Special Hearings — Prison Hearings — 1997-07-21

CHAIRPERSON: ... conducted by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.  My name is Alex Boraine and together on the platform on my far left is Mr Mdu Dlamini who is a Committee Member; Mrs Joyce Seroke who is a Committee Member; immediately next to me, Mr Hugh Lewin who is also a Committee Member of the TRC and I think we should pay tribute to him because he has done a great deal of the hard work, planning and preparation together with the group that's been around him, and finally Mr Tom Manthata who is also a Committee Member of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.  Other Commissioners will be joining us for the second day tomorrow as well as Committee Members.
 In welcoming you here to-day I remind all of us of the need which is shared by children on the one hand and prisoners on the other.  Children are perhaps the most vulnerable in our society and therefore are wide open to abuse and neglect and many gross human rights violations take place against children.  
 The other group who is subject and open to possible abuse is the prisoner because when one is locked away then one is subject to those who are charge and control and if they wish to abuse they can do so, very often in secrecy.  Against the background of this hearing on prisons and listening to some former prisoners, there may well be many in our society who feel that we ought to be talking much more about crime and about the victims rather than prisoners.  That is very understandable against the background of widespread crime but nevertheless it would be quite tragic in our society if the pendulum swung so far so that we couldn't care about prisoners and about their protection.  
 Today and tomorrow of course we will be thinking more especially about political prisoners and as one person who came to our hearing said, when I was there they said to me you can scream as loud as you like, there is no-one to hear you.  Through the work of the TRC with all it's many weaknesses and failings, I think one of the achievements is that many who's cries were never heard when they were initially made, can and have been heard especially those who endured very severe torture.
 Prison reform is a dynamic process and should be seen against the background of our commitment to a culture of human rights where no-one should be left out.  What we will hope to do in the next two days is to eliminate, throw light on if you like, an area which has in many ways been a place of darkness.  We had hoped that South Africa's most famous prisoner, Nelson Mandela would be here and he may well still, as is sometimes his habit, just dropping in at the hearing of the TRC, we hope he does.  Of course I take nothing away from his twenty seven years in prison.  When I say that over and above his own personal experience he is a symbol, a symbol because it was actually in a way in prison unfree, where the transformation process began. 
 He's also a symbol of the recognition that some of our great leaders and many who are leading us today have spent a lot of time in prison.   In fact a great deal of their own political development and leadership ability was developed there so they became, not victims but real survivors.  This is a very strange venue for the hearings of the TRC, I think it's the strangest we've had and we've been in some very strange places in many parts of our far flung country.  Just to my right across there we still have the cells, the isolation cells and The Old Fort has many memories for many people in this attempt today and had seen many famous prisoners including Mart Magandi and Nelson Mandela.  
 The Old Fort was not only a prison but it became an icon of resistance and I think it's noteworthy that three of our panelists to-day namely, Joyce Seroke, Tom Manthata and Hugh Lewin are graduates of The Old Fort and so it's like coming home for them.  I think it is significant of how our country has transformed, that it's possible for a Truth and Reconciliation Commission appointed by the President, to have on it's first panel of Prison Hearings three old inmates of The Old Fort.
 The programme has attempted to include a spectrum or if you like, an open window to some of our prisons and prisoners and experiences of those there.   It's totally impossible to do justice entirely to this so see it rather as symbolic of, if you like Robben Island, The Old Fort of Pretoria, of death row, or women in prison and so on.
 Finally before we call the first witness today, I do want to say a preliminary word of thanks.   First I would like to welcome formally, the Mayor of Johannesburg Councillor Isaac Mogaze and thank him for his support and for his presence here today, we are very grateful and we are honoured by your presence.   I'd like to also express thanks to the Human Rights Information Desk of the greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Council for it's assistance in setting up this hearing and providing most of the facilities.  To Lieutenant Colonel Vos of the Rand Light Infantry who made these premises available and to David Daniels, the Caretaker for all his excellent help.  
 Obviously we are most grateful to the witnesses who we'll hear from today and to-morrow and you will forgive me for including in our thanks the TRC staff especially the working group for this hearing Pumla Gobodo, who is busy with the transcription hearing in Cape Town, Tiny Maya who is in East London writing exams, Tom Manthata, Mdu Dlamini, Hugh Lewin and all their assistants in the Johannesburg office.  A special thanks to Amnesty International in Kyros in Holland for their assistance with invaluable information.
 There are some special names that I would like to mention.  Firstly Cathy Cathadra who is the Chairperson of the Ex-Political Prisoners Association, we are delighted that he is free if you like, to be here today.  Lala Chiba, Barbara Hogan and of course the Mayor who I have already welcomed. 
 At lunch time today for those of you who are interested there will be a very brief tour of those facilities that are available and still reflect something of The Old Fort and the old prison.  We are now going to proceed immediately but before that I'm going to ask you to join me in just a moment of silence as we remember so many people who were detained, who were in solitary confinement, in detention, many years in prison and who are not here today and perhaps have died and so many of their loved ones.  Let us just spend a moment in silence.  Thank you.
 Our first witness today is Mr Andrew Masondo who is a Robben Island graduate and I would be grateful if he would come up please and take his seat at the witness stand here.  In each case one of the panel will seek to facilitate the evidence that the witness that is going to be given and in this case it's Mr Mdu Dlamini who is on my far left.  He will assist Mr Andrew Masondo who of course will be making his own presentation, it's not for us to put words in his mouth.  
 Mr Masondo I would like to welcome you very warmly, we are very glad to see you and we hope that you feel comfortable, a little more comfortable than you did when you were on Robben Island.  I also hope that you will find this opportunity of some help as well.  Please be seated.

UNKNOWN: Thank you.

DR BORAINE: Mr Masondo will you take the oath or the affirmation?

UNKNOWN: (sworn states)

MR DLAMINI: Good morning Mr Masondo.

UNKNOWN: Good morning.