Human Rights Violation Hearings — Cradock — 1997-02-10

BONGANI FINCA: We would request that those people who have a problem following the language, do get the earphones handed over to them so that we are ready to start.  Let us just check how many people are needing earphones.  Only one person there?  Okay, let's say that those who are needing earphones, should talk to, where is the Logistics Officer, to that lady at the door there - those who are needing earphones.
 The procedure that we are going to follow, will be in Xhoza.  I was just telling those people who do not understand Xhoza, what to do.  We welcome you in this hearing of the Truth Commission, here in Cradock.  We thank you for your presence in this hearing and we thank you for accompanying the people who will be testifying in front of the Commission.
 We are now going to start - the time is quarter past nine.  Usually, before the proceedings, we usually stand up to give respect to the people who will be testifying, therefor I request you to stand up.
 We are going to ask Reverend Vena to lead us in prayer.  THE COMMISSION COMMENCES WITH PRAYERS.

BONGANI FINCA: We thank Reverend Vena.  We greet the people of Cradock.  We thank the Lord that He kept us until we got to Cradock, the place that we know.
 I think all the South Africans know this place, of its
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contribution.  The great contribution that it made in the struggle of liberation in our country.
 If we mention the places that brought the leaders of the struggle of liberation, we usually mention Cradock as one of those places because it had a remarkable contribution.
 It had that spirit that was so amazing in fighting for our freedom in our country.  When we arrived here in Cradock, some of us were involved in the struggle, they get the spirit because they came to the root of the struggle.  As the Commission was planning its work at the beginning of last year, when it concluded where to start, there was an idea that the first hearing should sit in Cradock, but because of other regions, because we wanted the first hearing to show our region Eastern Cape, as a whole, we had to take different cases from different people of different nations and different organisations.
 We concluded that the first hearing should be in East London, but I would like to tell you that Cradock was among the places that we thought about first.
 We thank you that you are here today when we are towards the end of our work as the Commission.  In this hearing we are going to talk about the incidents from Cradock and the other towns.  We have tried to mix the incidents of Cradock and Somerset and the other neighbouring towns.
 I want to welcome therefor all the people who are here especially the 15 people who will be testifying in front of this Commission.  I would like to welcome Reverend Henry Maqroa, who is from the Anglican Church, who is here with us.
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 I would like to welcome also the visitors from the United States of America that are here with us today.  I would request them to stand up as I would be calling their names.  That is Vincent Warren, Shanna Judge.  There is Mora Lee, and Annemarie Cillie, Gene Mackalhan and Flemming Hoffman.  These are the visitors who are here from the United States.  
 They are here in South Africa.  Last week they were in the Gauteng hearings, this week they will be here with us for the three days here in Cradock.  We would like to thank them, they have been here with us, admitting that the struggle of liberating this country, got support from different countries.
 The countries who were us while we were in pain.  We thank this opportunity of reconciliation and they are here with us today.  
 Lastly I would like to introduce, just before we start with the hearing.  I would like to tell the people that we have got a lot of statements coming from the neighbouring towns that we will be dealing with in this three day hearing here in Cradock.  We have something like 124 different cases.
 Unfortunately we cannot take all this statements to the hearing, because if we will try to take all of them, we can take three to four weeks sitting here in Cradock, listening to those cases.
 Because of that, we had to restructure again and take a few cases.  I want to make it clear to the people that the statements that are not brought forward to the hearing, that does not necessarily mean that the Commission is ignoring them or maybe such statements are not as important as the 
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other statements. 
 Because of the limited time that we have, we can take only a few statements.  The statements that are not brought forward to the Commission, the Commission is dealing with them the same as the other statements, in other words, our investigative unit is going to investigate those cases.  The Committee of the Human Rights Violations is also going to deal with those statements and make a finding.
 The Committee of Rehabilitation and Reparation is going to work with those statements.  I want to assure the people who won't be appearing in front of the Commission that their statements that are here with us, they also get the same attention as the other statements for those people who will be here, coming forward to testify.
 We will be here for three days,  it is today, tomorrow and Wednesday.  Because of the fact that today it is our first day, we have started at quarter past nine.  As from tomorrow and Wednesday, we will start exactly at nine o'clock.   We therefor request that the people should be seated at half past eight.
 We appeal to the people that they give the hearing the respect that it deserves, and the dignity that it deserves.  I am talking to the people of Cradock who know our battle, and the people who know what respect means, what kind of respect we gave to the victims of that battle.  Thank you.  For now I am going to hand over to Miss Tiny Maya, who will be telling us about the order of the day.  Thank you.