boipatong 20 june 1992 - historical papers, wits university€¦ · mr sotsu read out the names of...

Boipatong 20 June 1992(sub titled WATCHING THE PROTECTORS AT WORK!)

Audrey, Shelagh Mary, Marie, Ollie and Rob went to the Vaal on the 20 June. We first went to Vereeniging to pick up a contact, Steve. We then went to Bophelong, there we left Rob and Ollie, and the rest of us went to Boipatong with Steve. We drove into the township looking for our contacts. It was then decided to go back to Amatola Street, which faces the factories/industries eg Cape Gate. While driving up we met hundreds of people with cardboard posters and paper posters condemning de Klerk’s approaching visit. There were many PAC people visible in their T-shirts and holding PAC banners.When we got to Amatola Street there were many people milling around. A woman Elizabeth, tried to get people to give us statements. She did this in a very rough way and actually frightened people. We told her to "cool it". While speaking to people we found that some of them were very reluctant to give us a story (fear), others would tell us a story but not surrender their names.While we were talking to some people I saw Casspirs and Nyalas come tearing out from the township along the road that faces Cape Gate. Behind the casspirs and Nyalas came a whitish car, then a veiy official black car, followed by another whitish car and then some more casspirs and Nyalas.There goes de Klerk I said (12.30 pm). The people with their placards and banners came closely behind the exiting speedy procession. The people had chased de Klerk out of Boipatong.Meanwhile casspirs and nyalas had assembled together and armed men in the brown uniforms formed a line in front of the singing dancing people. The people shoutedabuse at the police, like.... get out you murderers.... one bullet one settler etc. A fewstones (heard the sounds) were thrown at the vehicles. It looked as if there would be a confrontation. After a while I saw Benny Alexander call the people. He spoke to them and then they let the casspirs through into the township. It was as this was happening that we got the news that the police had killed a child near the Stadium. All, on hearing this, moved off to the other side of the township. We got into the car and also went in that direction.On the way we made an appointment to come back and interview someone.We got to what seemed to be a soccer field, we saw that the casspirs and nyalas had assembled in a circle with armed men on the field next to the cleared ground.

We had been told that a child had been shot and was in Hippo No 7. People were saying Hippo No 7 did the shooting. We walked close to the men with guns and then slipped through their guard. Audrey and I made our way towards the centre where three police were trying to keep a man away and some members of the press and us. When we got near I could see that the body was that of an adult male. TTie corpse was lying very straight on the back.We left the inner circle and went back to where the people were assembled in a semi circle looking in and demanding to know who it was that lay in the centre. The more they asked and shouted their demands the less the police tried to help. We told the people round about us that it was a male adult. A young PAC man, whom I had encountered earlier on, came to me and said there was a woman who had been able to see something of what happened earlier on. He brought her to me, she told the following:

I saw two young people (one tall and the other like a 12 year old) running across the field behind a yellow hippo, No 7. It turned around and I heard "Staan, ek sal jou skiet". I heard shots saw one ran away and then could not see clearly.

We then decided that we had better go and take some statements. As I was walking along between the people, a man stopped me and said "we must go they are going to kill again". His face was very fearful and his whole being felt what he was saying. I mentioned this to Audrey.We left and after taking a few statements we went back to "Slovo Park" to meet Ollie and Rob as we had arranged. When we got there, people were all excited and talking and we heard that the police had opened fire and had killed and injured people. People all spoke together and what I heard was, that when the mortuary car came and the stretcher was brought out the people got more demanding in wanting to know the identity of the dead person.During the shooting one of the armed men was heard to say "Who told you to shot." A name had been given - Capt H Le Roux.We then continued to take statements from some people in "Joe Slovo Park".We then returned to Johannesburg.

BOIPATONG 21 JUNE 1992When we arrived in Boipatong we came upon the Nelson Mandela procession going around the township. The people were singing:

We and the land are bleeding and dying and you act like a lamb.

We joined the crowd and went to a soccer field, where we heard Mr Sotsu give an explanation of the happenings of the 20 June. Mr Sotsu read out the names of the dead.

Mandela then addressed the crowd of ± 20 000 expressing sympathy and a promise of action.

The crowd and Mandela’s group left for Zone 7 Sebokeng to hold a rally there.

STATEMENTS FROM BOIPATONG Taken on 21 June 1992\1SEIPATI MBATHA 131 JOE SLOVO PARKMy father Mr Mbatha was killed. I was asleep and my mother woke me up. She said that we must get out as it is bad outside. My mother took the baby, my younger sister on her back. I said "I’m not going out" but my mother insisted and she went out alone with the baby. I saw that my mother turned back and she was knocking on the door of the next shack, No 133.I saw a man in a dark blue overall and a sport cap running after my mother and then I heard him start to stab her and the baby. My father went out to see and spoke to the man and said "OK Com, its alright" (meaning its enough). Then this man started hacking my father. There was no verbal reply from this attacker. After a while I went out to my father and the same man came running back towards me, and I returned into the house. The man left.My mother had managed to crawl back into house 133. After that my father could not be found. Next morning my father was found in the veld with bullet wounds and he as dead. My baby sister was taken to hospital and is in Ward 1, Sebokeng Hospital.

