The Star Early Edition

Waiting for day prisoners at Guantanamo will walk free

- Corwin Luthuli Mhlahlo

I DO NOT condone any form of violence whatsoever.

In this respect, my heart is with the Barry, DeJesus and Knight women and their families for the anguish, violence and trauma they have all endured over the past decade.

I do however find the circumstan­ces surroundin­g the three young women’s ordeal intriguing and ironic.

On the one hand, they were kidnapped and kept captive for close to 10 years in Cleveland, Ohio, by a Cuban-American named Ariel Castro.

At one time it was suspected that his brothers were also involved.

On the other hand, it is public knowledge that the US government has kept captive some terrorist suspects without trial for more than 10 years in Guantanamo Bay Prison, in Fidel and Raul Castro’s Cuba.

During their captivity, the three women endured rape, starvation, torture and trauma under extremely deplorable living conditions.

Similarly, the still awaiting- rial prisoners on Guantanamo Bay Prison have also reportedly been starved, tortured and severely traumatise­d.

In almost the same month that the US president reaffirms that some of the awaiting-trial prisoners must be released and the Guantanamo Bay Prison closed, a dishwasher has his 15 minutes of national and internatio­nal fame for his involvemen­t in setting the captive women free.

Happily, the women have been reunited with their families and Ariel Castro’s infamous Cleveland house has been shut down.

We now anxiously wait to see if, and how soon, some of the prisoners will be released and reunited with their families.

We also wait to see whether the infamous Guantanamo Bay Prison will also be shut down and another black man and others like him, will become national and internatio­nal heroes.

 ?? PICTURE: AP ?? NABBED: Ariel Castro, a 52-year-old former school bus driver suspected of keeping three women captive inside his decrepit house for a decade.
PICTURE: AP NABBED: Ariel Castro, a 52-year-old former school bus driver suspected of keeping three women captive inside his decrepit house for a decade.

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