Commodore Dieter Gerhardt’s trial begins in the Cape Town High Court

The trial of Commodore Dieter Gerhardt on charges of spying for the Soviet Union began in the Cape Town High Court. The Judge President granted an application by the state that the proceedings be held in camera. Gerhardt was arrested in 1982, sentenced in 1983 to life imprisonment for passing military secrets. While in prison he was visited by Nelson Mandela, the newly elected African National Congress (ANC)President. The ANC stated that " as a former high-ranking South African Defence Force (SADF) officer, Gerhardt has information and insights that the ANC wants to take into account in its submission to Congress for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA)on the normalisation of the security forces. " But later the ANC said Gerhardt had become an ANC member and called for his release “so that he can contribute to the peace process."