Amnesty Hearings — Cape Town — 1997-10-31

MR FOURIE: I won't read them, except Sir, if I may with your 
permission, read just one of them.
	It is written by a man I have known for many years and for 
whom I have the greatest respect and he is one of the persons after 
whom I named my son, Anthony Johan Fourie.  He addressed it to 
the Chairman, it is from a Mr A.W. Hall.
	He said  
		"re the Heidelberg Tavern murder.  I have known the 
Fourie family for many years and can remember Lindi 
Anne virtually from birth.  I carried her on my 
shoulders when she was a child and I remember her as a 
young girl who was mad about horses and loved 
animals.
		I remember her as a shy and conscientious schoolgirl 
and I remember her showing off the magnificent matric 
dance dress that she had made herself.  Lindi Anne had 
a strong character and an enquiring mind and was not in 
the least bit surprised when I learnt that she had chosen 
civil engineering as a career.
		In fact being a civil engineer myself, I was proud of her. 
 The one thing that never failed to impress me about 
Lindi Anne was her pleasant and gentle nature.  She 
gave the impression that she didn't have an enemy in the 
world.
		Lindi Anne was not class or race conscious and 
accepted people as they were.   She always looked for 
the good in people.  She had grown into a charming and 
talented young lady who would, I am sure, have become 
a valuable citizen and would have contributed positively 
to the future of this country had she not been murdered 
in her prime a few short months before graduating as a 
civil engineer.
		I cannot express the anger I felt when I learnt of the 
senseless murder at the Heidelberg Tavern, quite apart 
from the obvious anguish and irreplaceable loss suffered 
by her family and friends, our nation has been deprived 
of a really good above-average person, that had so 
much to offer society, murdered by a bunch of morally 
bankrupt nobodies, who have nothing to offer anyone.  I 
will be extremely disappointed if those responsible for 
Lindi Anne's death, are granted amnesty.
		At the time of the attack, the political climate in south 
Africa was already changing dramatically and I cannot 
see that the perpetrators of the attack, can justify their 
actions on political grounds in any way whatsoever.
		My feelings are not biased on racism.  Civilisation is 
not man's natural state, it is an ideal that requires 
constant and diligent effort.  We all harbour violent 
thoughts from time to time, but the difference between 
a civilised person and a barbarian, like the Worcester 
bombers and the Heidelberg murderers, is that the latter 
have no moral integrity to guide their actions.
		Such people are a menace to any community and should 
be removed from society permanently".
	Mr Chairman, I will close with the statement that I have, one 
paragraph Sir.  
	You see Mr Chairman, for too long now, I want the people 
here to hear this, a few people in this country of ours, have had any 
respect for each other, the people, the courts, not anything that 
resembles a normal society.  Do wish to see this type of thinking 
continue?
	Nobody in their right mind would wish it to continue, 
therefore I have empathy for you, the Police, the Justice system and 
all others who are trying to bring about a change of attitude and 
hopefully a change in behaviour of all people, so as to ensure a 
return to a normal and safe society.
	May you be granted all the courage and strength necessary to 
carry out the task that you face.  Thank you Mr Chairman.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Arendse, are there any questions you wish to 
put to this witness?

UNKNOWN: No, Mr Chairman, except to say that Mr Fourie 
made a number of controversial statements which if I do engage him 
on it, it is not going to take us any further.

CHAIRPERSON: You will address us if you think it is relevant at 
that time?

UNKNOWN: Yes, Mr Chairman.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you Mr Fourie.

MR FOURIE: Thank you.

MR PRIOR: Thank you Mr Chairman, I have, due to the lateness of 
the hour and there are several other matters which will be decided 
upon in due course, Mr Chairman.

CHAIRPERSON: Will the date for the resumed hearing be finalised 
between you and Mr Arendse?

MR PRIOR: Yes, Mr Chairman.

JUDGE WILSON: Can I request, as I have already requested, that 
the evidence be obtained as to how cartridges are expelled from 
firearms, request that you get someone to go through that video and 
insofar as possible, indicate on the sketch plan, or a larger sketch 
plan, where the cartridge cases as are shown on the video, are in 
fact.  This could perhaps be done by agreement, that that correctly 
reflects what is shown in the video.
	So if we want to see where they are in the building, we don't 
have to go through the whole video again, we can just put it onto a 
sketch plan.

MR PRIOR: Thank you, Mr Chairman, we will comply with that 
request.

UNKNOWN: Mr Chairman, will we also have a transcript 
available?  A transcript of the proceedings, a typed transcript?

CHAIRPERSON: You can raise that with the administration.

UNKNOWN: Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you very much, the meeting will now 
adjourn.

JUDGE WILSON: I am told Mr Arendse, that the practice is to 
prepare transcripts in all hearings.

UNKNOWN: 501

FRANCISCO CERQUEIRA: CAPE TOWN HEARING	AMNESTY/

WESTERN CAPE: COMMITTEE	544

UNKNOWN: 547

MR PRIOR: 558

CHAIRPERSON: 560

JA FOURIE: CAPE TOWN HEARING	AMNESTY/

MR PRIOR: 564

MR PRIOR: 567

Q CORNELIUS: CAPE TOWN HEARING	AMNESTY/

MR PRIOR: 571

Q CORNELIUS: CAPE TOWN HEARING	AMNESTY/

UNKNOWN: 591

MR PRIOR: 592

Q CORNELIUS: COMMITTEE	593

UNKNOWN: 595

MR PRIOR: 603

UNKNOWN: 608

M JANUARY: 610

MR PRIOR: 602

ROLAND LEWIS PALM: CAPE TOWN HEARING	AMNESTY/

MR PRIOR: 630

UNKNOWN: 632

BENJAMIN BRODE: CAPE TOWN HEARING	AMNESTY/

MR PRIOR: 640

UNKNOWN: 654

BENJAMIN BRODE: COMMITTEE	655

MR FOURIE: CAPE TOWN HEARING	AMNESTY/

MR PRIOR: 656

MR FOURIE: 674