Special Hearings — Prison Hearings — 1997-07-22

CHAIRPERSON: Could you stay there please.  We have now come to the end of our hearings.  After listening to all the testimonies since yesterday, I think one important fact that has emerged, is the dire need for a watchful eye to be kept on the manner in which prisoners are treated.
 The Act, the TRC Act says we should try to give as complete a picture as possible of the conflicts of the past and I hope we have succeeded to do that during this two days.  We have presented you with a window through which you have glimpsed the number of gross human rights violations that were perpetrated against prisoners and there in Robben Island, in the camps or in the ordinary prisons.
 I know that you are aware that the Truth Commission is coming to an end in December and that after December, the three months, the next three months up to March next year, will solely be used for formulating this report for the President and subsequently Parliament, where they are going to consider the recommendations that we are making that all the human rights violations that we have listened to for these two years, should never, even happen again.
 I know Commissions are notorious for not implementing their recommendations and today we heard how Diliza Mthembu is disillusioned about the previous Commissions that were set up to look into the gross violations that took place in the camps.
 But I want to give you a challenge that it is you NGO's, civil society, the church and what have you, that have to see that these recommendations are implemented.  Without your help and without your interest, Commissions will always be notorious for not implementing recommendations.
 So we hope that through the two years we have been moving during different hearings and opening up eyes and giving you a picture of what was happening in the country, you will feel that you yourselves will never rest until those recommendations are in place and they protect our nation and we have our reconciliation and national unity in this country.
 So don't leave that to the TRC only, we will have done our job to open your eyes and to make recommendations, but together with us, we employ you to join us at the end to see that the Government does implement those recommendations.
 We thank you very much for having come and showing your interest in these hearings and we hope you will still be interested in the hearings that are still to come.  As I said earlier, the women are having their special hearing on Monday, the 28th and 29th, next week at the legislature in the Civic Centre and we hope all of you are going to come and listen to the special violations that were perpetrated against women in this country.
 I would also like to thank the Human Rights Information Centre of greater Metro Council under the hard work of Ramni Dinand, the organiser for supplying us with the marquee and providing the chairs and the heating and the electrical equipment and the security whilst we were here for these two days.
 Without them, we would never have had the chance to really have this hearings at this place as a symbolic gesture so that as we go through the testimonies, we are aware of what used to happen here before.  So if they hadn't provided us with these, it wouldn't have been possible for us to be here.
 We also want to thank the Rand Light Infantry for facilities at the Fort here, especially David Daniels, the caretaker.  We want to thank our interpreters, most of them had left already and our caterers for the tea and the lunch that they provided.  And the police who have looked after us, and provided transport to all of us and we also want to thank our staff, the TRC staff, who have worked so hard to make this a success.
 I will not name them, they know themselves, but particularly I would like to thank Daniel Zust, our intern from Germany, from Switzerland who has been seconded to come and help us and he and Hugh worked very, very hard in the preparation for this hearings.
 I want to thank the panellists, especially Mdu and Dumisa who have come from outside or Gauteng area, from Durban and Western Cape to share this with us.
 Thank you very much and God bless you.
TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION
SPECIAL PRISONS HEARING

DATE: 22-07-1997
DAY 2
 
INDEX
DAY 2 Pages
P. McBRIDE 20
D. KHUMALO 15
J.S. STEINBERG 34
T. RAMASHAMOLA 14
L. TYATYAM 8
H. STRACHAN 24
B. POGRUND 13
D. MTHEMBU 21
J. SEREMANE 11
V. MNYANI 6
G.M. BHUDU 21