Organisational records

The collection consists of documents, conference papers, newspaper clippings, publications, minutes of meetings, press statements, reports, correspondence, photographs, media items, etc. relating to the South African Campaign to Ban Landmines (SACBL) and includes material relating to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL).

Court proceedings in the trial State vs Abram Fischer.

Abram Fischer was arrested on the 11 November 1965 and put on trial in March 1966 on charges of furthering the aims of communism and conspiracy to overthrow the government. Judge Boshoff found him guilty of these charges and sentenced Bram Fischer to life imprisonment.

Also included in the collection is the reprint of Bram Fischer's statement from the dock on the occasion of a colloquium, held on the 26 March 2015 at the University of the Witwatersrand, in honour of Bram Fischer. At the same event the University bestowed an Honorary Doctorate on Abram Fischer.

Of particular interest are the photographs of the leader of the Black Consciousness Movement Steven Bantu Biko, whom he photographed for an article by Barbara MacLean in the Los Angeles Times editorial pages.

Videos of UDF rallies and meetings in 1983 and 1984.

Ahmed Timol, a teacher from Roodepoort, was a student activist and later became a member of the South African Communist Party. He went to London in 1967, where he took up a teaching post, supporting his family in South Africa. He also met with former comrades and friends from the Communist Party and the ANC who selected Ahmed Timol to attend the International Lenin School in Moscow from February to October 1969. Back in London, and before leaving to go back to South Africa, he received training in underground political work. He returned to South Africa in February 1970, resuming his teaching post in Roodepoort.
Ahmed Timol was arrested at a roadblock in October 1971, together with Salim Essop, and subsequently taken to the John Vorster Square police station. He was severly tortured by the security police and died in police custody on the 27 October 1971, by falling from the 10th floor to his death.
An Inquest was opened on 1 December 1971 at the Johannesburg Magistrate by J.J.L. de Villiers, with D.W. Rothwell and A.L.T. Beukes as Public Prosecutors, and Advocate I.A. Maisels QC and Advocate G. Bizos, and instructing attorneys M.S.H. Cachalia and M.A. Loonat presenting the Timol family. The hearing had to be adjourned due to Advocate Maisels request to access documents in the case. After lengthy interventions hearings were resumed in April 1972. The post mortem was carried out by the pathologist Dr Nicolaas Schepers, assisted by Dr J. Gluckman at the request of the Timol family.
The Magistrate announced his findings on the 22 June 1972, saying that Ahmed Timol had committed suicide whilst in police custody, and that nobody was to be blamed for his death.