Accused No. 3 and No. 8 David Lekhanye and Andrew Lekhanye

Andrew and David Lekhanye grew up in a poor family in Nelspoort, Beaufort West, before moving to Upington in 1977 when their father, Ferdinand, an unpaid preacher in the AME Church, was transferred. Andrew, 29 at the time of his trial, had several jobs and was recently retrenched, while David, 24, was completing his matric examinations. Both were active in their community and church: David served as president of the AME Youth Fellowship, choir member, and Sunday School teacher; Andrew was secretary of the Paballelo Youth Movement and a keen soccer player.

During the 1985 Paballelo protests, the Lekhanye brothers were implicated in the killing of municipal policeman Lucas Sethwala. The court found that by throwing stones at Sethwala’s house, both were guilty of murder under the apartheid-era “common purpose” law. Sentenced to death in 1989, their sentences were later overturned. Their mother, Joyce, died during the trial, but the judge denied them permission to attend her funeral. Their stories reflect the systemic repression of Black South Africans under apartheid, as well as the social and familial pressures on young activists.