TSOTSI ESCAPES WHILE BEING DEPORTED TO SOUTH AFRICA
The following article is from the March 1 issue of the Times of Zambia, published in Lusaka. ]
Officials of the Lusaka-based Unity movement are making strenuous efforts to rescue a political refugee on the run from two police forces.
He is Mr. Wycliffe Tsotsi, who escaped at the week end while being deported from Lesotho to South Africa on the orders of Lesotho Prime Minister Chief Leabua Jonathan.
The news was broadcast over South African radio.
Mr. Tsotsi is vice-president of the banned Unity movement. He was based in Lesotho.
Inquiries by movement president Isaac Tabata, who is in Llusaka, have revealed that Mr. Tsotsi's wife is in jail in Maseru, an organisation spokesman said yesterday.
The organisation is hoping to bring Tsotsi to Zambia, but as well as being hunted by South African and Lesotho police, he faces the additional difficulty of being a prohibited immigrant in Botswana.
He was made a prohibited immigrant last September while making arrangements to enter Botswana. There he hoped to establish a law practice, before moving to Zambia.
The attempt to deport him was made after Chief Jonathan promised to rid the country of "foreign and undesirable elements" allegedly backing King Moshoeshoe and the Opposition in an attempt to overthrow the Lesotho Government.
Mr. Tsotsi was president of the All-Africa Convention, a graduate of Fort Hare College and then principal of a Transkei secondary school.
He was leader of the outlawed Cape African Teachers' Association and fled to the then Basutoland in 1960.
On his return to South Africa in 1964, he was detained under the 90-day Law. After being released, he returned to Basutoland, and set up a law practice with another South African Political Refugee, Mr. Tsepo Letslaka.
Mr. Letslaka is reported to be in detention awaiting deportation.
Meanwhile, Reuther reports from Maseru that Mr. Tsotsi's wife was today charged with helping to hide her husband.
Mrs. Blanche Tsotsi was charged with contravening the Public Safety Proclamation by allegedly helping in hiding her husband soon after his escape.