Accused No. 21 Albert Tywilli

Albert Tywilli was one of the “Upington 14,” a group of anti-apartheid activists tried under the apartheid-era “common purpose” law following the 1985 death of municipal policeman Lucas Sethwala during protests in Paballelo, Upington. Born in Louisvale, Tywilli lost his father at age 12 and was raised by his mother, who worked at a school hostel to support the family.

After leaving school at 16, Tywilli worked in his uncle’s shop before joining the South African Police (SAP) in 1982, training at Hammanskraal. He was later expelled from the SAP for repeated driving violations. Despite this, he remained active in his community, singing in the Baptist Church choir. Tywilli was a father of four, with his youngest child under one year at the time of his trial; his mother cared for the children while he was detained.

The court found Tywilli guilty of murder under the apartheid-era “common purpose” law for his involvement in stoning Sethwala’s house. Sentenced to death in 1989, his sentence was later overturned. Tywilli’s story reflects the complex social, familial, and political pressures faced by young Black South Africans under apartheid, as well as the severe legal repression of anti-apartheid activists.