TESTIMONY_GIVER:
My cousin was a student at that time. He looked verybrilliant, he had a very bright future. My cousin could see the problems thatwe were going through at our home. He could also see the problems that the blacknation had. Then he took a decision that amongst all other things he will workfor his nation, especially strive for freedom. In other words he got involvedin politics. At that time when the UDF started he was the chairperson of theUDF in Welkom. In 1983 Edward Viyu Charles was arrested for the very first time.His second arrest was in 1985, near Welkom and Odendaalsrus, on the way to Kroonstad.In 1985 it was a little bit difficult during those times. His life was a littlebit more in shambles, and he spent most of his time in prison, and he relatedhow difficult it was there. He even told us about the torture that went on inthe prison. At that time he was in Mpohadi College, and his parents wished thathe should finish is education. There were people who kept on harassing him.Those were the law people. They were using constant death threats, and theythreatened that they would wipe the whole family out. And there came a timewhere he was told that he would go because he did not want to leave the causefor freedom. He used to talk with us to make us aware as to all that the previousregime was not protecting his nation. He  took an oath and he told himself that he will continue