Human Rights Violation Hearings — Winelands — 1996-10-16

REV XUNDU: Madam Chair, this is indeed a very moving story.  And I want to say our hearts go out to Owen and to his mother.  We admire you for the courage of coming out  to share your pain publicly with us.   Not only  so that we should hear it, but so that those who where responsible should also hear it and  have an opportunity to be saved.   Because I think that it is a point that you are making.  That they may have the opportunity to repent and then be saved.
 It is very significant that in your heart of hearts you want that to happen, because you shared your story in order  that the opportunity  should be given to them for them to do that.
One of  the strangest things in the history of South Africa  within the last 48 years is the fact that in order to protect white privilege, God was also co-opted  to be part of that.  As if God himself was willing to do that.
 That's when that system got to its worst end.  When it actually they said that it was also part of God's agenda to make sure that they stay in hell.  And in  power.   To say the least about manipulating the nation, the media both electronic and print with the propaganda to do that.
 How could they not dilate if they there able to co-op God.  And while people were saying God cannot be like this.  All those who said so, were demonised???  as communists, like Desmond Tutu, like Boesak, like Beyers  Naude and others.
 I'm hoping that the message of today will also reach the lives of PW Botha, Pik Botha, General Malan and the commanding officer who was responsible  and in change of the South African Army at the time.
National Party has come up before the Commission but they have not been detailed in giving to this extent how they duped the nation in to conidge just so that they selfishly remain in hell.
 The Dutch Reformed Church in the Stellenbosch  of  that Church has come up yesterday to share with us the pain of having been duped themselves and having to justify  that with the Bible until it  [indistinct]  on them that they  are being part of a system which was evil  and against God himself.   And I think that if you there able to hear them yesterday part of you pain will be eased even the fact that there are some people who have actually are prepared to go public about there  [indistinct]   and  [indistinct] so that they begin to change and begin  to be part of the transformation agency for justice and peace and Human Rights in the country in which  we live.
 We share your pain, and I want to assure you that among those people who share your pain are mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters who  come from the oppressed masses, who because they wanted to defend themselves against that hole in the system were molded down at several instances as you'll hear in the stories that are related to you in the hearings.
 Your son was a victim of that system  and so where those people.  Gross [indistinct]  violations where done in order to mussel them and in order to coheres them to accept being oppressed.
 As you morn the death of your son also take a turn round to say those were of the civic and also have  [indistinct]  and probably misunderstood your son when they  saw him on the ranks of those who were wanting to mold down those who opposed apartheid.
 My brother and my sister, please be comforted  in the knowledge that  what has happened  is an assurance to us that the people of South Africa should work for this never to impress again.  And that the Truth Commission in its own right, through all its subcommittees try and investigate those people who have been responsible - directly or indirectly - with having made sure that your son goes there and to take up arms against fellow South Africans.
 It is my hope that these words,  inadequate as they are, will help to soothe you and to come to terms with your grief.  Thank you, Madam Chairperson.

MS GOBODO: Thank you Rev Xundu, anybody else, Wendy?

WENDY ORR: Thank you Madam Chair.  I just want to say very briefly how struck I was by Ann-Marie's statement.  And the way she brought out the common theme of loss, grief and the need to know the facts and I think in our hearings over the past months that has come out again and again and it doesn't matter it you're a black woman and your son was shot dead in the township by the police or a white woman and your son was killed in the SADF.  There is that common theme.
And my hope is that we recognizing this commonality and sharing this common pain and acknowledging that we are all  the same, that  will be able to achieve reconciliation.

MS GOBODO: Thank you, Wendy.  Thank you, I think I will close that session of the statements with Wendy's comments but to very briefly say that it is amazing how apartheid used whites in this country.  It is amazing the kind of lies that the Government of apartheid perpetrated to keep itself in power.
 And one hopes that white people will realize  and when they realize that they were used by apartheid we will have many more voices that are speaking out, are speaking up against the injustices of apartheid.  I'm going to call upon the next witness.