Amnesty Hearings — Klerksdorp — 1999-05-11

CHAIRPERSON: No, Mr Rudolph, it will be fine if it could be handed in as an exhibit and we will certainly read the rest of the document.  So I think if we can just arrange for a copy to be made then that will be, I think it's Exhibit F.  That document will be Exhibit F.

MR RUDOLPH: Thank you very much Your Honour.
	 I would just like to say to you that you are going to have to take into consideration that this incident, Ventersdorp took place over a period of many days and weeks.  There were 28 volumes of the court information.  I only brought along my own to work through those, but even that one is a hefty volume.  I do not want to waste your time, neither would I like to waste my colleague's time.  I am therefore a little at sea and I don't know whether I should go through the entire document, but I don't want anything to go astray.

CHAIRPERSON: I don't think it will be necessary to go through 28 volumes of a document, we have got the picture.   I'm sure my colleagues on the Panel have a picture now of what occurred, of what the issues were, of how the people felt, certainly the people that were members of your organisation felt, and it won't be necessary for us in this forum to have the complete knowledge of every single small incident that may have occurred over that period of time leading up to it.
	I think you have left us with the impression that it was certainly a political meeting that was to take place and that you were to attend the meeting in your capacity as political people.  
	I wonder if this might not be a convenient time to take a short tea adjournment.  I see that it is 11 o'clock.  We'll take a short tea adjournment for 20 minutes and then resume after tea and then you can carry on with whatever you want to see after tea.  Thank you, we will take a short tea adjournment now.

MS PATEL: Will everyone please rise.
COMMITTEE ADJOURNS
ON RESUMPTION

MR RUDOLPH: (s.u.c.)

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you Mr Rudolph, you may continue.

MR RUDOLPH: Thank you, Chairperson.
	Mr Chairperson, in terms of the information that these documents are in your possession and that volumes are available, I thought to perhaps cut out some of these and only concentrate on those that are important to me.  If I have to approach some of them, concentrate on some of them, you can give me an indication.  I would just like to say to you and mention certain ideas with regard to the trial where I gave evidence.

CHAIRPERSON: Yes, Mr Rudolph, that approach would be fine.  If at the end of your evidence, there is any matter or aspect that we would like clarification on we will ask you questions, so you don't have to worry about not covering every single aspect.  If there is any aspect that isn't covered that we feel we should know, we will ask a question from you, so in that way we will ensure that at the end of your testimony we would have received the information that we require.

MR RUDOLPH: Thank you Mr Chairperson.  Chairperson, after we were found guilty in the magistrate's court in Potchefstroom, as was the case in courts, we were given the opportunity to give evidence in mitigation.  I then used that opportunity.  I am just quickly going to briefly mention a few things from that evidence in mitigation in my plea.
	I told the magistrate who was responsible for the hearing that in this case the police action played a very important role to the extent that you should also give a verdict on that.  We gave our reasons for these in public and you also found it necessary not to emphasise what happened at the police station.  It was the afternoon at Ventersdorp prior to the meeting during which we tried to get the police to arrange for the charges.  If the, during the, if you were present at that meeting that afternoon - may I read a little faster now?  I do not hear the interpreter.

CHAIRPERSON: He indicates ja.