Human Rights Violation Hearings — Klerksdorp — 1996-09-25

M S HASSIAN HAFFEJJE: 1993, yes. During the boycott period Bloemhof is known to be hard-core territory, it was known then as the AWB-gebied. The AWB territory. There was already simmering boycotts against the Indians in one way or another. This started already in the Forties, believe it or not.  But it wasn't tangible, it wasn't shown, it wasn't propagated as such.  All right.
 The ANC, Bloemhof branch, together with the civic and its alliances, held a meeting with the Indian community to say that, look, we have made certain demands, we want one municipality, we want this, we want this, we want open swimming pools, we want everything to be opened and the council here is refusing to accept our demands. Simple human demands.  We are going to embark upon a boycott.  The Indian community, will they stand behind us or not.  The Indian community was there, present, and each one pledged to stand behind them four-square. 
 Here the day came of the boycott.  On day one, could be 30, it could be 40, khaki-cladded AWB men, farmers and so forth, came to the Indian business area, right in the centre to show brazen force, that because you didn't stand with us.   But I must bring your attention to the day before that, KLERKSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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the AWB local business group of Afrikaners came to us to say that you should sign a certain document to say that we are going to starve the Blacks and we are going to fire all the Blacks as well, and we have got to side with them. We said no, we can't do that, we have already taken our stance. Our stance is genuine, we are standing with the Blacks, come what may.  None of the 25 shops would sign for it.   They got agitated.
 The next morning this 40 or 50, this khaki-clad Whites came and they had a meeting right in the centre of our area on a Friday morning.  I remember they left after about 20 or 25 minutes. 
 I phoned up, at that time, the President of the Transvaal Indian Congress, a certain Mr Kassan Saloojee and then he got in touch with the Press, the Star and I gave them the release of the story,  because I was the media spokesman for the ANC at that time.  
 Then the ball really started rolling.  Day one, hundreds of people are being sent back, domestic workers, factory workers, cafe workers, gardeners, name them, sent back, marching back to Bophelong. 
 There this thing, this (indistinct) took place in the offices of or in front of these offices, in Bophelong.  Cars were stoned, or fires, they opened fire, rubber bullets, tear-gas was used and quite a number of people were detained, again youngsters. They blocked us hundred per cent. I am a resident of Bloemhof, I cannot enter Bloemhof. I live two kilometres away from Bloemhof, I cannot enter Bloemhof.  The reason? I am Black, I am standing with them, the township people. No Blacks are allowed to get petrol, no Blacks are allowed to get bread, milk, newspapers, anything.  KLERKSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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We are only allowed to go to the bank and perhaps the chemist.  It was most depressing.  It was a very difficult period we went through.  We stood as one, we stood as a unit.
 I will tell you, I will tell you, one Sunday morning I went with my wife to go and fetch papers, during the time of the boycott.  I told her go and get the Sunday paper, I have a ruddy account with this cafe owner.  She rushed in, came out.  We did not know the vigilantes, the AWBs standing across the street and watching us. I went home.
 The next thing they knocked on the door of the cafe owner, of Greek origin or Portuguese, I think Greek.  He was put under fire, sternly warned and told that his shop will be burnt down if he doesn't stand to the rules and regulations of Bloemhof. Then he too will not be supplied hereforth with petrol.  The man left Bloemhof for two weeks.  He was scared stiff.
 The thing carried on.  What amazed me was that second week running, the Press were full in Bloemhof, the TVs were full in Bloemhof, and one Friday evening, between 40 and 50 vehicles, just after eight o'clock in the evening, passing through, going to Bophelong, the African township.  They encircled the whole African township.  They were armed to the teeth.  I said God, there is going to be a massacre tonight.  
 The leaders were in my house that night. We were bailing out young children from jail that night.  They were looking for the leaders.  They couldn't find the leaders.  They came back, after a lot of persuasion by the SAP, I assume.  They had to go back, not to their homes, oh, no, they came back to the Indian area.  Believe me, the fear
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that went through our spines, our blood actually curdled up.  We are a community of 50, just under 50.  The whole community.  Imagine for yourself for one moment, the whole community under siege.  We got ourselves to the mosque yard, all 50, man, woman, children, babies as well.  We were crawling and believe me when I tell you, we were crawling on our tummies, on our stomachs.  We were (indistinct) from a section where they couldn't see us, the dark section of the yard. There must have been about 40 or 50 vehicles, shooting in the air, AWB flags flown, singing and believe me, urinating in front of the shop door.  We were in fear.  A small passive community, a weak community, unarmed, frightened to death by a group of so-called White civilised educated intellectual people.

PROF MEIRING: Was that when the incident with the pig also took place?