JOHANNES MBATHA NO 8 JOE SLOVO PARKI am the younger brother of Mr Mbatha (deceased). In our house we were sleeping and woke up because we heard breaking of our windows. I looked out and saw 3 groups of men. One group was busy hitting the shacks (they had white head bands and white bands on their arms), they saw me and attacked the house saying "Get out Mandela’s dogs", they seemed to move off. I peeped through a hole in the wall of the shack and saw a group of men wearing mid-thigh dark lumber jackets. It seemed the head was covered I could not see their faces. The men with the white bands saw me and told (in Zulu) the men with the jackets that this house must be attended to, "all in this house must be killed". The men with the jackets surrounded the house while the others broke the door. They came in it was dark. My wife hid under the bed and I hid behind a cupboard. They called for matches and looking around they saw my wife."Mgwaze" (stab) they said. They proceeded to stab my wife. They went to the cupboard and tried to open it. I held very tight on the back of the cupboard so they would not find me. They took the radio and some clothes and then left. After ±15 minutes I came out from the cupboard and went to look at my wife to see how she was. I pulled her out from under the bed and she screamed for help. I went next door and as I was going I saw the men (attackers) going to two (2) hippos (camouflage). The men entered these hippos. The indicator lights of the hippos were going on and off like making signals for the men.I went to ask a neighbour to phone the ambulance. It was some local place and they said the ambulance was not available as it had gone to fetch some drunks. We phoned the Sebokeng Hospital. The ambulance came very quickly and then the hippos moved off.I helped my wife into the ambulance and got in also. We watched the hippos going in the direction of the Kwa Madala hostel as we drove to the Sebokeng Hospital. My wife Pauline Mbatha is in Ward 18.

MISHRACK IHEOANE NO 31 JOE SLOVO PARKI work at the TREK Garage at the robot cross-road leading into Boipatong. I was on duty from 7.45 pm - 6 am (17/18 June 1992). When I arrived at work all was quiet and normal. At ±9.15 pm I saw a hippo (camouflage) army vehicle with men (soldiers) standing up in it. They were white men. These vehicles moved into Boipatong. I then heard shooting and noise and people running. The patrol units were setting up barricades and warming themselves by fires. There were more shots coming from different areas. The hippos came back to the garage and parked for ±5 minutes. Many men mostly wearing white head bands and holding what seemed like sticks and spears objects were coming very quietly in the distance. The vehicles had the chance to see these men coming. I told one of the army men "look here come the men". There was no response or reply from the man I spoke to. The security man at the garage then phoned his senior security. The senior security came in a van and the police (white) in the hippo advised the senior security to take them (junior security and Mishrack) to Baldwins (a company further away).


Audrey, Shelagh Mary, Marie, Ollie and Rob went to the Vaal on the 20 June. We first went to Vereeniging to pick up a contact, Steve. We then went to Bophelong, there we left Rob and Ollie, and the rest of us went to Boipatong with Steve. We drove into the township looking for our contacts. It was then decided to go back to Amatola Street, which faces the factories/industries eg Cape Gate. While driving up we met hundreds of people with cardboard posters and paper posters condemning de Klerk’s approaching visit. There were many PAC people visible in their T-shirts and holding PAC banners.When we got to Amatola Street there were many people milling around. A woman Elizabeth, tried to get people to give us statements. She did this in a very rough way and actually frightened people. We told her to "cool it". While speaking to people we found that some of them were very reluctant to give us a story (fear), others would tell us a story but not surrender their names.While we were talking to some people I saw Casspirs and Nyalas c o h k tearing out from the township along the road that faces Cape Gate. Behind the casspirs and Nyalas came a whitish car, then a very official black car, followed by another whitish car and then some more casspirs and Nyalas.There goes de Klerk I said (12.30 pm). The people with their placards and banners came closely behind the exiting speedy procession. The people had chased de Klerk out of Boipatong.Meanwhile casspirs and nyalas had assembled together and armed men in the brown uniforms formed a line in front of the singing dancing people. The people shoutedabuse at the police, like.... get out you murderers.... one bullet one settler etc. A fewstones (heard the sounds) were thrown at the vehicles. It looked as if there would be a confrontation. After a while I saw Benny Alexander call the people. He spoke to them and then they let the casspirs through into the township. It was as this was happening that we got the news that the police had killed a child near the Stadium. All, on hearing this, moved off to the other side of the township. We got into the car and also went in that direction.On the way we made an appointment to come back and interview someone.We got to what seemed to be a soccer field, we saw that the casspirs and nyalas hadassembled in a circle with armed men on the field next to the cleared ground.

