Human Rights Violation Hearings — East London — 1997-06-13

MS MAYA: Thank you Mam.  Let us now go back to Trayishile.  Trayishile, you have requests here.  You requested you would like to know the real truth behind the imprisonment.

TRAYISHILE SAMUEL ZWELIBANZI: Yes.

MS MAYA: You would also like to be trained so that you can work for yourself.

TRAYISHILE SAMUEL ZWELIBANZI: Yes, that is correct.

MS MAYA: Thank you for your testimony.  I will hand over to the Chairperson.

CHAIRPERSON: We thank both of you for appearing before the Commission.  Your sister decided to come and support you and we thank her for that.  We have noted the requests you have made before the Commission.  We will forward them to the President of the country together with his Cabinet.  As you are the last people I would like you to stay there and give me a minute so that I can thank everybody here.
 First of all I would like to thank people from Mdantsane.  I never saw this kind of commitment before.  Yesterday you were here and we heard from the radio that people from Mdantsane stayed from 11 until four when we had a problem with electricity.  People wanted this hearing to continue.  Today it is very cold in this area, but despite that you came to listen to the witnesses who are going to testify before the Commission.  It is our last hearing.  In other places if it was cold people would not come and attend.  It will be only ourselves, staff members and the witnesses, but in this hall there are a lot of people attending today.  I would like to thank people from Mdanstane, the way you supported this hearing.  
 The TRC started its job in this region in the service, in the Assembles Church.  At the time it was not clear whether the TRC would be supported by the people or not, but people from Mdantsane attended and supported that hearing and it was a success.  I would like to thank you for supporting us.  I would like to thank the people who gave us this hall and the owner of the hotel.  We thank the way they treated us.  This hall today was booked for another event, but they gave us the hall so that we can finish our hearing with dignity.  Again, I would like to thank the police.  I do not know whether they are here today.  I would like to thank the interpreters for interpreting for us. 
 I would like to thank the staff of the Truth Commission, their hard work so that this hearing can be a success.  I would like to thank Pila Qombo for showing marks of leadership.  When we had a problem with electricity he tried to help us.  He showed decisive leadership by looking for alternatives.  I would like to thank Pila very much.  If you only relied on the electricity we would have had a problem.  
 Again, I would like to thank Siyabonga.  Siyabonga has shown me something that I never, never imagined to be a briefer.  First of all Siyabonga is a man, a young man, a handsome young man.  I never thought such a young man would be able to take a responsibility to comfort people.  We associate this job with old woman.  Such a young man, his responsibilities is to look for ladies around here in this hearing.  He has taken the work of an older person and he did what he did.  Siyabonga, thank you for what you have shown us.  It has touched me, it has touched me particularly and the way in which you have done it.  Moreover you are a statement taker, this is not your job.  
 I would like also to thank the local social workers, those who were helping us in this hearing.  They volunteered to help us so that this hearing can be a success and all the people who helped us.  I would like to thank the press for their patience during a very difficult hearing.  Last of all, I would like to thank the panel.  Tiny Maya, for sharing the hearing, yesterdays hearing together with June Crichton and Professor Magwaza who left yesterday.  I would like to thank Ntsiki Sandi, Mkibisi Xundu who is not here.  It has been a difficult week, but it has been a very good week in terms of this hearing.  Thank you very much.  God bless you.  
 Lastly, we will have interview together with the press.  People who want to listen to this, they can do so, but they can do it quietly.  Those who want to go out, they may go out now.  Thank you.