HIGH COURT BUILDING; AFRICA BYSTANDERS; SITHOLE OUT OF COURT; INTO CAR AND AWAY.




Initials PK/VS/CT/OS



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE TRIAL BEGAN IN SALISBURY RHODESIA YESTERDAY (MONDAY), AND CONTINUE TODAY OF THE REVEREND NDABANINGI SITHOLE, FORMER RHODESIAN AFRICAN NATIONALIST LEADER ACCUSED OF PLOTTING THE MURDER OF PRIME MINISTER, MR. IAN SMITH AND TWO OF HIS TOP MINISTERS -- JUSTICE MINISTER MR DESMOND LARDNER-BURKE AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTER MR. JACK HOWMAN. DR. SITHOLE HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO THREE CHARGES OF INCITEMENT AND CONSPIRACY TO MURDER.

THE PROSECUTION HEADED BY THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS MR. BENDAN TREACY CLAIMS THE PLOT WAS CONTAINED IN LETTERS SMUGGLED BY DR. SITHOLE OUT OF SALISBURY PRISON -- WHERE THE 48-YEAR-OLD FORMER CHURCH SCHOOL MASTER HAS BEEN HELD IN DETENTION BY THE RHODESIAN AUTHORITIES FOR MORE THAN FOUR YEARS -- TO FRIENDS OUTSIDE.

DR SITHOLE WHO WAS LEADER OF THE BANNED ZIMBABWE AFRICAN NATIONAL UNION LOOKED FIT AS HE ENTERED THE DOCK IN THE CROWDED COURTROOM.

SMALL GROUPS OF AFRICANS HAD GATHERED OUTSIDE THE COURT BUILDING AS THE PROCEEDINGS BEGAN.

THE CHARGES AGAINST DR. SITHOLE ARE THAT HE "DID WRONGFULLY INCITE INSTIGATE, COMMAND OR PROCURE" A MAN IDENTIFIED ONLY AS "MR. X". TO MURDER MR SMITH, MR LARDNER-BURKE AND MR HOWMAN, THAT HE CONSPIRED WITH THE SAME MR. X TO "AID OR PROCURE" THE MURDER OF THE THREE MINISTERS, AND THAT IN A LETTER TO MR. X HE "DID INDICATE OR IMPLY THAT IT WOULD BE DESIRABLE TO MURDER" THE THREE GOVERNMENT LEADERS.