STATEMENTS TAKEN ON 20 JUNE 199*. __ - STREET

At 9.45 pm Wednesday night I heard shots, I looked out and saw black and white men in camouflage uniforms. A white had a gun and a black had a walkie talkie. This was in Moshoeshoe St. The police moved up and down and the comrades ran to Makabane school.The police cleared the comrades. Behind the police where men in white "doeks" and having pangas.

NO NAME GIVENI punched off duty just before 10.00 pm. As I was coming to enter the township I saw two hippos (brown camouflage). About 10 (ten) men came out of each hippo. They saw me and I ran back to the company Cape Gate.

___ : STREETI work for Metal Box. On Wednesday ±10 pm I was watching T V. I heard a sound of hippo or casspir. I looked through the front window and saw men coming out of the hippo. They had something white around their heads. There were ±10 dressed in camouflage. ±20 men with the white band around the head, these were carrying spears, axes and guns (look like A-K47). The police (camouflage) had long guns. Police and men broke into 170 (next door) and took things like the TV set (neighbour told this the next day). Then the corner(diagonally opposite) house was attacked and the windows broken.My uncle’s house was also attackedWhen they were hitting the corner house they were joined by camouflage dressed people and others with the white head band.At my uncle’s house they took radio and struck a 22 year old with a spear and also injured the tenant. The hippo shone its lights onto the house.The people from Cape Gate had been chased back to the company. The street directly leading from Cape Gate into the township used by the workers could be seen because the floodlight of the hippo lit the street up.I could also hear the sounds of gun shot.My friend Hlubi 722 Mofokeng St, his child was killed.The hippo (dark - camouflage) moved along with the attackers giving them light.I also heard a story from a young girl that men had some kind of paint (dark - black) on their faces and that they spoke in Afrikaans.At 1.05 am the ambulances came for the injured, the hippo also came and stood still then moved of at 1.15 am.


Audrey, Shelagh Mary, Marie, Ollie and Rob went to the Vaal on the 20 June. We first went to Vereeniging to pick up a contact, Steve. We then went to Bophelong, there we left Rob and Ollie, and the rest of us went to Boipatong with Steve. We drove into the township looking for our contacts. It was then decided to go back to Amatola Street, which faces the factories/industries eg Cape Gate. While driving up we met hundreds of people with cardboard posters and paper posters condemning de Klerk’s approaching visit. There were many PAC people visible in their T-shirts and holding PAC banners.When we got to Amatola Street there were many people milling around. A woman Elizabeth, tried to get people to give us statements. She did this in a very rough way and actually frightened people. We told her to "cool it". While speaking to people we found that some of them were very reluctant to give us a story (fear), others would tell us a story but not surrender their names.While we were talking to some people I saw Casspirs and Nyalas come tearing out from the township along the road that faces Cape Gate. Behind the casspirs and Nyalas came a whitish car, then a very official black car, followed by another whitish car and then some more casspirs and Nyalas.There goes de Klerk I said (12.30 pm). The people with their placards and banners came closely behind the exiting speedy procession. The people had chased de Klerk out of Boipatong.Meanwhile casspirs and nyalas had assembled together and armed men in the brown uniforms formed a line in front of the singing dancing people. The people shoutedabuse at the police, like.... get out you murderers.... one bullet one settler etc. A fewstones (heard the sounds) were thrown at the vehicles. It looked as if there would be a confrontation. After a while I saw Benny Alexander call the people. He spoke to them and then they let the casspirs through into the township. It was as this was happening that we got the news that the police had killed a child near the Stadium. All, on hearing this, moved off to the other side of the township. We got into the car and also went in that direction.On the way we made an appointment to come back and interview someone.We got to what seemed to be a soccer field, we saw that the casspirs and nyalas hadassembled in a circle with armed men on the field next to the cleared ground.

BOIPATONG 21 JUNE 1992When we arrived in Boipatong we came upon the Nelson Mandela procession going around the township. The people were singing:

We and the land are bleeding and dying and you act like a lamb.

We joined the crowd and went to a soccer field, where we heard Mr Sotsu give an explanation of the happenings of the 20 June. Mr Sotsu read out the names of the dead.

Mandela then addressed the crowd of ± 20 000 expressing sympathy and a promise of action.

The crowd and Mandela’s group left for Zone 7 Sebokeng to hold a rally there.

