Human Rights Violation Hearings — Messina — 1997-04-08

DR RANDERA: Thank you Reverend Umbequa and Reverend Maklene.  I would like to extend a warm welcome to all our witnesses who will be coming and, and talking this, this morning and this afternoon.  I would also like to say that this is a Human Rights Violations hearing.  It offers the opportunity for witnesses to come forward to talk about the Gross Human Rights Violations that happened in this area and remember we are looking at the period from 1960 to 1994.  To-day we will be listening to stories from 1976 to 1993.  I would like to welcome the Mayor of Messina, Mayor Abraham Lerule.  If I can just ask him to come forward and say a few words please.  Now, where is he going ? Maybe he should speak from here.  Mayor Lerule !  Whilst the Mayor's coming forward, perhaps I can just explain how these little boxes work.  We have a full team of interpreters with us here this, this morning.  On, ja, on, on, if you're looking at the box, on the, on the left hand side there are channels.  On Channel Two, it's English, Channel Three is Venda and Channel Four is Peddie.  If people haven't got these boxes and want one, can we please ... Where are they available ?  Are they available ?  Are they available, available at the back of the hall?  They're, at the back of the hall.   Okay.  Mayor, just one more point before we proceed and allow you to speak.  We have our statement takers here this morning for those people who have not made statements and wish to do so.  He is in the first hall as we approach this building.  So not the next one as you go out of this room but the one beyond that.  If people want to make statements, our statement taker, Wele is present, so please take this opportunity.  Thank you.  Mayor Lerule, good morning and thank you for coming.  We, we welcome you.  You are going to give us a brief overview of, of your understanding of what happened in this area.  Thank you very much.  Just take your time.

MAYOR LERULE: Thank you very much.  I would like to take this opportunity, as Mayor of Messina to welcome The Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Messina.  The Commissioners from the TRC, other staff members from the TRC, media, members from the SAPS and SANDF, fellow Councillors and members from the public.  It is my greatest honour and pleasure, as Mayor, to welcome you all.  The role of the TRC, in terms of facilitating the process of reconciliation in our country is most welcomed.  We all understand and agree that miracles happened when the new democracy was ushered by the elections of 1994 and subsequent local government elections of 1995 but we equally agree that we need to go through a process of reconciliation so that the atrocities of the past can be said and forgotten.  Messina, as it is a border town was used as a passage by Cadres to come in and out of the country and we hope the coming here of the TRC will be able to unearth and try to assist on a number of unresolved issues, in terms of persons who went missing during those years.  The problems of land mines which were placed in our various farms is an issue which we also need to address.  The victims of those land mines, they need to come forward and as a community, as a nation, we need to recognize and agree and finally we need to forget the past and move forward to together.  The TRC will go a long way to assist the victims of those land mines which were planted in our border and also in our farms so that at the end of the day, there will be peace and reconciliation.  The unbannings of the organizations in February, 2, 1990 opened a way in Messina and also in the country in general where civic organizations, political organizations mushroomed.  That process also happened in Messina.  As civic leaders then, we organized campaigns and the compainers, the campaigns which we organized, mass actions, strikes, stay away's, consumer boycotts and marches.  They were problems which our people also suffered.
 The previous government used all machinery which was open at their disposal to deal with the upcoming of the civic committees.  People were detained, people were tortured and others got killed out of the actions which were organized during those days and our belief is that the coming of the TRC will go a long way to eleviate the problems and the concerns where the victims of those actions which were organized at the civic movement suffered.  The TRC will go a long way to assist that the perpetrators of those actions will come forward and indicate to our people and indicate to the country in general that they are sorry and they need to be forgiven.  In conclusion, I would like to indicate that we all recognize the fact that the elections, the miracles that are, that is happening in our country need to be taken forward in the sense that we need to recognize the atrocities of the past and while we do that, we need to come forward and indicate as perpetrators and as victims, we need to come forward and accept  what the perpetrators will be asking.  That will go a long way to heal the wound, to heal the wounds in Messina in particular and also in our country in general and with these few words I would like to encourage all those who are going to give statements, to be free, to be fluent and also to explain what they suffered and the perpetrators, if they are here, I would like to encourage them, as Mayor of this town, to take the explanation from the victims and accept and ask for forgiveness.  That is why the Truth Commission is here and at the end of the day we are going to hold hands, we are going to build one nation, we are going to build this country and we are going to take forward, the miracle that have been ushered by the new democracy, forward.  I'd like to thank you all.

DR RANDERA: Thank you, Mayor Lerule.  Can I please ask Mr Lebo Diborengwi to come forward and just read out the names of all the witnesses who will be appearing to-day ?  Thank you very much, Sir.

MR DIBORENGWI: Good morning all of us.  I'd like to read the names of the people who are going to give statements now, this morning.  The first person who is going to give evidence or a statement is Humphry Chauke.   The next person will be Betty Muleya.  The next one will be  Madoni Manthata and Mathiya Thelele will be the next person.  Jeanet Ramakokovhu will be the next on the line, then follows Tshalo Moraba.  The next person will be Sarah Sekhwama, followed by Fachima Nkundlane then Robert Neuvhirwa, followed by Wilson Nedambale and then lastly will be Samson Kodibona. Thank you very much.