Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- September–October 1984 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1 newsletter (multi-page, printed text)
Context area
Name of creator
Repository
Archival history
Part of the IDAF Focus archival newsletter series, held in major anti-apartheid and human rights repositories.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
South African History Archive (SAHA)
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Issue 54 details condemnations of Namibian security legislation, torture and overcrowding in prisons, living conditions for Black Namibians, mass arrests of SWAPO leaders, ongoing township protests in South Africa, youth and student trials, and political detentions under apartheid. It features extensive evidence from the Namibian Bar Council challenging the legitimacy and brutality of the state's policing and detention laws, while also documenting high-profile trials and growing resistance movements.
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 newsletter archive.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Freely accessible to the public and researchers.
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 scanned and machine-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 1–53, SWAPO trial documents, Namibia security law inquiries, End Conscription Campaign records, township protest case files.
Publication note
Focus', Issue No. 54. International Defence and Aid Fund, September–October 1984.
Notes area
Note
An expansive issue that includes Bar Council testimony, detention lists, and numerous protest movements, emphasizing both legal critique and civil resistance.
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
- SWAPO
- Namibian Bar Council
- Kassinga detainees
- Security laws
- Torture
- Detention without trial
- End Conscription Campaign
- Political trials
- Youth arrests
- Urban unrest
- Township protests
- Proclamation AG9
- Koevoet
- Trade unionists
- Press censorship
- Armed struggle
- Student repression
- Bantustan policies
- Section 29 ISA
Place access points
Name access points
- Herman Toivo ja Toivo (Subject)
- Erick Binga (Subject)
- Anton Lubowski (Subject)
- Gwen Lister (Subject)
- Alun Roberts (Subject)
- David Gasa (Subject)
- Rita Ndzanga (Subject)
- Amos Masondo (Subject)
- Barbara Hogan (Subject)
- Dorothy Nyembe (Subject)
- Fort Calata (Subject)
- Matthew Goniwe (Subject)
- Justice M.H. Ngidi (Subject)
- Alfred Mkize (Subject)
- Sipho Hina (Subject)
- Nceba Faku (Subject)
- Rufus Nzo (Subject)
- Roland Hunter (Subject)
- Patricia Hanekom (Subject)
- Derek Hanekom (Subject)
- Dennis Gonxeka (Subject)
- Lucky Payi (Subject)
- Moses Duma Nkosi (Subject)
- Xolani Nduna (Subject)
- Violet Nduna (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
This issue is notable for its comprehensive legal documentation, evidence of institutionalized torture, and extensive coverage of township protests and SWAPO suppression.