STATEMENTS FROM BOIPATONG Taken on 21 June 1992

My father Mr Mbatha was killed. I was asleep and my mother woke me up. She said that we must get out as it is bad outside. My mother took the baby, my younger sister on her back. I said "I’m not going out" but my mother insisted and she went out alone with the baby. I saw that my mother turned back and she was knocking on the door of the next shack, No 133.I saw a man in a dark blue overall and a sport cap running after my mother and then I heard him start to stab her and the baby. My father went out to see and spoke to the man and said "OK Com, its alright" (meaning its enough). Then this man started hacking my father. There was no verbal reply from this attacker. After a while I went out to my father and the same man came running back towards me, and I returned into the house. The man left.My mother had managed to crawl back into house 133. After that my father could not be found. Next morning my father was found in the veld with bullet wounds and he as dead. My baby sister was taken to hospital and is in Ward 1, Sebokeng Hospital.

S ta tem en ts ta k en 25 J u n e 1992Audrey and Shelagh came to Boipatong to take statements and to attend the Memorial Service.We picked up Mr Johnny Motete (016) 33-8121, who is from Bophelong. He told us that the Bophelong lights had been switched off from 6.45 pm - 8.30 pm. When the lights had been turned off people were indiscriminately kicked, beaten and shoved around. A casspir present while this was happening had no registration number. The people who were doing this beating up of people were blacks and whites in camouflage uniform.Mr Motete then took us to 84 Majola Street, Boipatong. Here Meide Baasterman told us the following. On Saturday the 20 June at ± 9.00 pm she heard noises.When she looked out of the window she saw two casspirs. One was on the lawn/grass outside her house, the other was facing down the street. The casspirs had their dim lights on. Men were firing from the casspirs over the roofs. The men are white. They went away from her place after about 45 minutes. After sometime others (maybe the same ?) returned on foot. They had torches and they were shinning them into the yards. She said it seemed as if they were looking for someone/s. There were ±10 men. If there were people in the street these men would shoot. She told us that on Monday 22 June more or less the same thing happened. Men were walking in and out of the yards. That night there was shooting in the next street and a man came running followed by white men in camouflage uniform. On Tuesday 23 June the same happened. Casspirs were going up and down the streets and if they saw a person then they would chase that person. She was asked what did the people do in the house when such happenings occurred. She said:

We switch the lights off, the TV off and put the children in a safe place. We then wait watch and listen. The children are not sleeping well, they are sometimes restless and other times they scream in their sleep. The children do not eat well and they are not playing freely. When the children see the casspir they run into the house in fear, they don’t like to stay in the shelter outside they want to be in the house.

This day there was an icy wind blowing and noticing all the broken windows one can realise that the houses would be very cold indeed.We met with the lawyers Crystal and Barbara, introduced them to some people from whom they could get statements and made our way to the Service.The Service was eventually held in the Community Hall. There was obviously a time constraint on the Service. The MC informed us that we had to be out by a certain time.After a very moving Service we left before the majority of the crowd started to leave. We were outside the fence which surrounds the Community Hall. We saw a Nyala BFD 542 B (19C) come speeding down the road, coming to an abrupt stop outside the Hall. Men (white and black) jumped out of the vehicle and rushed into the grounds we followed. The people who had been present at the service were coming out. Some were singing and dancing. The men rushed into their midst and fired into the air. People started to run and to move more quickly out of the Hall grounds. There were other casspirs in the street outside the hall BBW 154 M, BFD 558 B.

E v en ts an d S ta tem en ts 26 J u n e 1992Audrey and Shelagh arrived and we asked that Charles Mofokeng could accompany us.We asked Charles had there been any killings just before the massacre 17/18 June. Hetold us:

A young woman had been necklaced on Friday night 12 June. She was apparently a girlfriend of one of the Inkatha people. Two men had also been killed on the 13 June. One in Zone 4, and the other in Lusaka of Boipatong. These were members of the Inkatha. Inkatha must not be in this area they must be driven out of the township. The community killed these people, maybe the tsotsi element.

We then met some young men who told the following:On Wednesday 17 June there was a police helicopter flying around at ±9.00am- 10.30am. We knocked off school at ± 11.00am. Things were OK. In the afternoon things were OK. ±7.30 pm - 8.30 pm while we were doing patrol we saw a Isusu (white) and a red car at the bottom of the road leading to the refuse dump. Some distance away a van had been burnt. We went into Bapedi St and saw some other people they did not answer our signal. Some had black masks on.

One young man said he heard one of these people say "Die tyd is oor".These young men did not want to give their names.Another young man (no name) told the following:

Between 4.00pm and 5.00pm we saw two cars. We were patrolling here near Joe Slovo Park. There was this Isusu bakkie near the dump on the gravel road. There was this old Ford ±1972 model. They were ±20 meters apart. We went to look and we found a man. He was black, ±45 years and spoke in Zulu. This man told long stories about coming and going to and from Sharpeville. He said he had no petrol. Three casspirs came and then this man could drive the car well to the main road. This man stays in Boipatong and is a driver at some factory near by. He disappeared. 9.45pm we were walking along the streets, saw some people so we gave our signals. But these people did not respond to them. Some were in overalls, others had dark clothing on, some had jackets. Some had "copper hats" (? balaclavas). Then we heard A-K47. We ran. These people held spears and pangas. They started in Majola Street, Bapeli, to Moshoeshoe. We ran to Joe Slovo Park. Here we heard breaking glass, kids crying. I hid in the shelter of the dump. When we heard the noise going away into the distance we came back and met each other at the squatter camp. The ambulances were called but they said they had to wait for police to call ambulances. The ambulances came at ±12mn. Police came 8.00am.

