TESTIMONY OF IAN LESLIE VAN DER HEYDEN
The character of the political opposition to Verwoerd!s apartheid government in South Africa is being revealed in a series of witeh=hunt trials in this unhappy land. The defendants, who have suffered solitary confinement, torture, and searing indignities, are giving the world a preliminary glimpse of South Africa's future leaders. The exemplary way they are.bearing up under the ordeal of today at the hands of the "master race" shows that the oppressed people of South Afrioa have every reason to be proud of the generation now going to prison because of their dedication to the highest ideals of mankind,
=1B«
We have attempted, insofar as the scanty materials have permitted, to provide facts about these heroic defendants in order to bring their names to the freedom fighters and union militants in other lands and thus to help in their defense. This week we report the testimony of Ian Leslie van der Heyden, who is on trial in Cape Town as one of the eleven defendants headed by Dr. Neville Alexander, an outstanding African intellectual, The article telling about Van der Heyden is taken from the Cape Argus [February 6], a journal that can scarcely be accused of being biased in favor of the defendants. The following is the full text: .
7
ale
7“
3 %
The majority of the non-White people of South Africa had aban~ doned the idea of achieving a change in South Africa by parliamentary means, a Coloured schoolteacher, Ian Leslie van der Heyden ~~ one of the eleven accused at the Cape Town sabotage trial -- said today when giving evidence for the defence.
Van der Heyden was the first defence witness to be called at the trial which is being heard by Mr, Justice van Heerden and two ASSeSSOrs, Mr, E,AWollaston and Mr, J,Groenewald,
The Deputy Attorney General (Mr. J. E. Nothing) and Mr. D.B.
Brunette are appearing for the State,
The various accused, who have all pleaded not guilty to the main charge of sabotage and alternative charges of furthering the aims of Communism, are represented by Mr, Gerard Gordon, Q.o., Vir. R.M.Marias and Mr H,S.Strauss,
Van der Heyden said -in evidence that he was born and educated in Cape Town and obtained a B.A. degree and a teaching certificate at the University of Cape Town.
He started teaching at thie Livingatone High School in 1961 and
remained there until his detention under the 90-day clause on July 18, 1963, He was released after nine days but detained again on Septem ber 10,
Describing his political interests Van der Heyden said he had been a member of the non-European Unity Movement and also the Cape Peninsula Students Union (C.P.S.U.).
He knew Dr, Kenneth Abrahams, who was at one time president ‘of
- He was also a member of the African People's Democratic Union: of Southern Africa (A,P.D.U.S.A.). He had, however, lost his enthusiasm for the organization when, at the end. of 1961, Dr. Abrahams and Dr. Neville Alexander had been suspended from it,
“los
His sister, Elizabeth van.der Heyden (also accused) had intro~ duced him to the National Liberation Front (N.L.F.) at the beginning of 1963 and he became a member of the Athlone~Lansdowne group, of which Dr. Abrahams was chairman, ~ The aim of the organization, he said, was to bring together all organizations within the tliberation movement.'.
It was a study group which studied such things as the social | and economic status of the non-Whites, and the feelings and thoughts_ of organizations among the non-Whites. ” -
Ways of raising money was the subject most frequently discussed at meetings. ‘We were normally very broke, + he said,
There was discussion on the use of violence among all | nonsWhite organizations, tit was nothing new, everyone was 3 talking about it, t he said.
Guerrilla warfare was merely one of many methods: ‘discussed in ~ connection with achieving a change in South Africa. Other methods, such as strikes; boycotts and demonstrations were also disoussed,
Mr. Gordon: What are the feelings of the Coloured people in regard to oppressive legislation,: Do they feel ‘hat they can Ben a change in these Laws’ ‘by parliamentary methods?
Van der Heyden: I would say the majority of the non-White people have abandoned the idea of achieving a change by parliamentary’: methods.
Mr, - Gordon: Do the people feel strikes, boycotts and demonstrations- would be effective? ~- Boycotts certainly, and strikes. could be effective,
' Is there a general feeling that violence would be effective? -- Feelings are very mixcd regarding the efficacy of violence. People are still trying to make up théir minds.
Van der Heyden said discussions held at N.L.F. meetings on various works by Mao Tse-Tung were purely theoretical.
Asked why N.L.F. meetings were held secretly, Van der Heyden said: Seoreoy is almost second nature to people in the liberation movement «