EVENTS LEADING TO THE ARREST OF AHMED TIMOL: 22 October 1971
“On that same day, at 6.45 pm, Hawa recalls that Ahmed stared at her for a long time before leaving the flat. He looked sad and said that he was concerned about her health. Ahmed told Hawa that he loved her immensely. Haji Yusuf, who returned from mosque just as Ahmed was leaving the house, now saw his son for what would be the last time. Ahmed told his father that he would be back soon but did not say where he was going.
Late on Friday evening of 22 October 1971, Ahmed Timol and his comrade and former student, Salim Essop, were stopped at a police roadblock in Coronationville. Police claimed to have found banned political literature in the boot of the car. Timol and Essop were taken to the Newlands police station west of Johannesburg, where they were separated. Essop was handcuffed and driven to John Vorster Square in an unmarked car. According to police, Timol and the materials allegedly found in the boot of the car, arrived at John Vorster Square around 3am on Saturday 23 October 1971.
The Terrorism Act afforded the police powers to detain indefinitely without trail, and in solitary confinement, anyone suspected of terrorism or knowledge of terrorist activity. No court could intervene, and nobody besides the police or government officials could have access to the detainee.” TIMOL – A QUEST FOR JUSTICE