Another young man said he wished to tell the following:I heard the attackers call out in Zulu "You said who wanted Zulus come and get us". These attackers had white bands on their heads. I ran when I saw them and got into a house. I saw them break windows. When they moved off they signalled each other with some kind of a whistle. They carried different weapons.

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W estern T ran sv ia l 4 0 M m m n A v c t i u p Vereeiupinp 1930 P.O. Box M i1; Vereeruprip 1°00 Telephone: 016 - 55185r Telex: 74.3083 Fax; 225105

CONGRESS OF SOUTH AFRICAN TRA D E UNIONS

2 6 / 0 7 / 9 0

PRESS RELEASE.

RE: SEBOKEKG VIOLENCE AND VAAL CONSUME? BOYCOTT.

T h e M ass D e m o c r a t i c M o v e m e n t w i s h e s t o c a t r e c o r d s t r a i g h t i n r e l a t i o n t o c o n t i n u e d p v i o l e n c e m S e b o k e n g . T h e MDM i s d i s t r u r b e a b y t h e d i s t o r t i o n o f t h e v i o l e n c e

f a c t s b y so m e s e c t i o n s " o f t h e m e d ia .

C l a s h e s b e tw e e n I n k a t h a m e m b e rs a n d Y a a l R e s i d e n t s o n l y o c c u r e d o n S u n d a y u n t i l a t a b o u t lO hO O pm .

T h e s i x p e o p l e k i l l e d o n M o n d ay a n d T u e s d a y i n c l u d i n g s c o r e s o f o t h e r s w ho h a d b e e n i n j u r e d w e r e n o t a s a r e s u l t o f c l a s h e s b e t w e e n I n k a t h a a n d ANC s u p p o r t e r s b u t b y t h e S .A .P . i n d i s c r i m i n a t e a c t i o n s i n t h e a r e a .

C o s a tu a n a t h e UDF c a l l s o n a l l p e o p l e o f V a a l t o r e m a i n c u lm b u t v i g i l a n t d u r i n g t h i s f l u i d s i t u a t i o n . We c a l l o n a l l r e s i d e n t s n o t t o o v e r - r e a c t t o u n f o u n d e d r u m o u r s w h ic h a r e c o n s i s t e n t l y b e i n g s p r e a d t h a t I r . k a t h a i s c o m i n g . We c a l l o n a l l t h o s e r e s p o n s i b l e f o r t h e s p r e a d i n g o f t h e s e r u m o u r s t o s t o p i n t h e i n t e r e s t o f p e a c e a n d s t a b i l i t y i n t h e V a a l T r i a n g l e t o w n s h i p s .

C o s a tu i s e x t r e m e l y c o n c e r n e d a b o u t c e r t a i n e l e m e n t s w i t h i n o u r c o m m u n ity who se e m s t o b e t a k i n g a d v a n t a g e o f t h e V a a l T r i a n g l e s i t u a t i o n . No o r g a n i s a t i o n

^ i a d d e c i d e d t h a t t h e r e s h o u l d b e a s t a v - a w a y . U n d e r s t a n g l y p e o p l e c o u l d n o t * g o t o w o rk f o r t h e p a s t f o u r d a y s d u e t o t h e t e n s e s i t u a t i o n a g g r a v a t e d b y i n

m o s t o c c a s i o n s u n f o u n d e d r u m o u r s .

C o s a t u c a l l s o n a l l p e o p l e w ho e r e c t b a r r i c a t e s a n d p h y s i c a l l y s t o p t a x i s a n d w o r k e r s f r o m e i t h e r m o v in g f r o m a r e a t o a r e a o r g e t t i n g t o w o r k . We f u r t h e r c a l l o n t h e S .A .P . a n d t h e S . A . D . F . t o w i t h d r a w f r o m t h e t o w n s h i p s a s t h e i r p r e s e n c e i s v ie w e d a s a t h r e a t b y r e s i d e n t s j u d g i n g t h e r o l e S . A . P . p l a y e d i n t h e w e e k e n d c l a s h e s .

We a p p e a l t o e m p l o y e r s t o i n p r a c t i s e m o re s y m p a t h i c t o w o r k e r s w ho a r e t r a p p e d i n t h i s s i t u a t i o n . We c a l l o n th e m n o t t o d e d u c t w o r k e r s s a l a r i e s f o r f a i l i n g t o t u r n - u p i n t h e e n d i n g w e e k .

