Accused No.15 Booi Jafta

Booi Jafta was one of the “Upington 14,” anti-apartheid activists tried under the apartheid-era “common purpose” law following the 1985 killing of municipal policeman Lucas Sethwala during protests in Paballelo, Upington. Born into a Xhosa-speaking father and a mother classified as “coloured,” Booi grew up in a family of five children and faced early socio-economic hardships.

After leaving school in Standard Six due to his father’s illness and financial struggles, Booi moved to Johannesburg to seek work but returned to Upington where he did casual jobs. He supported his family, sharing his earnings and helping care for his younger siblings. By the time he received a permanent job offer, his ID book had just arrived, but he was already arrested.

The court found Booi guilty of murder under the apartheid-era “common purpose” law. His story illustrates the socio-economic pressures on young Black South Africans and the severe repression faced by anti-apartheid activists during toyi-toyi protests and other forms of resistance.