Report for August 1993 Copyright Notice
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• . -' Independent Boord of Inquiry POBox 32293 Broomfontein 2017 Johonnesburg South Africo Phone (011) 403 - 3256/ 7 Fox (011) 403 - 1366 Report for August 1993 Copyright Notice ©1993, Members of the public are free to reprint or report information, either in whole or in part, contained in this publication on the strict understanding that the Independent Boord of Inquiry is acknowledged, Otherwise, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electrical, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the publisher, BOARD MEMBERS: Dr Alex Boraine, Mrs Judy Chalmers, Rev Frank Chikane, Dr Max Coleman, Mr-Brian Currin, Prof John Dugard, Ms Sheena Duncan, Mr Peter Kerchhoff, Mr Norman Manoim, Ms Emma Mashinini, Sr Jude Pieterse, Archbishop Desmond Tutu IBI Report for A IIguSf '93 TABLE OF CONTENTS I N TI~ OD UCT I ON ............................................................................................................... 1 1. STATE I NsTITUTIONs...... .... .. ...................................................................................... 2 1.1 South Afric.ll1 PoliCl .. ............. .......................................................................... 2 2. HI CHT WI NC .................................................................................................................. 4 2.1 ConservOl tive Party ............................................................................................ 6 3. A PLA .............................................~ .. ~ ............................................................................. 7 4. N ATIONAL PEACE ACCORD ...................................................................................... 8 4.1 Nnt ionnl Pence-keeping Force ........................................................................ 9 5. THE GOLDSTONE COMMlsslO .. ..................................................... 10 5.1 Attncks o n members of the SAP ..................................................................... ]0 5.2 New evidence on the Caprivi Hit-squads ......... ............................................. 11 5.3 Probe into Milit .. ry Intelligence links to the Cnpe violence ........................... 12 6. ATTACKS ON IN Di VIDUALS ............ .. .................................................................. 13 6.1 Chris l--lnni .......................................................................... .............................. 14 6.2 W"lter Sisulu ............................ .. .......................................................... 14 7. ATAL .......................................................................................................... .................. 15 7.1 Bhn mb" yi ........................................................................................................ 15 7.2 T.,ble rvlo unlnin ................................................................................................ \6 8. REEF VIOLE NCE .......................................................................................................... 17 8.1 EnstRnnd ............................................................................. .............................. 17 Report for A URllst '93 IllI 8.1.1 Thokoza ...................................................................................................................... 18 8.1.1.2 Murder of Prince M hlarnbi, Mpati Machitje, Sampo Mofokeng, Mokgele Sebelhe tlnd An.na Khoeli ............................................. 19 8.1.2 Kat lehong .......................................................................................... 19 8.1.3 Wadeville ............................................................................................ 20 8. 1.4 Thembisa ............................................................................................ 21 8.2 SOwelo ................................................................................................................ 21 8.3 The Vaa l ........................................................................................................... 22 8.3.1 Khetisi Kheswa ................................................................................... 22 8.3.2 Boipa tong Mass<lcre ........................................................................ .. 23 8.3.3 Eikenhof Shootings ..................................................................... ... 24 8.4 Train Atlncks .............. ................................................... 24 9. WESTERN CAPE ........................................................................................................... 24 9.1 The SI Janles Massacre ................................................................................... 25 10. EASTERN CArE ................................. ................................................................ 26 10.1 Goniwe Inquest ........................... .. ......................................................... 26 10.2 The Ciskei ....................................................................................................... 27 11. CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................. 28 " IBI Report for A USUS! '93 INTRODUOION The East Rand townships of Thokoza, Katlehong and Vosloorus being declared unrest areas has not led to any significant drop in the violence currently engulfing the three townships but has rather led if> wide scale abuse on the part of the securit¥ forces when detaining township residents across the political spectrum, under Section 3 of the unrest regulations. An urgent interdict restraining the police from further assaulting any of the detainees named in an application brought by the ANC PWV region has not deterred members of the SADF, ISU or members of the political and violent crime unit based at Vlakplaats, Vosloorus from torturing detainees. Detainees assaulted by members of the SADF on August 8, claim that their heads were covered in sacks and needles were pushed under their nails and into their necks. Medical evidence has subsequently confirmed that many of the detainees have injuries consistent with their descriptions of assault. In at least 15 cases, detainees have been kept longer than the 30 days the regulations stipulate and have not received letters of notice from the Minister of Law and Order ordering their further detention. The assaults are across the board and detainees from both the Inkatha Freedom Party and the ANC have alleged assault. The house of Thokoza Civic Association (TOCA) general secretary, Louis Sibeko, was severely damaged by members of the ISU. Doors were kicked in, the ceiling tampered with and clothes and books scattered all over the place. The unrest regulations have been used as an excuse for the police particularly the ISU to arrest, detain and torture at will. The detainees allegations are now the subject of a police investigation under the police reporting officer, for the PWV , Advocate Jan Munnick. Despite the presence of the ISU, hundreds of Thokoza residents living in Penduka section have been forced to vacate their homes after receiving either a letter, a telephone call or a 1 Report for August '93 IBI personal visit from people allegedly residing at the Mshayazafe hostel. In some cases residents have alleged that they were given seven days to vacate their homes, failing which they would be burnt. In desperation many of the residents who are lucky enough to have alternative accommodation, have burnt their own homes rather than hand them over. Others have approached the local police station and have alleged that they have been told to pay R25 an escort and R250 for police transport if they want to move out of the area. The SAP in the area claim they are not aware of the situation as they have not received any complaints. Perhaps the reason they have not received any "complaints" is related to the protection fees they are charging residents to move. The local town council also claims to have received few complaints, however the town council offices are right next door to the hostel, where the alleged perpetrators of the "forced removals" live. The Board is currently in possession of a list of at least 45 families who have been forced out of their homes. At present there seems to be no solution as the town council cannot evict people if they do not have the necessary reports regarding the house being taken over. Some of the affected homes are bond houses and the banks have been far from sympathetic on the issue. The forced removals in Penduka have had a spiral affect with youths in Slovo Section of Thokoza, for example evicting so-called Zulu-speaking people from their homes. These illegal evictions need to be urgently addressed and one cannot but suggest that the ISU may be better placed in protecting the effected areas where this takes place, than engaging in acts of torture, assault and damage to property. 1. STATE INSllTVTIONS 1.1 South Ahican Police Approximately 2 500 members of the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU), staged a march in Johannesburg, for increased wages and improved working conditions this month. The demands presented to the Braamfontein Police Headquarters called for a 30% pay increase and an end to racial discrimination in the Police force. In response to the march, Commissioner of Police, General van der Merwe said thJt, swift and firm action would be taken against any policeman found