OUTSIDE
A former 90-day detainee told yesterday of conditions in prison and his “life of hell" after he was released, when friends called him a traitor and a fifth columnist. "I was a branded man and could not even go to our local bioscope," he said,
Mr, X -- the Press was ordered not to identi fy the witness = gave evidence at the trial of 11 people in the Supreme Court, Cape Town, charged with wees.
Mr. X said he had enough to eat in prison, The food was not "too bad." He gave a “lot of his food to Don Davis -=- an accused -- because he knew Davis was a big eater, Complained —
In the morning they had porridge and coffee and dry bread. Sometimes the coffee was with milk, In the afternoons they had a cooked meal, and if there-was food over, they had it at night.
If not, they had soup and coffee and dry bread, or just coffee and dry bread, a
The prison authorities were “good to them" and once they -~ the
oo 1 Om Coloured detainees -- complained of the food given to the African detain- oo eeS.
"The prison chief said he would see what he could do and the African detainees were given.the same food as we got.
"We were only given the Bible to read and no other reading matter, We were taken to a yard for exercise every morning, but only for 15 minutes . We .could wash every morning.
"Sometimes we had a cheeky warder and then we could only have five minutes for a wash,
"We were not allowed visitors and when I did not sleep or read my _. Bible, I spent the time walking up and down my cell. The cell was six-anda~half paces long and three-and-a-half paces wide," — . Mr, X.said he was "never ever" ill-treated. Once he complained about the hard floor he slept on and was given more blankets, -
Then his back became painful and they took him to a doctor, The doctor gave him tablets, “Taken Medicine?"
"Bach morning the sergeant opened’ my cell and said to me: ‘Well. .. have you taken your medicine this. morning'?" (laughter from accused),
Asked by Mr. Gerald Gordon, QC, defending, why he declined to give evidence for the State the first time he was asked, Mr. X said:
"I was released after being held for 28 days. Everybody knows why the police release a detainee early -- because he has made a statement.
"T had a life of hell outside. My friends pestered me with questions and branded me a traitor, They asked me why I had made a statement to the police and called me a fifth columnist.
"First I took my wife to bioscope outside our area, But: it kept on until I used to tell her to go out by herself and leave me at home ." "Friends" in Gallery
Mr, Gordon: Why did you not give evidence the first time you took the witness box? -= I looked up at the public gallery and I saw my friends there, I knew it would start again and I could not give evidence, I just could not,
X said he was . charged with sabotage soon after he declined to give evidence, and was remanded — in the magistrate!s court.
But the day he began giving evidence in the Supreme Court the charge against hin was withdrawn.
. "Later, I begged the. police to let me give evidence. I begged them’ and told them why I I. was afraid and they said they would give me. another chance, ae ae
"My wife made me promise to give evidence. She said that while I was being. detained none of my friends came to her and offered even 25 cents to buy food,” - ; . oo, 7
- Cross-examined earlier by Mr. Gordon, X said he was not hostile to. “the Group Areas Act, but was against job reservation.
"At Bonteheuwel we have new houses and better Living conditions. But job reservation is oppression of the Coloureds."
Mr. Gordon: How do you think the Coloured people will get relief from this oppression? ~~ My belief is that time alone will bring us free-~ dom, Changes are being.made, It is slow, but you cannot plant a tree to-day and get fruit to-morrow. - oo
X described job reservation as a "nightmare," He said he had been in his trade for 18 years and often had to show White men what to do,
"But I cannot work this machine or that machine because of..job reservation and although I know more ‘than some White men, I am paid less, Whe added, .
Mr, Gordon: Are you putas ne" Heameebeoas ~- No.” I have a very”
good boss, At the end of the year I go to him and ask for more money for. the workers, a , Se, 7
We discuss it, and if the profits ° were good, we get more money . There is always. this way to ask nicely. Violence Discussed
- He admitted that he sometimes felt "despair". and discussed with others the possibilities of changing things through boycotts and strikes and -even _ violence,
Questioned about guerrilla warfare, X said that at meetings attended by some of the accused, he told them the "Boer, policeman and farmer" were. the best guerrilla fighters, and "we stood no chance | against them."
The hearing was adjourned to Monday.
TWO