Items

• Why South Africa put its leading Afrikaans poet on trial

  One of the most important political trials to take place in South Africa for some time began on Friday when Mr. Breyten Breytenbach, the avant-garde Afrikaans poet and writer, appeared in Pretoria's palace of justice on charges of terrorism and furthering the aims of communism - both capital offences. He has pleaded guilty to some of the charges and the trial is expected to end this week. Mr Breytenbach, who is arguably the greatest living Afrikaans writer and whose works are required reading in most South African universities, faces 14 main allegations by the state. Chief among them is that he planned to set up an illegal organization known as "Atlas" or "Okhela," whose aim, according to the 18 page charge sheet, was to hand over power to Black Africans or set up a "Communist" society. [Article continues with an exploration of unrest and political arrests in South Africa.]
• The arrest of Ken Saro-Wiwa

  [Excerpt]: "At three o'clock on the afternoon of June 21, the President of the Nigerian Association of Writers, Ken Saro-Wiwa, was arrested in Port Harcourt, and has been held incommunicado ever since. He had long been expecting such a move against him. He had also long had doubts about the value of literature as a vocation in a social and political situation as critical as Nigeria's. For the past two years, he had devoted himself to promoting the interests of the Ogoni people, the ethnic group to which he belongs... Born in 1941, he attended Umuahia Government College, the school from which many eminent Nigerian writers--Chinua Achebe, Elechi Amadi, Christopher Okigbo among others-- graduated...."
• South African poet faces the death penalty

  Breyten Breytenbach, the anti-apartheid poet, was sent for trial in the Supreme Court today on charges carrying the death penalty. Mr Breytenbach, aged 36, is accused under the Terrorism and Anti-Communism Acts of helping to set up an illegal organization to promote armed struggle in South Africa intended to overthrow the white government... Mr Breytenbach is said to have been involved not only during his latest visit, but during a well-publicized visit in 1973, when he brought his wife. They are not allowed to live together under South African's racial laws.
• News in Brief: Verdict date on Ghanaian poet

  The special court trying Dr. Kofi Awoonor, the Ghanaian poet, on charges of subversion is to give judgment on October 29, it was announced today. Dr. Awoonor has denied harbouring Brigadier Kojo Kattah, a former Army officer wanted in connexion with an abortive bid to overthrow General Ignatius Acheampong's Government last year. [Full text.]
• Mr. Wole Soyinka Acquitted

  Mr. Wole Soyinka, the Nigerian playwright and university lecturer, who has been standing trial at Ibadan on a charge of robbery with violence, was acquitted today. Mr. Justice Kayode Eso said there was a material conflict in the evidence of the prosecution witnesses. He was, however, convinced that the incident complained of in the charge really took place. Last October a gunman entered a Radio Nigeria studio in Ibadan, capital of western Nigeria, and attempted to replace the tape of a message from Chief Akintola, the Prime Minister, with his own. Mr. Soyinka said he was not in Ibadan at the time.
• Ghana refuses visa for trial observer

  "By Our Foreign Staff. The Ghana Government has cancelled a visa that it had issued to Sir Osmond Williams, a Welsh magistrate, who is a member of the executive comittee of the British branch of Amnesty International, to enable him to attend the trial of Dr. Kofi Awoonor, the Ghanaian poet, on trial for concealment of subversion. Dr. Awoonor is accused of sheltering a conspirator involved in a plot to overthrow Ghana's military regime. Three soldiers and two civilians were sentenced to death by a military tribunal at the end of last month for taking part in the alleged conspiracy.
• Ghana military grant pardon to jailed poet

  [Full Text] Ghana's ruling Supreme Military Council has granted a pardon to Dr. Kofi Awoonor, the Ghanaian poet and university lecturer, who was sent to prison for a year last Wednesday, the Ghana News Agency reported. He had been convicted of aiding the escape of Brigadier Alphonse Kattah, who is alleged to have instigated an abortive coup last year. Dr. Awoonor who was arrested last December, denied the charge. An official statement said that Dr. Awoonor was expected to return to the Cape Coast university in the next two weeks.