Untold stories of activists executed during apartheid

Death in Pretoria: Untold Stories of Political Activists Executed During Apartheid Author: Peter Auf der Heyde

- STAFF REPORTER

BETWEEN 1960 and 1989, more than 130 individuals were executed in South Africa for politically motivated crimes.

In Death in Pretoria, Peter Auf der Heyde brings their stories to light through interviews with fellow activists, families, legal professionals, prison warders, and others connected to the condemned. This work shifts focus from prominent leaders to the unsung foot soldiers of the struggle, offering a vital contribution to South African history.

Peter Auf der Heyde is an award-winning South African writer and journalist. He teaches journalism and creative non-fiction writing at Southampton Solent University and is a senior research associate at the Centre for Sociological Research and Practice at the University of Johannesburg. He has researched judicial injustices during apartheid for over twenty years. This extract is published by Penguin Random House at a recommended retail price of R380.

IN mid-1984 the MK regional chief of security was driving two trained MK cadres from the Swazi capital, Mbabane, to the South African border. The two, Sipho Xulu and Lucky Payi, had earlier been given their instructions: they were to set up communication channels between ANC operatives already in South Africa; they were to recruit and train more people; and they were to take action against people causing harm to the ANC.