Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- March–April 1979 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1 newsletter (multi-page, printed text)
Context area
Name of creator
Repository
Archival history
Preserved as part of the IDAF archive documenting Southern African liberation and political repression.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
South African History Archive (SAHA)
Content and structure area
Scope and content
This issue documents mass executions under Rhodesian martial law, including hangings and firing squad deaths; political trials and detentions in South Africa and Namibia; the torture of SWAPO official Axel Johannes; repression of election activity under Rhodesian martial law; starvation and violence in rural areas; cross-border military raids by South Africa into Angola and Zambia; and detailed lists of political prisoners, detainees, and court rulings. The issue also highlights the censorship of political prisoners, private armies in Zimbabwe, and the use of elections as political manipulation by the Rhodesian regime.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Retained permanently for historical research on Southern African political repression and human rights violations.
Accruals
No further accruals expected.
System of arrangement
Part of sequentially ordered IDAF 'Focus' bulletin series.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open to researchers, scholars, and public users.
Conditions governing reproduction
Reproduction allowed with proper citation of IDAF as source.
Language of material
English
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
OCR text copy of original bulletin; readable and structurally intact.
Finding aids
Uploaded finding aid
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Originals held by the South African History Archives.
Existence and location of copies
Digital copy available through the PWP projects and other Archives.
Related units of description
See Focus Issues 1–20; execution lists; martial law documents; Axel Johannes torture files.
Publication note
Focus', Issue No. 21. International Defence and Aid Fund, March–April 1979.
Notes area
Note
Issue provides critical insights into martial law operations, execution secrecy, cross-border military strategy, and suppression of democratic movements.
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Solomon Mahlangu (Subject)
- Axel Johannes (Subject)
- Daniel Moyo (Subject)
- Augustine Nyerere (Subject)
- Aggrey Nyerere (Subject)
- Reuben Donga (Subject)
- George Moyo (Subject)
- Jason Angula (Subject)
- Hendrik Witbooi (Subject)
- Tiki Adai (Subject)
- Tom Ncube (Subject)
- Dorothy Nyembe (Subject)
- Denis Goldberg (Subject)
- Esther Maleka (Subject)
- Happy Mashamba (Subject)
- Paulina Lekula (Subject)
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description, Second Edition
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
Script(s)
Sources
Archivist's note
Issue 21 documents extensive executions under martial law, the rise of private militias, and severe state repression against civil society.