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eventREF E-0123228Revised

Event record

United Democratic Front member dies after asthma attack

United Democratic Front member dies after asthma attack

Date
5 Oct 1986
Updated
30 Sep 2019
United Democratic Front member dies after asthma attack

On October 1986, Mr Mbuyiseli Songelwa, a Queenstown community leader and high profile member of the United Democratic Front,died in police custody. He was awaiting trial on subversion charges at Fort Glarmorgan Prison in East London According to police reports he died of asthma on his way to the hospital. However, there were allegations that Mr Songelwa had suffered the asthma attack on the Friday, but had only received medical assistance on the Saturday. The prison spokesman denied those allegations claiming that Mr Mbuyiseli Songelwa was urgently attended by the medical team on the same day of the attack.

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How we know this

  1. 01Saldru clippings collection, ‘UDF Member died in Prison’, Black Politics 1986f
  2. 02Historical Papers Research Archive, (2013), ‘Awaiting- trial prisoner dies after asthma attackhttps://www.historicalpapers.wits.ac.za/inventories/inv_pdfo/AG1977/AG19... ,Collection Number AG1977 (Accessed: 14.09.2016)

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2017, April 21). United Democratic Front member dies after asthma attack. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0123228

South African History Online (2017) 'United Democratic Front member dies after asthma attack', South African History Online, 21 April. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0123228 (Accessed: 30 July 2026).

South African History Online, United Democratic Front member dies after asthma attack [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0123228, (accessed 30 July 2026).

"United Democratic Front member dies after asthma attack." South African History Online, 21 Apr. 2017, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0123228. Accessed 30 July 2026.

South African History Online. "United Democratic Front member dies after asthma attack." South African History Online. April 21, 2017. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0123228.

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