Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- March–April 1981 (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 IDAF’s political and legal documentation series focused on anti-apartheid resistance and state repression.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
South African History Archive (SAHA)
Content and structure area
Scope and content
This issue documents the South African raid on ANC residences in Matola, Mozambique, killing 15 people, including ANC and SACTU members. It reports widespread detentions, school boycotts, union crackdowns, and new censorship laws. It includes a testimony from SWAPO's Axel Johannes detailing 15 months of solitary detention under Proclamation AG26. Key events include the banning of six journalists, mass opposition to conscription in Namibia, accounts of torture, detentions of AZAPO members, the death of Jonas Shimuefeleni on Robben Island, and the escape of Kassinga detainees. The issue underscores militarization in Namibia, legal mechanisms used for indefinite detention, and state suppression of media and civil liberties.
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
Chronological within the IDAF 'Focus' series.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open to researchers and the public.
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 scan of original publication; complete and readable.
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
Issues 1–32, ANC Mozambique raid files, SWAPO conscription testimonies, AG26 legislation archives, Kassinga abduction records.
Publication note
Focus', Issue No. 33. International Defence and Aid Fund, March–April 1981.
Notes area
Note
This issue is notable for eyewitness accounts of solitary detention and torture, South African cross-border raids, and an expansive list of detainees under multiple apartheid-era laws.
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Oliver Tambo (Subject)
- William Khanyile (Subject)
- Axel Johannes (Subject)
- Markus Kateka (Subject)
- Ida Jimmy (Subject)
- Gertrude Kandanga (Subject)
- Jonas Shimuefeleni (Subject)
- Zwelakhe Sisulu (Subject)
- John Issel (Subject)
- Mathata Tsedu (Subject)
- Joe Thloloe (Subject)
- Priscilla Jana (Subject)
- Oscar Mpetha (Subject)
- Guy Berger (Subject)
- Devandiren Pillay (Subject)
- Philip Tjerije (Subject)
- Sam Nujoma (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
Comprehensive issue covering mass detentions, new military and censorship laws, and detailed firsthand testimony from SWAPO’s Axel Johannes. Key historical documentation of international apartheid resistance.