Two members of the banned liberation movements, Harry Gwala, a member of the African National Congress (ANC) and Zephania Mothopeng a member of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) were released from Robben Island by the government. Both Gwala and Mothopeng served two terms on Robben Island for their political activities.
After the banning of the ANC in 1960 under the Unlawful Organisations Act, Gwala became active in underground structures of the ANC until his arrest in 1964. He was charged with sabotage and recruiting members for uMkhonto weSizwe (MK). Gwala was sent to Robben Island prison. In 1972 he was released from prison and restricted to Maritzburg in Natal Province (now known as KawaZulu Natal). After the workers strike in August 1976, Gwala was arrested again with scores of ANC members and charged under the Terrorism Act. He was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment on Robben Island. In the 1980s, Gwala developed a motor neuron disease which left him disabled.
Mothopeng was arrested in 1963 and sentenced in May 1964 to 3 years in prison for furthering the aims of a banned organization, the PAC. He was sent to Robben Island where he served his sentence. He was released in 1967 and restricted to Qwaqwa for two years. Mothopeng continued with his political activities and was arrested in 1976 under the Terrorism Act and was sentenced to 15 years in prison on 26 June 1979.
Even after their release, both men remained politically active within their respective organizations. Mothopeng died on 23 October 1990 and Gwala died of a heart failure on 21 June 1995.
Digital Innovation South Africa (2011). ‘Zephania Mothopeng’in Searchlight South Africa Vol. 1, No. 2 [online]. Available at www.disa.ukzn.ac.za[Accessed 15 November 2010]|Department of Information (1995). ‘ANC Statement on the death of Harry Gwala’ from South African Communist Party [online]. Available at www.sacp.org.za[Accessed 15 November 2010]