Human Rights Violation Hearings — Balfour — 1997-05-23

UNKNOWN: There is nothing specific Sir.

MR LEWIN: Would you like us to try and follow up with the police ?

UNKNOWN: Yes, you can follow it up but I've lost hope because the policeman I've referred to has died.

MR LEWIN: But we could also follow up with the hospital perhaps.

UNKNOWN: Yes, carry on Sir.

MR LEWIN: What would also help us is if you could get Lindiwe to make a statement for us because that would give more details as well.  Would that be possible ?

UNKNOWN: This is Lindiwe next to me, Sir.

MR LEWIN: Then could I ask Lindiwe.  Would you be prepared to make a statement ?

UNKNOWN: No.

MR LEWIN: You don't have to talk now but it would help us if you could give us a written statement, to our statement takers.  You don't have to talk now, talk here.  I can understand you not wanting to do that but it would help if you could answer some of the questions that Ma Motloung hasn't been able to answer.  Could you do that ?

UNKNOWN: Yes.

MR LEWIN: Thanks very much.  Mr Chair, I have no further questions.

RUSSELL ALLY: Thank you very much for coming to the Commission, Ma Motloung and as it has been requested, it would really help us if Lindiwe would also make a statement to our statement takers.  We will then certainly try and follow up on whatever leads there are.  Some of the policemen who were involved, the names that you've mentioned and also if Lindiwe would explain in her statement exactly what happened in the room on that day.  That would also help us.  Thanks for coming to share with us what we can all see has been a very difficult experience and very painful for you.  Thank you very much.  Could I ask people please just to sit for a few minutes.  The hearing is not yet over.  Would people please just sit down.  Could people please sit down.  Before we close this hearing I think it is necessary for us on the side of the Commission to thank all of those who have been involved.  It's always very difficult when you have a hearing spread over different places, over a number of days.  The Commission has been hearing testimony of witnesses since Wednesday in Nelspruit and then Thursday in Ermelo and to-day here in Balfour.  There is a tremendous amount of organization that goes into those hearings so we want to say thank you very much to our staff for all the work that they put into that.  We also want to thank the people in the different communities for having assisted us.  The Ministers who have been with us, Reverend Ntembo in particular who's travelled from Piet Retief back to Nelspruit and then back to Ermelo and back to Balfour.  We really appreciate that effort and that involvement.  We also want to thank they town councils for assisting us in  making venues available.  We want to thank the police services both for providing protection at the hearings and also for providing protection for the members of the Commission themselves.  We also want to thank the media for covering these events.  It's very important that these events, that what actually happened, particularly in areas like Balfour which were not always in the national newspapers, that these events are highlighted so that people can actually get to some understanding of what was happening in these far flung parts of our country.  One of the things that has actually emerged very very strongly over these there days is the heavy, heavy toll that the conflict exacted on communities.  That the conflict was very often based within the community itself.  Yesterday, when we were in Ermelo, we could see that in the township of Wesselton how a community divided, Comrades on the one side and Black Cats on the other side.  (tape ended)