Human Rights Violation Hearings — Nelspruit — 1996-09-02

YASMINE SOOKA: Did you know him before the incident took place or did you learn about his name later on?

JAMES MALALA: I happened to know this white person because during school holidays we used to go to his farm to do some temporary work.  I used to know him and I know him, he was a very cruel person.  He used to trouble us.

YASMINE SOOKA: Why do you think he was chasing this group of boys around, why would he want to shoot you?

JAMES MALALA: I think the reason behind on that day there was
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a stayaway campaign and they were forcing us why don't we go and work for them because most of the people actually did not go for work, did not report for duty on that day.

YASMINE SOOKA: Were you and John members of any political organisation at the time?

JAMES MALALA: That really I can't give confirmation because at that time it was at a very initial stage for the liberation movements at that time.  We were only seeing a lot of people singing and we could only join them because we liked the way they were singing.

YASMINE SOOKA: Were you working at the time and so on that day you did not go to work?

JAMES MALALA: Yes, I can say that I felt somehow because I was attending school I used actually to play with them but that day I could not play, I just went to the ground just to see, they asked me to play, I said well I don't want to participate in the play but I can only give you the ball.  But that day I could feel somehow that no, my ...

YASMINE SOOKA: Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Any further questions?

<UNKNOWN>: I want you to give us more clarity about the distance between your grandfather's hut.  You said 500 metres or ....

JAMES MALALA: Actually although I may not be sure because I am not sure of the measurements, I failed maths at school, it is just from that wall to the other wall here in this very room.

<UNKNOWN>: I thank you.  If I may ask you a question.  According to you what must be done in order to help those people who were of your age at that time who actually witnessed the shooting of their colleagues and some of them
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even died?  As you have rightly said that you felt very much sorry because of the death of your colleagues.  But we are now at the time of reconciliation.  Now what can be done in order that you can sort of forgive or be ...

JAMES MALALA: I will say that it was actually we were not supposed to live this struggle of the people because myself I continued with the liberation movement and I even joined the MK and we have said now that we are in the new South Africa and we are against that some whites were forcing us, together with that you must assist the government so that what has happened in the past should not happen again.

<UNKNOWN>: You said you joined as an MK.  What can be done that the soldiers should not repeat what has happened before?

JAMES MALALA: I think what should happen now there should be some reconciliation.  People should actually be open enough.  If I have got a problem with that particular soldier I could go to him and say well I have got this problem but I should not just shoot him at a distance.  That shows some cowardness.  I think if that farmer could have come and talked to us nicely that we should go and work in his farm we could have negotiated that but to shoot a person at a distance, it shows some cowardness.

CHAIRPERSON: We want to thank you to you Mother there.  What is painful, I think as you were telling your story you said that it was just boys who were playing football there but those people were just shot at.  Some people may say well this is just a tale story, it is something that never took place.  It is something which is untrue.  As we are now in the new South Africa if you think of things that happened in the past people will say this person is just daydreaming. NELSPRUIT HEARING TRC/MPUMALANGA
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Such a thing never happened.  But people who are here they told us, they give us their witnesses, the people are saying that people were just shot at random as if they are just wild animals.  It is very, very difficult to you Mother more especially.  It has been very difficult, you know we don't even have words to show that we really feel the pain with you.  We want words that would be an ointment to the wounds that you have sustained but as we have been saying it is very important to note that today you are among people who are your friends, people who are your relatives, people who have listened to your story, people who feel the same pain.  People who would say we have listened to your story. This was a terrible thing that happened.  But Mother today we want to thank you that you brought us a hero in this world, even if he wasn't prepared to meet his death on that day but he was a sacrifice and today we are reaping the fruits of his work.  He has passed away, we are reaping the fruits.  We are here today sitting here, we have a president chosen by the people, we have the premier of the province who is our premier.  We have the government that belongs to the people.  These things were not just achieved easily.  It was a heavy price paid to achieve such things.  Many people died, like your son.  We say to you today we thank you and we hope that we will be in a good position to investigate as to who the perpetrator is.  You have given us a few names but we would like to know from the person the reasons why he shot at your son.  He should also come forward to seek amnesty.  We want to thank you very much.