Solomon Mahlangu

Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu (10 July 1956 – 6 April 1979) was a South African operative of the African National Congress (ANC) militant wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK). He was convicted of murder and hanged in 1979.

Mahlangu was born in Pretoria on 10 July 1956. The second son of Martha Mahlangu, his father left in 1962 and as a result he was raised by his mother, a domestic worker. He attended Mamelodi High School up to Standard 8, but did not complete his schooling due to the many riots that resulted in school closures.

In 1976 Mahlangu fled to Mozambique and spent six month in a refugee camp near Xai Xai. From there he was taken to an African National Congress (ANC) training camp called "Engineering", in Angola. There and at Funda Camp he received training in sabotage, military combat, scouting and politics. He, George 'Lucky' Mahlangu and Mondy Motloung were then taken to Swaziland, where they were given large suitcases filled with pamphlets, rifles and hand grenades. On 11 June 1977 they crossed the border into South Africa and started making their way to Johannesburg.

The three comrades-in-arms, each carrying a large suitcase, were climbing into a taxi in Diagonal Street in the centre of Johannesburg. An ordinary police man became suspicious and grabbed one of the suitcases. An AK-47 assault rifle and a hand grenade fell out. All three of them fled, Lucky Mahlangu in one direction and the other two in the direction of Fordsburg. There, in Goch Street, the two sought refuge in the storage facilities of the retailers John Orr's. One of them opened fire on the employees of the company, killing two and wounding another two of them. Mahlangu and Motlaung were eventually arrested.

Mahlangu's trial started in the Supreme Court on 7 November 1977. He was defended by two advocates, Messrs Ismail Mohamed, S.C. and Clifford Mailer. They faced two counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder and various counts under the Terrorism Act. In its judgment the court found that Mahlangu and Motlaung had acted with a common purpose and consequently it did not matter which of the two did the shooting and killing. Mahlangu was convicted on all counts. In terms of the South African law, the court was obliged to sentence an accused to death for murder, unless the accused proved mitigating circumstances. The court found that Mahlangu had failed to do so and consequently sentence him to death. The court refused Mahlangu leave to appeal. His lawyers then asked the Appeal Court for leave to appeal and it was again refused. Mahlangu was hanged on 6 April 1979.

The commission examined the cases of Solomon Mahlangu and Mondy Motlaung and found that both of them were responsible for the deaths of Mr Rupert Kessner and Mr Kenneth Wolfendale. It also found both Mahlangu and Motlaung guilty of gross human rights violations. Lastly it found both the African National Congress and the commanding officer of Umkhonto we Sizwe guilty of gross human rights violations.