Human Rights Violation Hearings — Soweto — 1996-07-26

SHAN NAPIER: Well, after his funeral had taken place, he was given an ANC funeral.  We had various political figures coming home.  We had Ahmed Kathrada who came to pay his respects as well and sat down and talked to us as well.  All he said was that he knew my brother well and no - it probably was, at that stage it was mentioned, which I don't think I can recall it, the stage that he came to visit that, how deep my brother was actually involved in the MK, or rather let's put it, the ANC.  Because we didn't know how far he was involved in.  We had Mr Mac Maharaj who also became home to visit as well during that stage. He paid his respects as well, and he said he was sorry to hear about what happened.  He probably also knew my brother at that stage as well, because he said he had known my brother. We had many other people who paid respects at the home during that stage.  We have had in October 1990, Mr Mandela paid his respects as well, but he didn't have the opportunity of coming to our home.  We had to meet him privately at his Yusuf Aqiyo's residence.  That was the guy that was also involved with my brother that time of the death.

CHAIRPERSON: You mention in your statement that you learnt later on that your brother and Yusuf Aqiyo were part of a special unit.  Could you tell us more about that.

SHAN NAPIER: Well, the ANC hosts a memorial sports tournament every year in honour of my brother and Yusuf Aqiyo.  At the function the awards ceremony, it was made mention that specifically that my brother Prakash Napier was, he was
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responsible for the bombings which had taken place in Lenasia, which had taken place at the police barracks in, I think it was at Hillbrow, at the Hillbrow police barracks as well. It was also made mention that he received his military training abroad, in respect he has been to Lusaka.  He has been to Germany.  He was actually honoured in Russia as well, where he received medals as well.  We learnt that Prakash was actually a commander in his unit.  He was part of the Ahmad Timol Unit.

CHAIRPERSON: Sorry.  Could we ask people at the back to keep quiet, please.  Please continue.

SHAN NAPIER: I had mentioned that Prakash and Yusuf were part of the Ahmad Timol Unit. I had read an rticle in the Sunday Times, it was approximately four weeks back, where I was reading, it featured Dr Ahmed Timol, on the cover of the Sunday Times magazine.  I read the article and a statement was made in that particular article that these two people, namely, that would be my brother Prakash and Yusuf Aqiyo were part of the Ahmed Timol Unit.  This unit was formed in honour of Dr Ahmed Timol, and the statement was made there that their deaths were caused by booby-trap bombs.  That is what the statement read.  That is why I find it very curious for the Sunday Times journalist to have made a statement like that, thinking that he must have had very, very close sources or information by making that statement.

CHAIRPERSON: You also make mention of the fact that the bomb was the last of the MK bombings.  Were you given that information by anyone in the ANC or is that your own suppositions?

SHAN NAPIER: That statement was made in the Sunday Times of -it was during the period of 1989, 1989/1990. It was in the
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Sunday Times, where it was, before the release of President Mandela. It stated in the paper that these were the two last Indian members to be killed in bomb blasts for the ANC.  That is where I got that statement from, from the Sunday Times.

CHAIRPERSON: Did the ANC at any time ever explain to your family that your brother had been involved in this unit and what the proper circumstances were surrounding his death?

SHAN NAPIER: The only statement which was made mention after his death, was that Prakash was a member of Umkhonto weSizwe, and that his death at Park Station was merely caused by him setting off the bomb, but the explosive device which was to derail, which was actually to derail the railway line itself, it was actually to derail the railway line, but apparently what happened was, there was a train approaching and what happened was they actually retrieved the bomb and went into the offices and that is when the bomb, the device actually exploded. What was made mention, was that it was said the bomb was not meant to injure anybody, they had apparently thought it was a passenger train coming, but instead it was a goods train.

CHAIRPERSON: Did you ever follow up with the police, was there any kind of investigations done by them in this matter?

SHAN NAPIER: My sister was called back just after his death, during the same period of December, she was called to the Sandton police station, where they displayed all the photographs of the scene where the bomb blast had taken place, of how his body was - everything.  They pasted it on a wall, and they just wanted more information from my sister.  They showed her certain photographs about people
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who they asked her about. They questioned her about that. No, we weren't told about any inquest, nothing, nothing was told, anything afterwards.

CHAIRPERSON: Could you tell us what you would like the Truth Commission to do in this regard?

SHAN NAPIER: I have made mention in my statement that I would like to know from the Truth Commission that during this stage of the period of 1989 when negotiations were, as I would put it, at top level discussions between the government and the underground movements, why, why during the crucial period of December, why was the command or why was soft-targeted spots like that, why was it given to my brother at that stage, when negotiations were at top level. Why were they given targets like that? When bombings were ceased, came to an end at that stage.  Who gave the command. Who authorised the bombing of that particular target.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you. I am going to ask my fellow Commissioners if they would like to ask you any questions.

MS MKHIZE: Mr Napier, much as I can see that talking about yuor brother whom you loved and cherished, causes you a lot of pain, I would still like to ask you just one or two questions.
 As compared to other people we have heard today and many other days, like the political party which your brother belonged to, have been very close to you and the family in terms of giving you support.  But what I want to know is, have you ever actually sat down with them or asked for the detailed report as to what exactly happened, because that, I suppose is part of important information before people begin to heal.

SHAN NAPIER: The fact is that after his death,  before the
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ANC was unbanned, at that stage we didn't want to make mention of even the word ANC at home, because at that stage it was the worst thing that you have ever said.  I mean, we were scared at that stage to say anything or to even ask any thing at that stage.  I didn't have the guts and the courage to even approach one of the members of the ANC at that stage, because I was actually scared to be seen here by them at that stage, because I was just totally scared. I was just totally scared. I never really sat down with anyone because all we were told, is at the awards evening, is that their deaths were just merely caused by them retrieving the device and going back into the offices, and that was all. They also had made mention at the awards evening that he was commander of his unit, he was trained in his field. He received his military training abroad.  Those are the facts that were mentioned.  But no detailed information was actually given to us and nobody has ever sat down to discuss those points with us.