Randolph Vigne
It has not so far been possible to get any information as to what has happened to one of the Spectator's South African correspondents, Randolph Vigne. Our letters to him are not get- ting through and the last we heard from him was a cable a few weeks ago saying that he was unable to send his article and a letter followed. No letter came. Mr. Vigne was already facing one charge for breaking a ban which forbade him to take part in any social or political gathering either in his own home or elsewhere. The defini- tion of 'social gathering' is vague, but can extend to any conversation between two people. He was confident, however, that, being white and able to secure a defence, his sentence would not be too heavy. Then, as Patrick Duncan pointed out in a letter to the Spectator, a second charge was brought. He was accused of illegally printing a report on the activities of Chief George Matanzima in the liberal fortnightly Contact. This report was printed two years ago. Signifi- cantly, the timing of the charge. against Vigne coincided with the attempt of the legal opposi- tion in Transkei to show that Chief George Matanzima was a man unfit to be Minister of Justice in the Transkei government on the grounds that he had been struck off the list of South African attorneys for professional miscon- duct and misappropriation of funds. It is hard to believe that the two events are unconnected, and it is clear that in referring back to an article printed two years ago the authorities must have been pushed to find a charge.
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