Human Rights Violation Hearings — East London — 1997-06-10

UNKNOWN: Okay.  I've got a daughter in Standard Eight.  She's fifteen, Natalie and I've actually applied for assistance with School Fees.  I've got to pay One Thousand Nine Hundred Rand and they gave me Two Hundred.  I stand to correction I think it's Two Hundred discount that they give me which doesn't actually make a difference because I might as well pay the whole amount.  I've got to see to all her schooling, her clothes etc.  She's doing drummies which is a very costly sport but I feel I cannot deprive her from that.  My son has been unemployed for a while and I'm supporting him as well.  He's looking for a job but you can't just find a job.  I myself I work and I will have to work until the day I die because I need money.  I'm staying in Southern Wood which is not an area I would like to stay in.  I would like to stay in a clean flat as my flat is very dilapidated.  It's got holes in the kitchen and the taps don't work.  Coming from a place where I lived comfortably I ... I don't know I just had to give up a lot of comfort and easy going living if you know what I mean.  I don't want to be rich as money doesn't mean anything to me but I would like to be more comfortable.

MS MAYA: Thank you.  You said something earlier about seeing a report in the daily dispatch that one of the people involved in this shooting had been sentenced to fourteen year imprisonment?

UNKNOWN: Yes, fourteen years suspended for thirteen years.  They had a picture of the gentleman in the paper and they said that they managed to catch this guy and it was a Black gentleman and they said that he got fourteen years suspended for thirteen years.  I just tore the paper up and I said you know this is justice and I'm not even interested.

MS MAYA: Does that mean that you don't have details that you can give us so that we can follow the matter up?

UNKNOWN: No, I haven't.  That is all I saw in the paper and other than that I don't know anything what happened to the rest or what is happening.  I just thought the whole story died down and we go onto the next one.

MS MAYA: Mrs Whitfield if you were to come face to face to this person or if you were given an opportunity to convey a certain message to him or to them what would you like to convey to them?

UNKNOWN: As the Lord said to me when he gave me this word he can walk away from us with the deeds that he's done but one day when he comes face to face with Jesus he will have to answer because when the Lord deals with you it hurts, if I deal with him he won't feel anything and that is my hope.

MS MAYA: Thank you.  Are you able to tell us at all what the nature and the extent of injuries your husband sustained in the shooting?

UNKNOWN: I think it was either three or four bullet wounds in the chest.  He was alive for a while but he drowned in his own blood.  That's when he died.

MS MAYA: Thank you.  Would you like to place a request or a recommendation before us so that we can convey that to the State President?

UNKNOWN: As I said before in East London nothing has been done and nothing will be done and I really don't expect anything to be done because nothing will be done.

MS MAYA: Is that all?

UNKNOWN: That is it.

MS MAYA: Mrs Whitfield would you like maybe to request an indulgence just for your children if not for yourself?  Their education, their welfare and their well-being?

UNKNOWN: I actually expected financial help but as I said it's been four years and nothing has been done so that is why I say nothing will be done because there's nobody that does anything for us.  It's been four years and we've coped on our own, we had to take on the financial battle ourselves.  Financial assistance would be appreciated very much so but that also depends on the human hearts of the world.

MS MAYA: Thank you very much.  I'm going to hand you back to the Chairperson but there could be other questions from the rest of the panel. Thank you Mrs Whitfield.

BONGANI FINCA: Mr Sandi?

MR SANDI: Thank you Mr Chairman.  Mrs Whitfield I may be asking  you the same question but maybe in a different way.  I don't seem to get your attitude too clearly as to how you would relate to those who perpetrated this gross human rights violation.  Let us suppose the people who did this to your husband and other victims of the tragedy were to come to you and say to you they are asking for forgiveness, how would you respond to such a request?

UNKNOWN: I've got no grudge against anybody I feel if I have then I cannot call myself a child of God because if God forgives us we can forgive others.  I cannot judge the man Jesus is going to judge him although it takes forty years, forty years is like a wink of an eye to the Lord and he will have to come face to face with Jesus his judge and what happens to him then is between him and the Lord.  He'll have to answer then.  Here on earth there is no justice.  I've never seen justice in this world but when he comes face to face with the Lord that is the day he is going to get judged and that is my only hope.

MR SANDI: Thank you very much Mrs Whitfield.  Thank you Mr Chairman.

BONGANI FINCA: Reverend Xundu?  Okay the question is withdrawn.  Just one question from me Mrs Whitfield.  You have painted a very gloomy picture of our future and even your coming to the Commission has been put in a context which has a lot of pain and doubt about the validity of doing that and I've got very serious respect for that in that you have been honest, you have been forthright in talking to us and that is very helpful.  It reminds us that we are a Truth Commission and if people come to us in truth although it may be painful to listen to that truth but it's also very helpful.  I've got one question for you, do you have any hope at all for the future of this country?

UNKNOWN: Yes, I do have a lot of hope and because I don't put my hope in people I put my hope in the Lord I see a lot of hope in the world.  As I said if we focus on God because it's only God that can give you inner peace ...  you know I help and encourage so many people who come to me with broken heart and I say to them the world might reject you but Jesus will always love you and you know that gives us so much hope.  If nobody on earth treats us fair or treats us with respect or what we deserve and we've never seen Jesus, you feel that love flowing through from above to you.  You don't find that in the human race so if we treat each and every person with the love of God there will be peace, there can be nothing but peace and nothing but mutual friendships and relationships.  This is what I believe in. (end of tape) ... As far as I'm concerned I'm wasting my time I'm here for Jesus.  As I said to June Crichton when she phoned me I said I'm not interested in coming here because you don't get anywhere here, you won't get anywhere here but I'm here because God has told me to  beme here and say these words to everybody.

BONGANI FINCA: Thank you very much.  We will call our next witness and convey our thanks to all of you together.