GHANA JUSTICE, BLACK & WHITE NO ONE MORE STRIDENTLY DENOUNCES SOUTH AFRICA'S 
VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS THAN GHANA'S KWAME NKRUMAH . LAST WEEK 
HE DISPATCHED A RECORDED DIATRIBE TO AN ANTI-APARTHEID RALLY IN LONDON, 
WHOSE PARTICIPANTS PROTESTED THE LAW UNDER WHICH SOUTH AFRICAN CITIZENS MAY 
BE JAILED FOR INTERMINABLY REPEATED 90-DAY STRETCHES . THE VERY NEXT 
DAY NKRUMAH ARMED HIMSELF WITH A MEASURE THAT MAKES THE SOUTH 
AFRICAN STATUTE LOOK PALE BY COMPARISON . SINCE 1958 NKRUMAH HAS 
WIELDED A LAW ALLOWING HIS GOVERNMENT TO LOCK UP ANY GHANAIAN 
WITHOUT TRIAL FOR FIVE YEARS, MERELY BY CHARGING THAT THE ACTIVITIES 
OF THE ACCUSED MIGHT PREJUDICE NATIONAL DEFENSE, RELATIONS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES 
OR SECURITY . LAST WEEK THE ACCRA PARLIAMENT SHOUTED THROUGH AN 
AMENDMENT AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT TO EXTEND FOR AN ADDITIONAL FIVE YEARS 
THE DETENTION PERIOD OF ANYONE HELD UNDER THE ORIGINAL ACT . 
THE AMENDMENT IS BELIEVED AIMED AT 40-ODD OPPOSITION LEADERS WHO HAVE 
BEEN IN PRISON SINCE NOVEMBER 1958, ACCUSED (BUT NEVER CONVICTED) OF 
CONSPIRING TO ASSASSINATE GOVERNMENT MINISTERS AND TO POISON THE MAIN ACCRA 
WATER RESERVOIR . 