CAPE COMMUNISTS ON SEDITION CHARGES

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5308, 22 January 1947, Page 6

CAPE COMMUNISTS ON SEDITION CHARGES

Revolufionary Army To { Overthrow Government | LONDON, January 21. J Eight. chief exeeutives of ihe South ■ African Communist Party appeared in j court to-day charged with sedition j following raids on the Communist j headquarters in South Africa. The ! roads were part of the investigation j into the strike of 50,000 native ; mine workers in August, 1946, -^ays j the British United Press' Capetown correspondent. The prosecutor said that this was a story of a bid to gain power for the Communist Party by all means, r.ot excluding the loss of life. The Communist Party had tried to train professional revolutionaries and build up a proletarian army with the ultimate object of overthrowing the Government and substitutlng a Communist regime. The Exehange Telegraph's correspondent detailed the aecased as the national chairman, Mr. W» H. Andrews, the native general-secretary, Kotane, the r.ative trade .union secretary, Mrs. Betiy Sacks, the editress of the Captown newspaper, Guardian, and five other European officials. The defence eounsel described the allegations as dramatic and fantastic, and' said evidence would be called to rebutt them. Counsel said that, at least one Cabinet Minister would give evidence for the defence.