39 years since Woods fled

THE following report of January 3, 1978, marked the departure into exile of newspaper editor Donald Woods, a friend of Black Consciousness leader Steve Biko, who died in detention in September 1977 after being assaulted by police. Woods’s departure contributed to the escalation of apartheid South Africa’s international isolation. MASERU: Mr Donald Woods, banned former editor of the East London Daily Dispatch, flew from here today for Gaborone in Botswana on the second leg of his escape from South Africa.

He was accompanied by his wife Wendy and his five children and a senior official of the Lesotho government. The Woods are due to fly from Gaborone tomorrow to Lusaka and to leave there for London on Thursday morning.

The chartered Lesotho Airways aircraft took off from Maseru at 12.40 after the Woods had waited all morning for a break in the weather that prevented them from flying out yesterday.

The government official accompanying them, Mr Paul Moonyane, director of United Nations Affairs in the Lesotho department of foreign affairs, was due to fly back to Maseru today.

He had been ordered to accompany the Woods by Prime Minister Mr Leabua Jonathan, apparently to ensure that the aircraft’s right to overfly South Africa was respected.

Meanwhile, police investigation into the chemically impregnated T-shirts delivered to the home of Woods could be completed this week, a senior East London police officer said today.

Donald Woods