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

M S HASSIAN HAFFEJJE: Coming. This lasted for about two or three nights. It was very cold, it was mid-winter, the end of May, and we went through sheer hell.  Not me alone, but the community in its entirety.
 When that took place, one Saturday morning, the boycott was getting on stronger.  The White businesspeople were feeling the pinch even harder.  They didn't know how to break that dead-lock. They used to stand, certain White people, AWB guys, or right-wingers, let me call them right-wingers, were standing at the entrances of the business areas and stopping people not to buy from Indian shops, rather go to town.  Some did and some didn't.  But the Blacks were all buying from the Indian shops.  That's a fact.
 Before I come to that, I must just mention this.  That 
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in the prison, in the jail, where they had arrested, there was a mother, I remember she had a four-month old baby.  You may laugh at it in the end. I sent a certain secretariat, they came from Klerksdorp, a peace secretariat by the name of Eric.  I said try to get the release of this woman, if not of the baby, so we can at least feed her at home here. In my own house I will feed her, my wife will look after her.  After about an hour he came back,  I think he went to Christiana, about 50 kilometres.  After about an hour he came back, he said Styles, that is my nickname Styles, I said I failed.  You know the report that filtered through there that none of you can go to town.  The mother says that the baby will be healthier in jail than to be at your home, because you haven't got milk, you can't even buy milk in town, so my baby will starve here in Bloemhof in your house, than rather in the cell, in the dungeon, in mid-winter.  She failed.  We didn't know whether to laugh or to cry, but it was a fact.
 Thereafter, as the honourable member said I must tell the big story.  One Saturday morning, towards the end of May 1993, it was, round about twelve o'clock in the afternoon. I saw movement.  There were about 12 to 15 vehicles opposite our shopping centre there opposite the road, standing in military style.  I told my wife there is a problem, look at these guys, all right-wingers, what do they want here now.  My wife said to me go and have your coffee at the back, while it is getting cold, I will have my coffee at the back.  And from the deep end I noticed a vehicle up to our area, the only vehicle for the day.  A blue Toyota bakkie came in at high speed and ... (END OF TAPE - SIDE A).
 ... a white plastic bag. They came into the shop.  Now 
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you must imagine that the shop was full of customers, Saturday afternoon.  They ripped open the bag.  My wife was busy on the phone.  They said "dit is vir jou" (this one is for you) and they let out a pig in my shop. 
 Immediately pandemonium broke out.  They mentioned something else, which was not too visible to my ear, so I cannot say whether they mentioned ANC, Islam, my religion or anything like that. I can't say, I was at the deep end. My wife was busy on the phone.  She told them no amount of intimidation from your end, the right-wingers is going to stop us fighting for justice in this country for all.  They left.
 We could not get the registration of the vehicle, because the registration was turned around as such.  But a young man in the shop recognised one of the persons that left there. He gave us the name. I told my customers excuse me, I will see you back Monday morning. I phoned up the SABC.  They came down. I told them there is some property that doesn't belong to me. Now by this time the pig was hoinking around the counter, making a mess, as a pig would do.  
 As I said, mentioned earlier, the Press, not the national, but even the international Press was there. There was American Press there, a team from the Bostonian Globe, I think, and the Chicago Tribunal or whatever it may be, was there as well. They took photos of this pig in my shop.  This was the result that the pig story went out and made national and international news.
 But to me, as a Muslim, who belong to the faith of Islam, I am a Muslim, it was one of the deepest most unjust cruellest form of a thing which can be done to another 
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person.  Touch me, touch my wife, touch my children, but for God's sake leave my religion out.  That is too close to me.  I respect your religion, whether you are a Christian, whether you are a Hindu, Jew, Gentile, anybody, that respectability there at all times.  But you have broken the chord, you have hurt me greatly. I couldn't believe that a White, practising so-called White, practising Christian could stoop so low with all the might he has, guns and what not, comes and throws a pig in my shop. He could have rather taken out his gun and shoot me, I was prepared to die there and then, but don't insult my religion.  That's sacred, so is yours.  After all, we all, we all believe in one God Almighty.

PROF MEIRING: What happened then, was the pig eventually removed from the shop?