From: hrcoord@igc.apc.org (Human Rights Coordinator)
Newsgroups: soc.rights.human
Subject: AI UA286/92 SOUTH AFRICA Killings
Date: 14 Sep 92 21:22:00 GMT
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1476700467:000:10068
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!hrcoord    Sep 14 14:22:00 1992


From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
Subject: AI UA286/92 SOUTH AFRICA Killings

/* Written  9:14 pm  Sep 14, 1992 by gn:rmitchellai in cdp:ai.uan */
EXTERNAL (for general distribution)   AI Index: AFR 53/19/92
                                      Distr: UA/SC       

UA 286/92     Extrajudicial Executions  9 September 1992

SOUTH AFRICA (CISKEI):    
                    Thembinkosi BILI
                    Sipho COLOGU
                    Dyakopu GADU
                    Thobani GOLA
                    Sipho KUNDULU
                    Monde MFENGE
                    Nkosinathi MOTMON
                    Mnyamezili MYEHA
                    Headman NONTSHINGILE
                    Zanethemba SKEPU

                    and at least 20 others

On 7 September 1992 at least 30 unarmed demonstrators were shot
dead or subsequently died as a consequence of injuries inflicted by
soldiers during an African National Congress (ANC) march on Ciskei,
South Africa's nominally independent "homeland" in the Eastern Cape.
Several hundred other marchers were injured. Amnesty International is
concerned that the soldiers used lethal force unnecessarily and without
provocation and committed extrajudicial executions.  Amnesty
International also fears that unless the authorities take immediate and
appropriate action including, amending the laws and regulations
governing the use of firearms, unlawful and arbitrary killings of
unarmed demonstrators will re-occur at future demonstrations. Amnesty
International is also concerned at reports that soldiers and other
members of the Ciskei security forces are harassing and assaulting
Ciskei residents suspected of having participated in the ANC march.

  The march had been organized by the ANC in protest at the
repressive policies of the Ciskei leader, Brigadier Oupa Gqozo, and
apparently with the intention of occupying the administrative buildings
in the "homeland" capital, Bisho. The organizers of the march had
obtained permission from a magistrate's court in the Ciskei to hold a
rally in the stadium near Bisho. When a section of the marchers broke
away and started to run from the stadium towards Bisho, soldiers of
the Ciskei Defence Force opened fire without warning and using live
ammunition. 

  The ANC march on 7 September had been preceded by three days
of negotiations by representatives of South Africa's National Peace
Accord structures with Brigadier Gqozo and the ANC, in a bid to
avert a violent outcome from the ANC intention to march into the
"homeland". However Brigadier Gqozo remained adamant that the
ANC was not to enter the Ciskei. The ANC remained equally
determined to proceed with the march. Early on the morning of 7
September the ANC obtained permission from the magistrate's court in
the Ciskei to march over the border into the stadium, but no further.
As the huge column of marchers, estimated at between 50,000 to
80,000 strong, reached the border they were blocked by razor wire
placed there by the Ciskei Defence Force. The ANC's secretary
general, Cyril Ramaphosa, then began to discuss with National Peace
Accord representatives, who were on the other side of the razor wire,
how they should now proceed. As this was going on, a column of
marchers moved off alongside the razor wire towards the stadium. As
they entered the stadium, a smaller section broke away and ran out of
the stadium through a back entrance, apparently with the intention of
moving towards Bisho. 

  It was at this point, at approximately 1:30 pm, that soldiers opened
fire on the breakaway group; at the same time they also began
shooting at the main body of marchers still outside the stadium on the
other side of the razor wire. Amnesty International is seeking to
confirm from post-mortem results reports that many of the marchers
were shot in the back, including those in the breakaway group who
had fled back into the stadium to escape the gunfire. 

  Independent observers, including representatives of the National
Peace Accord structures and foreign journalists, are in agreement that
the marchers were not carrying weapons and did not provoke the
shootings by any acts of violence. There appears to be no independent
support for the later claim by the Ciskei authorities that a soldier had
been shot by the demonstrators. According to an observer from the
South African-based Independent Board of Inquiry, the firing started in
a sustained volley of shots, apparently initially by the soldiers at the
far side of the stadium and within seconds spread down the entire line
of soldiers, who were lying about five metres apart in ditches along a
line 800 metres long. The soldiers opened fire without warning, using
automatic weapons, firing continuously for about one-and-a-half to two
minutes. After a pause of some two minutes, the soldiers resumed
firing, again for about one minute. According to various reports, the
soldiers then fired tear-gas and stun grenades as the terrified marchers
and observers, some of them wounded, were attempting to flee the
area.   

