Facing Death... Facing Life

In 1984, six protesters were arbitrarily arrested during riots in the black township of Sharpeville, South Africa. A short time after the riots, these six people - five men and one woman - were again busted, interrogated and tortured. Without any burden of proof, they were charged with killing Khuzwayo Dlamini, the deputy mayor of Sharpeville. The ‘Sharpeville Six’ were sentenced to death by hanging and, while awaiting execution, incarcerated.Soon, various pressure groups started to campaign for the release of the Sharpeville Six. Years later, when apartheid had been abolished, they were finally set free. Once out of prison, life for these ex-detainees is not easy, as is clear from the story that one of them, Duma Kumalo, tells in this documentary. Having to face death is painful, Kumalo says, but having to face life after such a verdict is even worse.