Amnesty Hearings — Durban — 1999-10-12

HELEN BLOSSOM KEARNEY: Not at all, I don't believe this at all, in all the time I've worked there it was your choice.  We had, don't forget in the six and a half years of the popularity of Magoo's and the Why Not bar, we had a band from England, they were called "On the Brink", the gentleman in question was an Indian man and he was married to a white lady from London and on popularity they stayed a whole year in Magoo's bar, a year contract they were so popular so and then six months later we had a five piece coloured band, so what was the problem?  I keep asking what was the problem that Mr McBride alone was told that he was not allowed to have entrance in when I had people from all walks of life, from all over the world?  I had political people in from Kenya, I had high people from Arabia, they were given the best room, what was the problem I ask myself that one person was not allowed into the Magoo's bar?  Maybe it was full that evening, maybe one more person could not fit in but the Why Not bar was available, Garfunkel's was available.

CHAIRPERSON: So we don't know from the evidence who refused entry, it might even have been a patron.

HELEN BLOSSOM KEARNEY: Who - there's nobody there except the manageress or the barmaids to tell you that you are or aren't allowed in and the door is open, there's no lock on the door.

MR RICHARD: Were there any bouncers employed at the ...(intervention)

HELEN BLOSSOM KEARNEY: No, we had a gentleman called Samson, he was a black fellow and he was at the door mainly to stop the patrons walking out with glasses or bottles into the street which was not allowed.

MR RICHARD: And would he have ever stopped a person entering?

HELEN BLOSSOM KEARNEY: Perhaps if they were very drunk or if they were disorderly or within the rules or regulations of the hotel.

MR RICHARD: And what were those rules and regulations?

HELEN BLOSSOM KEARNEY: That someone who was already ...(intervention)

CHAIRPERSON: I don't think there's any suggestion of any those rules being applicable for purposes of this hearing, Mr Richard.

MR RICHARD: Thank you.  I think at this stage I've laid the basis of her evidence.

CHAIRPERSON: I'd just like to ask one question before we adjourn.  Were you present when the bomb went off?

HELEN BLOSSOM KEARNEY: Yes, I was injured in the bomb.

CHAIRPERSON: Oh, I was just going to ask, did you receive injuries?

HELEN BLOSSOM KEARNEY: Yes I did.

CHAIRPERSON: If you could just briefly tell us?

HELEN BLOSSOM KEARNEY: To my legs I had glass, big panes of glass enter my legs, I have the scars and I had trouble with my ears and I still have.

CHAIRPERSON: And where precisely were you in the establishment when you got those injuries?

HELEN BLOSSOM KEARNEY: In the Why Not bar.

CHAIRPERSON: You were in the Why Not bar?

HELEN BLOSSOM KEARNEY: But fortunately behind a concrete pillar.

MR RICHARD: Sorry, there are a number of questions I haven't asked yet, if I could deal with it Chair?  May I?
	Now, did you visit the hotel after the explosion?

HELEN BLOSSOM KEARNEY: Yes we did, we were there the next day for cleaning operations.

MR RICHARD: Now where was the hotel damaged?

HELEN BLOSSOM KEARNEY: Well the whole of the Why Not bar was blown in through Garfunkel's, the partitioning was right through into Garfunkel's, Garfunkel's section was blown out into the back kitchen, the one section of Magoo's was damaged on the first corner of Magoo's was damaged but the Why Not bar, the fifth floor, right to the fifth floor was damaged.

MR RICHARD: In what way?

HELEN BLOSSOM KEARNEY: The windows were blown away, the ceilings were blown away, I think the structures was just about what was left.

MR RICHARD: Now do you know whether any persons in the rooms upstairs were injured?

HELEN BLOSSOM KEARNEY: Yes there were two old ladies, they were injured, they were sitting at the window at the time.  They had abrasions and cuts.

MR RICHARD: Now of the persons injured do you know how many were injured in Magoo's bar?

HELEN BLOSSOM KEARNEY: Out of Magoo's and Why Not, I think there were four only seriously injured in Magoo's bar.  The rest were the Why Not bar.

MR RICHARD: How many do you believe, I know it might be difficult for you to reconstruct, how many people do you think were injured?

HELEN BLOSSOM KEARNEY: I think a lot more.

MR RICHARD: A lot more than?

HELEN BLOSSOM KEARNEY: A lot more than was listed.

MR RICHARD: Now after the explosion did the police prevent people from leaving the area?

HELEN BLOSSOM KEARNEY: Yes they did, they cordoned the hotel off very, very quickly.  After the bomb itself Mr Davidson came in and was shouting that he thinks there's a second bomb because it seems to be the trait of the attackers lately that they set a second bomb off and can we get ourselves removed as fast as possible and this time the Holiday Inn had sent across blankets and bandages and all kinds of things but then we were being cordoned off by the bomb squad and Security Force.

MR RICHARD: However if you were a lightly injured person could you have left the site?

HELEN BLOSSOM KEARNEY: Yes, definitely.

MR RICHARD: There was no systematic method whereby ...(intervention)

HELEN BLOSSOM KEARNEY: No, because when Mr Davidson - this had just occurred and I'd say 90 percent of us didn't know what had happened, people were walking around in circles and we really didn't know what had happened at and with Mr Davidson shouting "Get out, get out, there's a second bomb, it's going to go off" everyone just fled, those that could, the others were helped out and taken out by ambulance people.

MR RICHARD: No further questions.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MR RICHARD

CHAIRPERSON: Yes, thank you.  Ms Kearney, I'm afraid you're going to be a bit late for reporting for duty.

HELEN BLOSSOM KEARNEY: I'm sure that's alright.

CHAIRPERSON: I hope you don't get into ...(intervention)

HELEN BLOSSOM KEARNEY: I'm sure they won't mind, it's okay.

CHAIRPERSON: We'll now adjourn until what time will be convenient tomorrow?  9 o'clock?  I think 9 o'clock, would 9 o'clock be convenient?

HELEN BLOSSOM KEARNEY: Fine.

CHAIRPERSON: We'll adjourn until 9 o'clock tomorrow morning.  Thank you.
COMMITTEE ADJOURNS