Human Rights Violation Hearings — Durban — 1996-08-30

COMMISSIONER: There is no one in this country who personifies this ideal better than our State President, Nelson Mandela.  For me he is the most amazing man in the world.  Despite his 27 years of incarceration he has not a trace of bitterness towards his oppressors.  I won't be long now.  Were it not for him our streets would have been rivers of blood.  For me he is the greatest living human being on the planet.  He is unique.  In Hinduism we would regard him as "avatar."  "Avatar" is a God who descends to earth in human form.  We all of us in South Africa, black and white, should humbly bow down to this saint and try to emulate the character of this remarkable human being.  He is the very embodiment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

COMMISSIONER: In conclusion, on behalf of the 12 comrades and their families I would like to thank the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for affording us the opportunity of exposing the truth, and for the magnificent work it is doing.  Through the Commission I would like to appeal to all South Africans to set aside their differences, and to live in peace and harmony with each other.  The differences between us are superficial, and are simply a manifestation of the rich, variegatedness that God has created to make our lives more interesting and meaningful.  We are born equal and we die equal.  Let us realise that violence as a way of achieving racial justice is both  impractical and immoral, because it is based on hatred

COMMISSIONER: rather than love.  Let us not insult God's intelligence by fighting with one another.  Let us reinstate God in our hearts, from where He has been dethroned.  We must all learn to show equal respect to all religions.  Not mere tolerance, but positive respect.  We need let God be a co-designer with us of the new life we want to live, and when we do we will be surprised at the assistance that will be forthcoming.  We need to realise more than ever before that when God's power and love are allowed to act as a solvent even the deepest bitterness can be washed away.

COMMISSIONER: May God bless South Africa and all its peoples.  Thank you.

COMMISSIONER: Mr Rabilall, we thank you very, very much for that very moving account, and for your very profound thoughts on your brother's death, and what it meant for you and your family.

COMMISSIONER: Are you aware of any of the senior policemen or soldiers who participated in that raid, conducted it?

WITNESS:   We have some knowledge that the instruction came from the Special Branch in Durban, and I stand to correction, I think it was Jan Buchner who actually gave the instruction, but I am not sure about that.

COMMISSIONER: In fact it is a matter of public record that Jacques Buchner not only - well, whether or not he ordered it or organised it, he certainly participated in it.  He not only participated in that rate, but he also participated in the first Maseru raid, where 41 people were killed.  Have you ever had any word from the South African Defence Force about this raid?  Have they ever approached you as  a family ... (intervention)

WITNESS:   No.

COMMISSIONER: ... to explain why it happened, what happened?

WITNESS:  Nothing whatsoever.

COMMISSIONER: Nothing at all?

WITNESS:   No.

COMMISSIONER: Now your brother's body.  Krish was buried in Mozambique.

WITNESS:   Yes.

COMMISSIONER: You've expressed a wish in your statement that his remains should be brought back to this country.  Is that something that you would like to pursue?

WITNESS:   No, not really.  I have had second thoughts on that.  But what we would like is for all the 12 comrades to be remembered in some tangible form in South Africa, maybe by a tombstone, a street name probably, a school name, because they have made the ultimate sacrifice in the attainment of a democratic country, and we felt that this would be a symbolic transfer of their remains to South Africa.

COMMISSIONER: (Inaudible) ... ask my colleagues if they have any questions they want to ask you.

COMMISSIONER: Well, I just want to show my brother that in the Reparation Committee we are working a policy we should help those people who want to rebury their loved ones who died somewhere, but that recommendation will also have to be made to the President.  And also we are working a policy which is quite relevant to what you are saying.  The memories, maybe walls or something else, about the people who died somewhere and were buried.  What you are saying is very tragic.  Maybe this becomes very tragic to me because we in the SACC were involved.  In fact I was in charge of the refugees then, and Desmond Tutu was the secretary of the SACC, and that was my department when we  made it possible for your brother to leave to the Refugee Committee ... (inaudible) ... into Mozambique.  It shook

COMMISSIONER: us when we heard that he and others were among those who were killed in Matola Base.  In fact we did go there too to Matola and we visited those graves.  I have the picture of those graves together in Mozambique.  We feel with you in the tragedy, and you have spelt it very well, the tragedy which was created by the South African Government.  But I am very pleased that you say that you have found a new philosophy, a philosophy of love.  That is very exciting indeed, and I want to thank you for that.  I don't have any other question.

COMMISSIONER: Mr Rabilall, we were struck - I was certainly struck by the similarity between your brother Krish and another victim who we heard about this morning, Lesli Naidu.

WITNESS:   Lesli Naidu, yes.

COMMISSIONER: They both were from Durban, they're both from the Indian community, both young people from good homes who did voluntary community work, became politically aware and left the country.  And, like Lesli Naidu, your brother was murdered by the Security ... (inaudible - end of side A) ... together.  The fundamental aim of apartheid was to force people apart, was to force people into their separate race groups, and in fact what apartheid did, ironically, was that it drew its opponents together, and we saw black, white, Indian and coloured South Africans working and fighting together against apartheid.  And your brother was one of these people, and we hope that you and your family are able to take some comfort from the fact that he was and is regarded as a hero by many people in  this country.

COMMISSIONER: The person who led the raid, the Matola raid, was,

COMMISSIONER: as you have said, a man called Jacques Buchner, who also led the first raid into Maseru, where 41 people were killed.  This is a man who was head of the Security Branch in Pietermaritzburg for many years, and it is also a matter of public record that the political murders, assassinations increased greatly during his period of office.  He was taken from there and transferred to Ulundi, where he became the Commissioner, the head of the KwaZulu Police.  And we all know from evidence that has been given to this Commission of the violent political thuggery which police force unleashed on this province.

COMMISSIONER: We have heard your request that a monument, or something to remember, not only your brother, but the other 10 people who died in Mozambique, should be erected, and we will certainly be making that recommendation to the Government on your behalf, and on behalf of the families of the other people who died.

COMMISSIONER: So we thank you all very much for coming in today and sharing your story with us.  Thank you.

WITNESS:   Thank you very much.

COMMISSIONER: Good morning, Mrs Mkhize, we greet you, welcome you here today.  You are from Inanda, is that right, and you have come to talk - to tell us about the death of your son, who was killed in Inanda in 1991.  Is that another one of your children on the stage with you?

FLORENCE MKHIZE: Yes.