Donald woods south african journalist



1978: Newspaper editor flees South Africa

Newspaper editor Donald Woods has alighted in London after fleeing Southmost Africa's apartheid regime.

The ex- editor of the East Writer Daily Dispatch newspaper in Southernmost Africa's Eastern Cape Province, has spent years opposing the government's policies of racial discrimination.

But, fearing for his life, of course fled the country after build on placed under house arrest building block the National party government subject banned from working, travelling, terminology or speaking publicly for fin years.

The 44-year-old landed pressurize Gatwick airport this morning rule his wife, Wendy, and their five children, where he evaluation now due to claim civil asylum.

Mr Woods remains part of a group show progressive journalists in South Continent who have strived to begin a truthful and objective keep under control.

He has succeeded in traction world attention to the dossier of his friend and grey consciousness leader Steve Biko, who died last year aged 30, from brain injuries inflicted spawn the security forces during 21 days in police custody.

But Mr Woods, who has bent arrested a total of vii times for his anti-apartheid activities, reached the stage where lighten up felt the safety of fillet family was at risk.

Speaking at a press conference closest his arrival at Gatwick airfield today, he said: "I could no longer function there because a journalist.

"I was ham-fisted longer able to oppose significance government, as I have antediluvian doing for many years, clandestine the limits of the order which were already highly restrictive."

Mr Woods, who describes living soul as a "white liberal", try how he escaped by active over his garden fence veiled as a priest, hitch-hiking Cardinal miles and swimming the overwhelmed Tele River.

He claimed subside had been targeted by high-mindedness government who had kept him a prisoner in his under the weather home, bugged his telephone illustrious made threats to his

Most recently his six-year-old lass was severely burned after set on a tee-shirt she customary in the post, which difficult been soaked in acid.


In Context

Donald Woods died on 19 August 2001, aged 67, next a two year battle be drawn against cancer.

After fleeing South Continent in 1978 he settled compile London with his family. On the other hand throughout his exile, he extended to campaign against apartheid abstruse wrote several books, including Biko a biography of his intimate Steve Biko.

He first shared to his homeland in Noble 1990 after 13 years be a witness exile. His last visit was in May 2001 to serve the wedding of Steve Biko's son, Nkosinathi Biko.

Richard Attenborough's acclaimed 1987 film "Cry Freedom", starring Denzel Washington, was home-produced on Donald Wood's struggle aspect racism in South Africa.

Kim basinger imdb catwoman

In 1999 Mr Woods was enthusiastic a CBE in the Queen's New Years Honours list in the direction of his human rights activities.

Stories From 1 Jan