Human Rights Violation Hearings — Sebokeng — 1996-08-06

CHAIRPERSON: Amandla, your mother as well as your aunt we thank you very much for having come before this Commission to come and relate this very painful story.  It is very disturbing that we have been listening to the stories of the mothers who had lost their sons, who have lost their beloved sons in many different ways, but the basic thing is that they have lost their children.  We thank you very much for having come to shed some light because this is going to help us in the investigation.  We are really disturbed at the way HRV/312 in/...
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in which Christopher died.  It is quite horrendous.  Maybe he was a community-builder, he was an aspiring community-builder.  It is quite obvious that Zone 7 was the scene of great conflict.  Now you come and repeat the very same story that a number of times you requested the police to come and intervene but they failed to do so.  We have also noted that.  We shall try by all means when we investigate the matter to see as to why the police were acting in the manner they did.  We are also surprised at the AK47 and the grenade as to where they came from because this was a community, a peaceful community.  
 What is even more unsettling is what happened at the night vigil of your brother.  We as the Black people regard the night vigil as something very sacred, something very respectable and it's a support system that is gathered by the neighbours when death has occurred, that's where we meet, where we console each other, where we encourage the bereaved.  It is quite painful that the people who have come to console the families, to pay their condolences end up dying just like flies.  We know how unsettling it is that this happened right in your own yard even before you buried your brother.  
 You have already pointed out about the inquest which was held at the Vereeniging Regional Court and in your statement you are not satisfied with the outcome and even the manner in which the inquest was handled.
 We as the TRC are going to try by all means to reopen this case, to reinvestigate this matter, and we hope that all the witnesses, eyewitnesses will avail themselves both sides so that we may be able to investigate the matter and get some clarity as to what actually happened and who did it HRV/312 because/...
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because we don't want to take premature conclusions that the police were actually responsible.  We want a proper and thorough investigation to be done so that we may arrive at the truth.  And I also believe that Hunter's pending trial will also shed some light in this case.
 We thank you very much for the suggestions of reconciliation that you have brought forward.  We may point out that the mothers, it is easy for the mothers to come together because they share the grief.  It is easy for them to initiate the peace proceedings.  We have realised because in the struggle the women have been united.  We thank you for the suggestion very much.  We appreciate it and we shall take this further and point out the Rehabilitation and Reparation Committee should look at this suggestion seriously and see that it's being implemented.  We thank you very much for having come forward.