I n t h e MDM m e e t i n g h e l d l a s t n i g h t i t w as d e c i d e d t o i n t e n s i f y t h e c o n s u m e r b o y c o t t w h ic h h a s b e e n i n p l a c e s i n c e t h e 1 6 / 0 7 / 9 0 . I t i s o u r b e l i e f t h a t t h e b o y c o t t i s a b o u t t o a c h i e v e i t s o b j e c t i v e s .

The MDM calls on all blacks to continue with the sacrifice they had already laid in the past two weeks. We appeal to our people not to buy a single commodity in town including launch, we call on our people to bring along lunch from home

Our demands have not been met by Vereeniging and Vanderbijlpark Town Councils.

. . / p 2

We d e m a n d t o b o th Town C o u n c i l s t o s t a t e p u b l i c i t y t h e i r p o s i t i o n s o n o u r d e m a n d s .

1 . F re e d o m o f a s s e m b l y a n d e x p r e s n o n i n c l u d i n g t h e r i g r . t t o m a rc h a n d p i c k e t .

2 . O ne n o n - r a c i a l Town C o u n c i l w i t h o n e s i n g l e t a x b a s e .

3 . M ore l a n d t o b e a l l o c a t e d t o b l a c k s a n d t h a t V a r .d e r b i j l p a r k s h o u l d h a l t t h e p r o c e s s o f d e m o l i s h i n g s h a c k s m B o p h e l o n g .

T h e MDM d e c i d e d n o t t o m e e t Tow n C o u n c i l a n d b u s i n e s s men u r . t i . t h e Town C o u n c i l c o m m it i t s e l f i n t o m e e t i n g o u r d e m a n d s .

ISSUED BY COSATU AND THE VAAL CONSUMER BOYCOTT COMMITTEE.

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PRESS STATEMENT OF THE BROAD FORUM

RE:INDEFINITE STAY-AWAY AND CONSUMER 'BOYCOTT IN THE VAAL TRIANGLE

The Broad Forum of all organisations of the oppressed met in Boipatong,NG Kerk yesterday-30 July 1992 between 14h00 and 18h00.Present at the meeting were representatives of COSATU.ANC,AZAPO,SACP,VCA.Vaal African Chamber of Commerce ,Roshnee Civic Association and the Vaal Council of Churches.

The meeting was to consider a range of issues including an indefinite stay-away,consumer boycotts and other forms of action to be taken in response to the rampaging violence against the people of the Vaal.

The stay-away and the indefinite consumer boycott was discussed in conjunction with a letter from Iscor addressed to NUMSA.In brief Iscor have agreed to close down Kwamadala Hostel and is at the mean time looking for alternative accommodation for its employees presently residing at the notorious hostel.

After a long debate the organisations present decided to take the following steps;

1.To continue with the indefinite stay-away and consumer boycott.Both these actions will be re-evaluated on Friday 03 July 1992.

2.C0SATU to consult with shop-stewards and workers in particular those who had been on a stay-away since the lBth June 1992,to discuss with them terms of Kwamadalas' closure and other forms of action to be taken.

3.COSATU and NUMSA to urgently ask for a meeting with representatives of Iscor to discuss the closure of Kwamadala hostel.■ S' f 'V-

’ • . . . > V . . • -•.*. .... .

W'

4.To evaluate progress made on the meeting held with I s c o r V i ' and on the 03 July 1992 either by calling a press conference or by means oi a rally announce as to whether the indefinite stay-away and consumer boycott continues or is called of.

Between today and during the procession of these actions ■we call for maximum unity amongst our people.We are disturbed by the stoning of cars at main roads nest to our townships and other undisciplined actions and atrocities being carried out against people including hijacking of cars.We call on all those elements involved in such acts to immediately stop these acts which will sow division amongst us and discredit our just struggle for our 1iberaticn.Discip1ine does not mean that people must not remain vigilant.We call on the people to remain vigilant as long as the possibility remains that they can be attacked.We however appeal for more community involvement in the defense mechanisms,the street committees,the block committees and other community committees who must begin to address the defense of residents in the township.

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ISSUED BY:

ZWELINZIMA VAVICOSATU ORGANISING SECRETARY

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Many o f your answers will be NO. If so why do we allow ourselves to be used as tools in a senseless fight against our own brothers and sisters. Why do we allow individuals to use us as their tools in their fight for reasons not known to us. COSATU is aware that the overwhelming majority o f you are staying at K w am adala against your will. Some o f yourselves stays at Kwamadala because you fear that you will be killed elsewhere. Your fears are totally unfcunded. Why do you allow people to use you in their own agenda. To be Zulu or m em ber of In k a lh a does not m ean th a t you should not stay with o th e r w orkers and the ir com m unities. Why do you allow vourseif to be used as an enem y o f everybody seise. Time has arrived that you make peace with all workers and communities. W hy d o n 't vou and your tellow Kwamadala resident discuss ways o f returning to the area where you used to stav peacefully before this nonsense started. Why do you not contact leaders o t those communities and discuss all this with them.

