Johannesburg - The former African National Congress leader and icon of "the struggle for justice" in South Africa, Dr Allan Boesak, was yesterday sentenced to imprisonment for three years for theft and fraud by the Supreme Court of Appeal, Patrick Laurence reports. The court upheld part of a six-year sentence imposed by the High Court.
The ANC yesterday signalled that Dr Boesak had not put himself beyond the pale by abusing his position of trust as a former provincial leader of the ANC. While declaring that it respected the decision and the integrity of the appeal court, it said: "We hope and trust that he will come back . . . to rejoin and further strengthen our ranks and [contribute] to the transformation of our society and building of our nation."