Amnesty Hearings — Nelspruit — 1999-12-08

CHAIRPERSON: I would tend to concur with your suggestion that you be afforded time to study the transcript of the previous hearing as well as today's hearing, and that you - I think Mr Sambo will understand that this will be so in his interest, you want to prepare properly for his argument.  There are quite a number of issues which obviously are troubling the Committee, in the light of the evidence that has now been presented today before the Committee.  We would really appreciate if you could make a careful consideration of all the issues which you have somehow been able to assess from the questions which came from, particularly the Panel, and submit your written Heads.  We will however be guided by Ms Mtanga, because we don't know how long it takes for a transcript of this nature.  It shouldn't be too long a transcript to be transcribed, it's a few hours hearing.  We however don't know because we are now in December and people are not liable to proceed to transcribe at the normal speed that they would at any other time other than this ...(indistinct)

MS MTANGA: Yes, Chairperson, I'm actually not in the position to indicate to the Committee as to when it can be done, but I can undertake to make an enquiry in the office and see if we can possibly obtain the transcript before we close, that is before the 15th, and forward it to my learned friend, Mr Wills and to the Panel.

CHAIRPERSON: Ms Mtanga, we are aware that it usually takes at least a week to have the record transcribed, may we prevail upon you to convey our millennium request to the transcribers, to try and have the record  transcribed by not later than Tuesday next week, with a view to giving the record to Mr Wills by the 15th, which will be the last day of the Committee in any event for the year, because I know Mr Wills has already advised us in chambers that he will not be available from the 15th of December until about the 18th of January.  And if we can get your undertaking that you will make that millennium request from the Panel, we can then, Mr Wills, agree on a date that you will, in the interest of facilitating this matter to be considered as speedily as possible, in view of the continued incarceration of Mr Sambo, we agree that we have your written Heads by the end of January next year.

MR WILLS: Yes, thank you, Chairperson, on the basis that I get the documents ...(intervention)

CHAIRPERSON: On the 15th of December.

MR WILLS: ... on the 15th of December.  Thank you yes, Madam Chair, I can undertake to do that.

CHAIRPERSON: ...(inaudible - no microphone) time to receive the record, prepare and have the argument ready for submission to the Committee, we'll give him until the 15th of February 2000.  That is when we will expect you to send the - to serve, not to send, to serve, Mr Wills, the Heads to Ms Mtanga in our Cape Town office, on the 15th of February 2000.  That should give you sufficient time.

MR WILLS: Thank you, that would be sufficient time, thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.  Well this brings us to the close of our proceedings for the week here in Nelspruit.  We wish to thank the Correctional Services for having brought Mr Sambo timeously, and to thank the members of the South African Police, I see they are here to give us a very good hearing, and to thank the members of the public, thank the media, the transcribers, the translators and most of all, the victims who are here, as well as the legal representatives who have just made this difficult hearing a manageable one and we come to the end of this hearing through the great assistance of Mr Wills, in particular.  We wish to express our gratitude for your ever apt service that you render on behalf of the applicants as well as the victims.  And may I take this opportunity to wish you, because this will be the last hearing that I will be presiding in, in 1999, to wish you a very good end of 1999, a happy Xmas and a prosperous millennium.  Thank you.
WITNESS EXCUSED
HEARING ADJOURNS