Bram Fischer: “What I Did Was Right”
Exactly sixty years ago, on 9 May 1966, Abram “Bram” Fischer was sentenced to life imprisonment for his political activities against apartheid and twenty-four years for being a member of the South African Communist Party (SACP). Bram had been arrested in 1964 for being a member of the illegal organisation, the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA). He was later released on bail and in January 1965 he went into hiding. He remained underground until he was re-captured in Johannesburg on 11 November 1965. On 23 March 1966 his trial began in Pretoria.
On 28 March, the prosecution, after two days of presenting evidence, formally closed its case. Sydney Kentridge announced that the defence will not call any witnesses but that the accused will make a statement from the dock. Bram presented his “What I did was right” statement, whose extracts we publish below. After Bram’s five hours in the dock, the court was adjourned for 6 weeks, and 4 May, Bram was convicted of conspiring with the African National Congress (ANC) and Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) to commit sabotage and for violating the Suppression of Communism Act.
On 9 May, Bram was sentenced to life in prison on the count of sabotage; to twenty-four years on the six charges under the Suppression of Communism Act; to fines totalling R120 (or six months in prison) for six contraventions of the Aliens Act; and to three months on the two counts of forgery. All the terms were to
