Amnesty Hearings — East London — 1998-04-15

MR MBANDAZAYO: Yes, Mr Chairman, but I indicated that he, I went to Bloemfontein to meet him, but I couldn't meet him on Saturday, but he indicated that he will be at Aliwal North, so I am hoping that I will give a definite answer to the Committee in the Aliwal North hearing, to when we will be in a position to give that evidence before the Committee.

MR LAX: Perhaps you should just place on record then that you reserve the right to call that person in due course, that you are not closing your evidence yet.

MR MBANDAZAYO: Thank you Mr Chairman, that is the position Mr Chairman, I am going to call evidence of the senior, the Director of Operations or his deputy to give clarity on some of these issues Mr Chairman.

MR MTEMBU: Mr Chairman, through you, may I retract my earlier statement and also say that I am not closing my case pending the calling of the PAC Higher Command, thank you.

MR PRIOR: I call Mrs Jerling.

ANNA HELENA JERLING: (sworn states)

MR PRIOR: Mrs Jerling, is it correct that you reside in Fort Beaufort?

ANNA HELENA JERLING: Yes, I do reside in Fort Beaufort.

MR PRIOR: And during March 1993, during the incident at the Yellowwoods Hotel, you also resided there?

ANNA HELENA JERLING: Yes, that is correct.

MR PRIOR: It is a common fact that your son, Johan Jerling was a victim in the attack about which we have heard today, the attack which occurred there, is that correct?

ANNA HELENA JERLING: Yes, that is correct.

MR PRIOR: You made a written statement, is that correct?

ANNA HELENA JERLING: Yes, that is correct.

MR PRIOR: Chairperson, this statement appears from page 51 in the bundle until page 54.
	Do you confirm the contents of this statement?

ANNA HELENA JERLING: Yes, this is my statement.

MR PRIOR: And do you confirm this under oath?

ANNA HELENA JERLING: Yes, I confirm this under oath.

MR PRIOR: The facts and opinions which appear therein, you wish to submit as your testimony to this Committee, is that correct?

ANNA HELENA JERLING: Yes, that is correct.

MR PRIOR: Your attitude towards the amnesty application of the two applicants, as set out is that you are opposing the application?

ANNA HELENA JERLING: Yes, that is correct.

MR PRIOR: And the reasons which you have set out, are in your statement?

ANNA HELENA JERLING: Yes, that is correct.

MR PRIOR: Mrs Jerling, would you briefly tell or describe to the Committee the sort of person that your son, Johan was?  We have heard testimony that the target was a military target, the applicants received orders to attack military or people who were trained in the Security Forces.
	Could you briefly describe to us what Johan was doing at that point in time, how old he was and so forth?

ANNA HELENA JERLING: My son was young, full of life.  He dearly loved sport and music, not at all politically orientated.
	He never even voted in an election, he was not interested in politics.  He was too young in any case, he was 18 when he died.

MR PRIOR: Before the incident, had he just finished his schooling?

ANNA HELENA JERLING: At the end of the previous year, he passed his matriculation, and he was a student at the Port Elizabeth Technical College.  He studied Electrical Engineering and he did quite well in his studies.

MR PRIOR: Had he received any military training?

ANNA HELENA JERLING: No, he never received any military training.

MR PRIOR: Was he the owner of a weapon?

ANNA HELENA JERLING: No, he never owned a weapon.

MR PRIOR: Could you perhaps tell the Committee how he arrived at the Hotel, was there a function there, or was it his habit to visit the Hotel, what was the situation?

ANNA HELENA JERLING: In the neighbouring town, there had been a show or a festival dance, and the manager of the Hotel had gone to Adelaide and one of his friends had been asked to supervise temporarily in the bar, and they had gone to visit him.
	It was not his habit to visit there.

MR PRIOR: After his death, was there any reaction within the community of Fort Beaufort which you would like to convey to the Committee?

ANNA HELENA JERLING: My son had many friends, also from within the black community, and the week after his death, I think it was the ANC Youth League were going to hold sit ins at schools, they were going to hold protest marches.
	They told the Police that they would set aside all their activities for that week, apart from one march on the Thursday, they wanted to tell me that it was not them who had killed him.

MR PRIOR: So, as I understand you, it was out of a sense of respect that they had cancelled the majority of their activities and their protests in the week after Johan's death?

ANNA HELENA JERLING: They notified me that it was out of respect for him and for his family.

MR PRIOR: Is there anything else that you would like to tell the Committee regarding the amnesty application of the two applicants?  Is there anything that you feel within your heart that you would like to express, now is your opportunity to express these things?

ANNA HELENA JERLING: These people said that they attacked Security Officers.  My son was not involved with any Security actions.
	As far as I understood regarding the other attacks with which they have acknowledged their involvement, these attacks had taken place on churches, hotels, sports facilities, and so forth.  Personally I do not think that they wanted to attack Security Officers, I think they were looking for soft targets, because at all those places there were no people who were armed.
	As we understood it, on the evening of that attack, there would have been a stag party which had been cancelled at a very late stage.  If a stag party had been held, there would not have been any armed people there.
	I feel that these people did not go there to kill one person, there would have been many young men there, who were unarmed, who were having a party.  These people would have been soft targets, and many people could have been shot dead.  That party was cancelled that afternoon at the eleventh hour.
	I don't think that these people received that information about the cancellation of the party, and that is why they attacked that place, not because Security Officers gathered there, that is my opinion.

MR PRIOR: Is that all Mr Jerling?

ANNA HELENA JERLING: Furthermore I feel that the testimony of these people today and yesterday are so contradictory that it isn't possible for me to believe any of it.  I don't believe that they are speaking the truth at all.

MR PRIOR: Is that all?

ANNA HELENA JERLING: Yes.

MR PRIOR: Thank you Chairperson, that is the testimony.

MR PRIOR: .

MR MBANDAZAYO: Mrs Jerling, let me first say to you that I am sorry to hear what you went through after the death of your son, and also for the death of your son.
	I am also expressing the feelings of the applicant.  Having said that, would I be correct if I am expressing your feelings this way, that  your opposition to their application for amnesty is out of bitterness to what happened to your son?

ANNA HELENA JERLING: My son was 18 years old, he was murdered.   My son's class mates have been married, at least five of them had gotten married, they have children already.  I myself will never attend my son's wedding.  I will never have grandchildren.
	These children have robbed me of my child and my future.  Yes, I am bitter towards them.

MR MBANDAZAYO: Mrs Jerling, I understand that you are a Christian, isn't that so?

ANNA HELENA JERLING: Yes, that is correct.  I may be a Christian, but I do not believe that these people are Christians.  Christians do not murder other people.