Human Rights Violation Hearings — Bisho — 1996-11-18

SENATOR RADUE: Thank you Chairperson, Members of the Commission.  It's a privilege to be here.  I am actually in
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my own area and very familiar coming from King Williamstown, having served that community for many, many years as a member of Parliament and subsequently the Eastern Cape as a Senator.
 May I just say that I would like to give perhaps a slightly local perspective of the whole situation.  When the mass march was announced there was a great deal of trepidation in King Williamstown, both among businessmen and among the local residents.  They were aware of the fact that there had been a call for rolling mass action.  And they knew from previous experience that this disrupted their lives immensely.  There was also a fear that there could be repercussions if the march was finally frustrated at the boundary and that frustrated people should return again via King Williamstown.  It was therefore in the interests of the people of King Williamstown and in the interests of the Republic as it then was of South Africa, to ensure that the march as far as humanly possible would be made to be peaceful.
 I had, and there is reference to the question of Codesa, I had had the privilege of being one of the National Party representatives at Working Group 4 which dealt with the reincorporation of the TBVC states and I can confirm personally that there had been complete consensus and agreement between the then South African government, the ANC/SACP alliance and also the Ciskean regime who were represented at those talks, that the process and procedure for a peaceful transformation of Ciskei and reincorporation would take place, and that was never, ever queried.
 Let us move on to the actual events of the day as my two colleagues have indicated.  The magistrate at Zwelitsha 
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had specifically agreed to the mass march within the borders of the then Ciskei.  There were three conditions.  The first was that it was to be peaceful.  The second was that it had to follow the route designated by the Ciskean government and thirdly that the rally had to terminate at 4:30 in the afternoon, 16H30, to allow the people to return home peacefully.
 Now Mr Kriel has clearly indicated the background as to what took place.  I wish to confirm that I was also part of the delegation that went to Brigadier Gqozo's office at the time.  I was present when Premier Kriel thanked Brigadier Gqozo for cooperating finally, after a great deal of pressure I may add.  Premier Kriel also reminded him at the time that it had been then President F W de Klerk who had broken the ice by allowing mass marches, particularly the one in Adderley Street in Cape Town, and that we believed that this was a democratic right which was owned by the people and that in fact what Gqozo had finally decided was the right thing.  
 He expressed his concerns at the time that the leaders of the march had indicated that they would not abide by the decision of the magistrate, but that they would try to Bisho.  He was very concerned.  He indicated that he had given orders to protect Bisho.
 Now we move on to the situation where, and this appeared later in the video which I trust that members of the Commission will look at, which I also was privileged to see, that the National Peace Committee at the boundary repeatedly warned and advised the marchers to be very careful to adhere to the Zwelitsha magistrate's decisions and conditions of the march to stay within the designated 
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area, to proceed to the Bisho stadium peacefully and to disperse peacefully.
 Unfortunately that did not take place. After we had returned to the Embassy I wished to confirm with the National Party Federal Information Service for purposes of a possible media release precisely what had happened in King Williamstown up to that stage, and I sent personally, through the Embassy's fax, a fax to the NP Federal Information Service at 13H49, that was immediately prior to the tragic events, a fax which I would like to share with the Commission and which I will hand in the original, if I may read it Chairperson.
"The National Party views the whole position in the Border Ciskei region in a serious light.  We welcome the presence of a strong contingent of the South African Police, backed up by the South African Defence Force as a necessary precaution against possible bloodshed and as a reassuring factor for the South African citizens residing and carrying on business in King Williamstown.  The position is now clear.  The march has been sanctioned by both the magistrate in Zwelitsha, Ciskei, and the magistrate in King Williamstown.  The important conditions are that it must be peaceful and abide by the agreed route, and also that it will terminate in the independent stadium in Bisho at 16H30.  No march will be permissible in Bisho itself.  The South African Government and the Ciskei Military Council have accepted these terms and the march is proceeding at this time.  It appears that there are approximately 18,000
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people taking part.  The ANC and its alliance partners have been fully informed of the conditions.  Any breach of these on their part could lead to serious confrontation with the Ciskean Security Forces.  The National Party therefore expresses the hope that all parties will abide by the conditions laid down by both magistrates, and that the march will proceed lawfully and peacefully.   The NP welcomes the thorough protective measures taken by the SA Police to ensure the safety of the people of King.  It accepts unequivocally that everything possible has been done in this regard.  The National Party rejects criticism that the declaration of the magisterial areas of King Williamstown and East London was an over-reaction...."
that is a reference to the declarations of emergency for the purposes of the march.
"It is the NP's view that the position is so serious, and the danger of conflict so real that the additional powers placed at the disposal of the police were in the circumstances absolutely essential.  It is also clear that this is a temporary measure to cover this mass action protest march only.  I personally welcome the presence of Minister of Law and Order Hernus Kriel, and his deputy minister Gert Myburgh as also Mr Wynand Breytenbach, deputy minister of Defence, as well as the senior officers of the South African Police and defence force in King Williamstown.  I express my sincere appreciation
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on behalf of the citizens of King Williamstown for the deep concern which their presence reflects".
That was a fax I sent through, and the proof of the fax is attached to the documentation, if I may hand it in for the information.  Thank you.
 To finalise my few remarks, one might ask and as the National Party has already indicated clearly we take no sides in this matter.  It's for the Commission to decide as to exactly what happened.  But if one was personally asked, and I refer only to my own personal view now, what was the cause of the shooting, I would say that the actions of Mr Ronnie Kasrils amounted to a flagrant and reckless violation of the conditions laid down by the Zwelitsha magistrate.  Mr Kasrils was aware of the high emotions generated by the mass march.  He was aware of the strict conditions imposed on the Ciskean side, especially that a demarcated route into the stadium should be followed, yet he chose wilfully to disregard the warnings of the National Peace Committee and the magistrate's conditions, and he initiated the breakaway.  I believe, myself personally, that it is his action that led and was the effective cause of the whole tragedy.
 I honestly believe that if the marchers had stayed within the precincts of the route and gone into the stadium, held a demonstration in the light of the Codesa agreement, that no firing would have taken place and the tragedy would not have occurred.
 I thank you Mr Chairman.