the Movepent for Colonial Freedom, originally planned a full-scale deputation at South Africa House. Instead, they delivered i letter expressing “the deep concern of large sections of the British people regarding the arrests of many prominent citizens in South Africa on the charge of treason" and regretting that bail had not been allowed. A resolution condemning the “arbitrary arrests" of opponents of the Gov’mment in South Africa was carried it todays meeting in London of the laticnal executive committee of the [xtour Party. “This further use of executive tower to intimidate and victimise any ! African citizen who actively V’;’’ses racialism and the policy of

white domination, is completely inconsistent with the principles on which the Commonwealth is founded,” the motion said.

. The executive added: “We send our sincere sympathy to those who are courageously opposing racial discrimination m South Africa and pledge them our fullest support.” Mr Morgan Phillips, secretary of the party, said after the meeting that the Labour P rty would consider in the near future what steps it could take to help those arrested and their dependants Throughout the day, a picket of jjoutn African students from Cambridge University stood with black armbands and heads bowed outside the two mam entrances to South Africa House in Trafalgar Square. Their leader carried a large cross. . The students.«who were staging a silent protest, handed in a letter upholding statements by the Anglican Bishops in South Africa condemning racial discrim’nation. The Commission of the Churches nn Internstional Affairs declared in a statement tonight that it was shocked to learn of the mass arrests in South Africa. The commission was established by the World Council of Churches and the International Missionary Council to study and act in the field of international peace and justice.