By. our Foreign Staff THE Soweto uprising of 1976 still looms over South African politics. The regime is trying to assign the "blame' for rebellion and distract other troubles — with the resumption of the Soweto trial The trial of 11 student leaders, which has restarted after a two month break, is aimed at proving that they responsible WCIC seditiously stirring up the black Although sedition the law offence the also face charges of conspiracy incitement to sedition the Assemblies Act and participation in terrorist activities under the Terrorism Act. just These statutory provide a convenient smear.
for The prosecution has made no attempt to prove, for example, that the accused 'persons in the making of petrol bombs for poses or that they introduced a commit "terrorist or terrorists to the Riotous students.
Equally the defence does not that the involved offences number of the demonstrations and stay-aways cited by prosecution instructed that the 11, destructive purhave never movement over were anyone else COLYCHCHL the opponents of the regime.
What this all adds up to is who have been detained since July, are on trial for political views which they speakers from denied and as movements. representatives of a political which they activists. more control than in 'Sedition' and 'terrorism' are epithets for
IN H7I after conviction.
They may be treated differently, , but this does not make mem pontical prisoners Even the British government does in one way admit that