This Day in History: December 15, 1986
Additional Date: December 15, 1986
South African Security Forces abducted African National Congress (ANC) activists Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim, Mandla Maseko and Simon Dladla in Swaziland and transferred them to stand trial in SA. The treatment of Ebrahim, an Indian passport holder, was particularly harsh, as he was taken at gunpoint and in chains from his home. They were convicted in January 1989 despite testimony by the ANC's office in London that the structure of the Organisation was such that the accused could not have committed the crimes they were charged with. Ebrahim received a 20-year sentence, while Maseko and Dladla were sentenced to 23 and 12 years respectively.