Human Rights Violation Hearings — Rustenburg — 1997-05-07

SOLOMON BOKABA: You see, the students generally did not support the Boputhatswana Government.  But there were who might have been supporting it.  They were not clear to us.  But we did not have a problem with students, particularly with Boputhatswana, I mean those who were favouring Boputhatswana.  We were just living in another part of South Africa, where we were seeing SASCO, PASO, AZASCO as the legitimate students' organisations.  We never had any student organisation which supported Boputhatswana or Boputhatswana Government or Boputhatswana Ruling Party at that stage, the CPD.  So we never even at any stage had confrontation.
 But what I can just relate to you is that one day when I was travelling from Mmabatho  to (...indistinct) in a taxi, there was this old man who was in the taxi and he appeared to be favouring Boputhatswana.  And he was influenced by media, by the pronouncement by the politicians that there is this student called Solomon Bokaba in UNIBO who is causing problems.  And I suppose that parent had a kid at UNIBO.  Now what he was saying is that he was just talking to others in the taxi, and I was there, about me, the bad things I am doing.  He has been planted by the ANC, I do not even know the surname Bokaba in Boputhatswana.  So you could see that there was people like Mr Mangope, they were playing on the emotions and the lack of understanding of our people and in particular dealing with the question of tribalism.   I am a Motswana, but because somebody who is not Motswana does not understand that Bokaba is Motswana.  He thinks that I am just a foreigner who has just come in to cause him, set up by the ANC there.  And I was not, I was never on a mission of the ANC.  But at that stage as student leader I was a member of the ANC, but the ANC never mandated me and said Bokaba, go and cause harm.  I was there performing the task and because at that stage I was called upon to ensure that I move forward.  
 So it was very clear that that parent then gave me a picture that our parents, one or the other, they are being influenced, but if we can get an opportunity of talking to them.  And as time goes on, they started to relive and some even started to approach me to tell me that we never understood.  Immediately after I was assaulted so they could see that even if Bokaba is wrong, or he might be doing something wrong, this is no way to subject a person to an ill-treatment.  So people started to voice out and definitely showed that the struggles which we waged were the precursor of what happened in the 1994 uprisings in Bop, because we had already planted seeds in terms of talking to people through SRC's and meetings, people who would sympathise with students and so forth and so forth and I am happy that, that is now part of our history which I have to deal with it and forget and move forward.

RUSSELL ALLY: Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Solly, thank you very much for the clear and lucid submission that you have given us and we do admire the participation of the students and the young people in the struggle.  And we are where we are today, because of their contribution.
 You spoke of patriotism, reconciliation, I hope young people and students now will just be as vehemently involved in the new issues that are facing, the new problems that are facing our country now and not forget where we come from, the hardships and oppression that we suffered and will be part of a new group of people who are going to support our (...indistinct) new Government in bringing up this democracy.  Thank you very much for coming to share with us.

SOLOMON BOKABA: Thanks.
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