AFRICANS ON TRIAL

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29998, 6 December 1962, Page 13

AFRICANS ON TRIAL

Court Told Of

Poqo’s Aims (NZ.P.A. -Reuter—Copyright) CAPE TOWN, December 3. One of the aims of the secret Poqo organisation was “the extermination of all whites in South Africa by bloodshed and murer,” a public prosecutor said in court today. The prosecutor, Mr D Brunette, was addressing the Court when three Africans. Joseph Mquitsane, Wellington Makaleni and Aaron Njdkwana, appeared on a charge of murdering three coloured girls. The three men come from Mbekwem, an African township near Paarl, scene of a racial riot last month. ■'lt has now been established that an organisation called Poqo has been responsible for eight murders of an atrocious and savage nature,” Mr Brunette said. He alleged the motive of ell the murders at Mbekweni. except that of a European shopkeeper, was to prevent information about Poqo members leaking out to police. Detective-Sergeant J. A. Pool told the Court: “One of our chief witnesses, for instance, was found with his head cut off." The Poqo organisation at Paarl had now been smashed, he claimed, and Africans were coming forward to give police information. Mr Brunette told the Court members of Poqo had been convicted for furthering the aims of the outlawed PanAfrican Congress (P.A.C.). “Poqo organisation consists of a network of cells or groups, the members of each group not knowing more about the organisation as a wtole than what each ceil had been told," he added.