COURTHOUSE: MRS. SITHOLE LEAVING; MR. SITHOLE LEAVING, DRIVING OFF IN CAR.




Initials DHC/VS/CT/BB



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Background: AFRICAN NATIONALIST LEADER THE REVEREND NDABANINGI SITHOLE IS NOW AWAITING HIS APPEAL AGAINST THE SENTENCE PASSED YESTERDAY (WEDNESDAY) OF SIX YEARS HARD LABOUR, ON CHARGES OF PLOTTING TO ASSASSINATE PRIME MINISTER IAN SMITH AND TWO OF HIS MINISTERS. MR. SITHOLE WAS SENTENCED IN THE RHODESIAN HIGH COURT IN SALISBURY YESTERDAY, BUT HE WILL NOT BEGIN SERVING HIS SENTENCE UNTIL THE RESULT OF HIS APPEAL IS KNOWN, WHICH MAY BE SEVERAL MONTHS.

FOR MORE THAN FOUR YEARS MR. SITHOLE, LEADER OF THE OUTLAWED ZIMBABWE AFRICAN NATIONAL UNION (ZANU), HAS BEEN HELD IN RESTRICTION OR DETENTION FOR POLITICAL ACTIVITIES REGARDED BY THE GOVERNMENT AS DANGEROUSLY SUBVERSIVE.

DURING HIS SIX-DAY TRIAL MR. SITHOLE PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO CHARGES OF INCITEMENT TO ASSASSINATE MR. SMITH AND TWO OF HIS CABINET MINISTERS -- MR. DESMOND LARDNER-BURKE, MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LAW AND ORDER, AND MR. JACK HOWMAN, MINISTER OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS.