Human Rights Violation Hearings — Leandra — 1997-06-03

JAN Z NKABINDE: Okay, briefly what I can explain is that in this township we did not have the developed school.  Our schools were shacks.  Another thing was that, that was giving us a problem was that in Leslie you would go to school up to standard six.  If you have to further your studies you have to go to another place, you have to go to another area.  Another, moreover the facilities and the equipment needed, we did not have any equipment and facilities and even the furniture itself, we did not have.  So we were forced that if you have to go to school you have to take this, you have to take the chair from your home.  The board they have to pay, taking the ceilings, painting, painted in order for them to write on something.  So we demanded that the Government will have to do something just like any other thing that is being done in the other townships.

THOMAS MANTHATA: As my last question will be along the lines of Mr Malan.  At some stage it sounded as though the people we were saying were harassing people, making it difficult for the people are still around here in Leandra and my question is if so, have you got an idea why they have not submitted their statements to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission?  I was saying right through the hearings there was an impression that the people who were on the other side, let me put it that way, that is that you were fighting with are still around in Leandra.  Now I was just asking for your opinion whether you know why they have not submitted their statements or they have not even appeared before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.  If it is a difficult question do not answer, please.  Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Wynand.

MR MALAN: May I take the same line in a different way, Mr Nkabinde.  You know some of the people are still around.  We know that we have not received their statements.  You come from a history of leadership, of youth leadership through the struggle.  Could I just ask you to consider, you do not have to answer now, but approaching some of these people simply to make also their statements to the Truth Commission so that we can also acknowledge their pain, just in an impartial way, because they also suffered, as you have acknowledged, and would you not think such an approach by you specifically, with a leadership record, would not perhaps lead to a major effort of reconciliation in this area.  Would you consider such an approach?

JAN Z NKABINDE: I do not know, because as it is said that most of those people are here and most of them are in the police force.  They are employed by the local police station.  So what I am thinking of is that most of them are afraid of coming forward, because during that time we were not known, but now that they are policemen, because they are afraid that maybe they are going to reveal the truth.

MR MALAN: Okay, but I will just leave you with the idea of taking an initiative which you take upon yourself, again as a leader in this community with a proven track record to see if you could not contribute to reconciliation and forgiveness by also getting them to become part of our processes.  I do not need an answer, I am just leaving you with a suggestion and thank you once again for coming forward.

CHAIRPERSON: Joyce, did you want to?  Yes.  Mr Nkabinde, could I just add to that by taking a slightly different line, because what you have told us has been a very, you have expressed very clearly what has been a very dreadful experience for you and you have done what a lot of people have not been able to do.  You have actually survived and you are still young and what you have survived is actually the vision of death, because you were very close to being killed, were you not.  So you have an experience now which you are able to pass on and what I would say is that you clearly are, if I work it out correctly, you are still in your 20's.  You have a very exciting, long life ahead of you.  You are in a position of leadership, you have had what is essentially a very unique experience and I would put to you that your responsibility as a new leader, as part of the new leadership in our country is to think about that experience and take it forward as a responsibility to react, possibly in the way that Wynand has suggested in terms of reaching the people whom we have not been able to reach.  It is something that we cannot do anything other than ask you to do that, but on the basis of the, the basis of the experience and also on the basis of the strength that you have shown in coming forward now and talking about that experience.  I would like to offer it as well and at the same time say thank you very much for coming and thank you to your father for joining you.  Thank you.