The Dirty Tricks S. Africa Uses Against Its... (Press, 13 September 1988)

David Beresford, writing for the Guardian on 13 September 1988, highlights a troubling case in Cape Town involving the military's intimidation tactics against anti-apartheid activists, particularly those in the End Conscription Campaign (E.C.C.). The case revolves around an application for an interdict against the Minister of Defence and a local military commander, aimed at protecting the E.C.C. from harassment as the South African government had recently banned their campaign against national service. Sydney Kentridge, a prominent urban lawyer, is representing the E.C.C. and has presented a shocking array of reported “dirty tricks” employed by the military over the past three years. These tactics included the distribution of defamatory pamphlets dropped from helicopters during a peaceful gathering, malicious smear campaigns suggesting homosexual connotations, tampering with vehicles, and a barrage of threats, harassment, and assaults aimed at campaign members. Notably, the military's admission of these tactics, including the helicopter incident, has raised alarms about their justifications for such actions as necessary for the nation's defence and security. The Chief of the Air Force has declared that South Africa is in a state of "war" and contends that military actions are beyond the jurisdiction of the legal system. Kentridge's sharp critique of this stance likens the military's pretensions to those of a South American junta, suggesting a dwindling regard for democratic principles and the rule of law. Compounding these concerns, Beresford references violent incidents linked to anti-apartheid groups, including a significant bombing that destroyed Khotso House, which served as a headquarters for various organisations. Another anti-apartheid group, the Community Resource and Information Centre (C.R.I.C.), faced multiple arson attacks with professional execution, leading to the disappearance of one of its members, Stanza Bopape, following his detention. Confusion surrounding his status and the lapses in police communication regarding his case have sparked fears that he may have fallen victim to state-sponsored violence. Kentridge's recent work in Namibia before the E.C.C. case underscored broader regional tensions, involving efforts to contest the unilateral cessation of a murder trial against soldiers accused of violence, highlighting ongoing struggles against governmental repression. The unfolding situation in South Africa, as reported, casts a grim shadow over the future of dissent and legal norms in the country, raising pressing questions about the extent and nature of governmental power during a time of systemic upheaval against apartheid.

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