Please note: This biography is a modified extract from the following source: Prisoners Of Apartheid , A biographical List of political prisoners and banned persons in South Africa .p.68
Lele Motaung was tried with eleven others under the Terrorism Act at the Supreme Court, Pretoria, from 10 May 1977 to 7 April 1978. In fact there were two trials within this period, as a complete re-trial had to take place following the death of the trial judge on 7 November. The re-trial took place between 16 January and 7 April 1978.
Motaung was charged with 1. Undergoing military training in the Soviet Union;2. Being in possession of arms and explosives between October 1976 and January 1977 in Alexandra township, Johannesburg; and 3. Recruiting persons for military training.
He was found guilty on counts 1. and 2., and sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment. He is on Robben Island.
The 'Pretoria 12' trial was widely described as the most important political trial to take place in South Africa since the Rivonia Trial of 1963-4. During the first trial of the 12, a total of 2,690 pages of evidence was recorded. They were charged with 79 separate counts of terrorism over a 15-year period from 1962.
A feature of the trial was the mass of evidence of torture of both accused and witnesses. A large number of witnesses refused to give evidence when taken to the witness box and the chief State witness in the trial, Ian Rwaxa, revoked his evidence after four days of giving evidence-in-chief. He then described in detail the torture he had been subjected to.
The trial ended with six of the accused being convicted and six acquitted.