6. CALL ON POLICE:- We call on police to be the true defenders o f peace. Your boss Vlok has admitted that he has been supporting Inkatha and UWUSA wiih your own tax money. Why do you allow your dignity as protectors o t comm unities to be tarnished by criminals who stole tax payers mone\ in order to block democracy and right o f all o f us to vote in a country o f our birth.

We call on you to expose other secrets o f the police authorities. We call on you to win your place in a future democratic South A frica police force. We call on vou to arrest the perpetuators o f violence and bring them to justice.

ATTEND A MASS MEETENG TO DISCUSS ALL THESE POINTSDATE: 03 AUGUST 1991 VENUE: MPHATLALATSANE HALL

SEBOKENG TIME: 13H30 - ( 1H30 pm)

issued by COSATU W estern Transvaal Region

PRESS BRIEFING

ANCWednesday 1 July 1992

BOIPATONG the whereabouts of arms caches in kwaMadala hostel.M andela C ondem ns A ttacks on Jo u rn a lis tsJOHANNESBURG June 30 Sapa-Reuter

Nelson Mandela's African National Congress on Tuesday condemned attacks on white journalists by mourners attending a funeral for people killed in the Boipatong township massacre.The mourners, carrying banners and wearing T-shirts of the radical Pan Africanist Congress, used clubs and metal pipes to attack six white journalists including British Broadcasting Corporation reporter Tom Carver and Sipa-Press photographer Johan Kuus.

Other white reporters were spat at and threatened with death.

The PAC denied involvement in the attacks, saying they were carried out by people who sought to bring the organisation into disrepute."We are deeply disturbed at attacks on journalists by people dressed in PAC T-shirts," an ANC spokesman said. "The ANC wants to reaffirm its commitment to press freedom."Carver, who was hit by a man chanting the PAC slogan "One Settler One Bullet", said: "He hit me with a club across the head above the ear. When I went down he got me again on my hand. My hand is fractured."Kuus said he was knocked to the ground with a stick and a mob began stoning him. He has partial sight in his right eye after being hit in the face with a stone. "They circled me. It was absolutely terrifying experience," Kuus said.

"There were shouts of 'Kill the white pig'," said the Citizen newspaper's Nic Erasmus, hit in the face when 20 youths surrounded him. The youths fled when they saw a police car.

The PAC, a smaller organisation which broke away from the ANC in 1959, accusing it of being controlled by the radical white left, has refused to participate in democracy talks.-Reuter

IF P S ta tem en t on B o ipatong N ecklacing

Issued by: Office of The President of the Inkatha Freedom Party

DURBAN - An alleged ANC comrade was necklaced by fellow gang members last Thursday after being identified as a former IFP member by a 16-year-old female resident of kwaMadala Hostel who had been abducted in Sebokeng by the group.According to Inkatha Institute spokesman, Ed Tillett, the girl, Miss Baizel Mohlakwana, narrowly cheated death after she was abducted and held hostage by ANC vigilantes for at least ten hours.

Miss Mohlakwana's bizarre ten-hour ordeal began at 9am while she was visiting her father in Sebokeng, Tillett said.

A group of ANC comrades shouting ANC slogans arrived outside her father's house in two minibus taxis and kidnapped her.

They took her to a house in Sebokeng belonging to a municipal policeman attached to Lekoa Town Council identified as Constable Richard Motlaung and interrogated her for more than an hour on

Accompanied by Constable Motlaung, the group then took her to the predominantly ANC-supporting Sebokeng hostel where she was shoved into a darkened "cell" with windows sealed off with blankets, and tied up with ropes.

Two other women captives were also in the "cell", one of which Miss Mohlakwana recognised as a fellow resident of kwaMadala hostel.

Realizing she was in extreme danger, Miss Mohlakwana "promised" to point out to her captors where kwaMadala hostel dwellers had "hidden" their alleged arms caches. The group then took her to kwaMadala to point out the weapons. After realising she had set them up in a ruse to buy time, they allegedly assaulted her, Tillett said.

Tillett said they took her back to Sebokeng hostel where they continued interrogating her. During her interrogation, she recognized one of her interrogators (one of the gang ringleaders), whom she identified as Siliso Mofokeng, as having been a former IFP member and a regular visitor to kwaMadala Hostel.Tillett said this revelation evidently angered the comrades who then denounced Mofokeng as a "collaborator" and necklaced him.The group then re-focused their attention on Miss Mohlakwana. Constable Motlaung allegedly forced Miss Mohlakwana to drink petrol. When the group tried to pour petrol over her and threw a match in her direction, she managed to dive for cover. The petrol and the match instead landed on one of the interrogators who was instantly set alight.