  In the aftermath of the killings, representatives of the South African
Government maintained that they were not responsible for the actions
of the soldiers, as they were members of the defence force of an
independent country. However, although the territory of the Ciskei,
which was previously an integral part of South Africa, was declared
independent by the South African Government in 1981, its
independence has not been recognized by any other member state of
the United Nations. Furthermore the Ciskei Defence Force, which has
ruled the "homeland" since 1990, has close institutional links with
branches of the South African Defence Force, with much of its
command structure dominated by "seconded" or former officers of the
South African Defence Force. Its present commander, for instance, is a
"seconded" officer from the South African Defence Force's Directorate
of Military Intelligence. In addition, the South African Minister of Law
and Order, several days prior to the ANC's march, imposed a
mini-state of emergency on districts surrounding the borders of the
Ciskei and police reinforcements were flown into the area. However,
on 7 September, as the marchers approached the Ciskei border, the
South African Police force members accompanying them withdrew,
failing to protect the marchers, some of whom were shot on the South
African side of the border. 

  In these circumstances, it is clear that the South African authorities
share responsibility for the actions of the Ciskei Defence Force and
that South Africa must be held responsible by the international
community for human rights violations committed in the Ciskei.    

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send
telegrams/telexes/faxes/express and airmail letters:

- urging the authorities urgently to establish a full, public, judicial
inquiry into the conduct of officers and members of the Ciskei security
forces involved in the shooting on 7 September 1992 of unarmed
demonstrators with automatic weapons and live ammunition;

- calling for those found to be responsible for arbitrary and unlawful
killings to be suspended from duty and brought to justice, and for the
victims and their families to be compensated;

- calling upon the authorities at the highest level to acknowledge that
the Ciskei security forces appear to have acted unlawfully in using
lethal force against unarmed demonstrators near Bisho on 7 September
1992;

- urging the authorities to amend the laws and regulations governing
the use of firearms in order to prohibit the shooting of unarmed and
non- violent demonstrators in the future;

- urging the authorities to commit themselves to the United Nations
Basic Principles on use of Force and Firearms by law enforcement
officials adopted in 1990, which prohibits the use of live ammunition
against non- violent demonstrators, even if the demonstration is illegal.

- expressing concern at reports that Ciskei residents suspected of
having participated in the ANC march have been harassed and
assaulted by members of the security forces, apparently in defiance of
a Supreme Court order issued on 9 September 1992.

APPEALS TO:

Mr F W de Klerk                 [Salutation: Dear President]
State President
State President's Office
Private Bag X83
Pretoria 0001
South Africa
Telegrams:    President De Klerk, Pretoria, South  Africa
Telexes:321695 SPLIB SA, 321890 PRES SA, 322158 PRES SA
Faxes:  +27 12 323 3982

Brigadier O Gqozo               [Salutation: Dear Brigadier Gqozo]
Chairman of the Military Council
Private Bag X0016
Bisho, Ciskei
South Africa
Telegrams:    Brigadier Gqozo, Military Council Chairman, Ciskei,
S. Africa

Mr R F Botha                    [Salutation: Dear Minister]
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria 0001
South Africa
Telegrams:    Foreign Minister, Pretoria, S. Africa
Telexes:0959 350060 EXTERN TTX SA
Faxes:  +27 12 323 1664

Brigadier Marius Oelschig       [Salutation: Dear Brigadier]
Chief of the Ciskei Defence Force
c/o Ciskei Defence Force
Private Bag X0002
Bisho, Ciskei
South Africa
Telegrams:    Chief Ciskei Defence Force, Ciskei, S. Africa

Mr E Louw                 [Salutation: Dear Minister]
Minister of Defence
Department of Defence
Private Bag X427
Pretoria 0001
South Africa
Telegrams:    Defence Minister, Pretoria, S. Africa
Telexes:320502
Faxes:  +27 12 323 1664 (attn. Defence Minister)

COPIES OF YOUR APPEALS TO one or more of the following:

- The Editor, The Sowetan, POB 6663, Johannesburg 2000, South
Africa;

- The Editor, Daily Dispatch, POB 131, East London 5200, South
Africa;

- Independent Board of Inquiry into Informal Repression, POB 816,
East London 5200, South Africa;

- Lawyers for Human Rights, East London Office, POB 816, East
London 5200, South Africa;

- Border Council of Churches, P O Box 966, King William's Town
5600, South Africa

and to the diplomatic representative for South Africa in your country -
see  the responses to this topic for further details.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.