Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu (10 July 1956 – 6 April 1979) was a South African freedom fighter, struggle activist and operative of the African National Congress (ANC) militant wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK). He was convicted of murder and hanged in 1979. Early years Mahlangu was born in Pretoria on 10 July 1956, the second son of Martha Mahlangu. His father left in 1962 and as a result he was raised by his mother, a domestic worker. He attended Mamelodi High School up to Standard 8 (his tenth year of school), but his education was interrupted in 1976 by the riots of the Soweto uprising that resulted in school closures. Military training In 1976 Mahlangu fled to Mozambique and spent six months in a refugee camp near Xai Xai. From there he was taken to an African National Congress (ANC) training camp called "Engineering", in Angola. There and at Funda Camp he received training in sabotage, military combat, scouting and politics. He, George 'Lucky' Mahlangu and Mondy Motloung were then taken to Swaziland, where they were given large suitcases filled with pamphlets, rifles and hand grenades. On 11 June 1977 they crossed the border into South Africa and started making their way to Johannesburg. Arrest The three comrades-in-arms, each carrying a large suitcase, were climbing into a taxi in Diagonal Street in the centre of Johannesburg. An ordinary policeman became suspicious and grabbed one of the suitcases. An AK-47 assault rifle and a hand grenade fell out. All three of them fled. In the ensuing gun battle, two civilian men were killed and another two wounded. Mahlangu and Motaung were eventually arrested. Trial and sentence Mahlangu's trial started in the Supreme Court on 7 November 1977. He was defended by two advocates, Messrs Ismail Mohamed, S.C. and Clifford Mailer. They faced two counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder and various counts under the Terrorism Act. In its judgment the court found that Mahlangu and Motaung had acted with a common purpose and that it consequently did not matter which of the two had done the shooting and killing. Mahlangu was convicted on all counts. In terms of the South African law, the court was obliged to sentence an accused to death for murder, unless the accused proved mitigating circumstances. The court found that Mahlangu had failed to do so, and consequently handed down the death sentence. The court refused