In the ensuing pandemonium. Miss Mohlakwana managed to escape. She fled to the Golden Highway and approached a group of security guards in the vicinity who then alerted police.

Miss Mohlakwana accompanied police to point out to them where Constable Motlaung resided and he was arrested. When police raided his house, they allegedly found dagga on the premises. Police confirmed that members of the ANC were involved in the abduction. Charges were laid at Sebokeng Police Station and the CR number is 385/06/92.Dockets of attempted murder and abduction are being investigated, the investigating officer is Constable Fereira who can be reached on (016) 881 551.IFP leader in the Vaal Triangle, Mr Moses Mthembu, said IFP members in the region had been experiencing similar such atrocities in the region for years."It is only now, after the Boipatong massacre, that the world is beginning to take notice of the plight of the kwaMadala refugees," he said.

"It is a sad reflection that humanity is provoked into reaction only after the tragic loss of so many lives," he said.

For further information please contact Ed Tillett Tel: (031) 3049305 Office Pager: (031) 295123 code 72200

De Klerk's Statement on Boipatong SpeechesIssued by: SA Communication Service

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STATEM ENT BY PR ESID EN T F W DE KLERK

The tone of many of the statements at yesterday's funeral for victims of the Boipatong massacre gives rise to concern.

Instead of using this occasion to mourn the tragic deaths of the victims and to console their families and loved ones, the funeral was exploited to whip up emotions and to harden attitudes against negotiations and reconciliation.

Allegations were repeatedly made concerning the involvement of the Security Forces and of the Government in the tragic events at Boipatong. These allegations are devoid of truth. There is not a shred of evidence to support them. If any such evidence is available it should be immediately reported to the Police or to the Goldstone Commission. On the contrary, evidence which is being gathered by the South African Police increasingly supports the view that the violence emanated from the KwaMadala Hostel.In the meantime further lives have been lost Immediately after the funeral a man was brutally murdered nearby and necklaced in front of journalists. During the past 24 hours 16 people have been killed in Natal. Most of them were apparently Inkatha supporters. Another policeman was senselessly murdered in the course of his duties.

The death of any of our countrymen in violence - whoever they may be and whatever party they may support - diminishes us all and makes the goal of a peaceful and negotiated settlement all the more difficult.

I appeal, once again, to all leaders and to all South Africans, to abandon violence and brinkmanship. The present course of confrontation, race hatred and violence upon which some people have embarked, will if left unchecked, lead to tragedy for all South Africans. The South African Government will be firm in taking responsible steps to prevent this.

I will be responding soon in more detail to the whole situation. In the meantime I ask all South Africans to remain calm and to reject all calls for violence and confrontation. There is so much which unites us. We must not allow ourselves to be pushed away from the path of a peaceful and negotiated settlement.

ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNICATION SERVICE ON BEHALF OF THE OFFICE OF THE STATE PRESIDENT.

PRETORIA 30 JUNE 1992

Com m ent on De K lerk S tatem ent

PRETORIA June 30 Sapa

The anti-government rhetoric at the Boipatong massacre funeral drew a sharp rebuttal from President F W de Klerk on Tuesday.

"The tone of many of the statements at yesterday's funeral for victims of the Boipatong massacre gives rise to concern," Mr de Klerk said in a statement on Tuesday night.He was reacting to speeches made at the Monday's funeral service where threats were made "to take the government to hell", Mr de Klerk was declared incompetent and his resignation called for, and he was accused of being directly involved in the ongoing violence.

"Instead of using this occasion to mourn the tragic deaths of the victims and to console their families and loved ones, the funeral was exploited to whip up emotions and to harden attitudes against negotiations and reconciliation," Mr de Klerk said.He said the repeated allegations concerning the involvement of the security forces and of the government in the tragic events at Boipatong were devoid of truth, and there was not a shred of evidence to support them.

Mr de Klerk invited anyone with evidence of government involvement to get in touch with the police or the Goldstone Commission.

He pointed out that further lives had been lost since the Boipatong tragedy. Immediately after the funeral a man was brutally murdered and necklaced in front of journalists.

During the past 24 hours another 16 people had been killed in Natal. Most of them were apparently Inkatha supporters, and another policeman was senselessly murdered in the course of his duties."The death of any of our countrymen in violence - Whoever They May Be And Whatever Party They May Support — diminishes us all and makes the goal of a peaceful and negotiated settlement all the more difficult," Mr de Klerk said.He appealed to all leaders and to all South Africans to abandon violence and brinkmanship, saying the present course of confrontation, race hatred and violence, would, if left unchecked, lead to tragedy.

"The South African Government will be firm in taking responsible steps to prevent this," he said.

Mr de Klerk said he would respond in more detail to the situation soon.

"We must not allow ourselves to be pushed away from the path of a peaceful and negotiated settlement," he concluded.

ANC Press S tatem ent on N ecklacing

Issued by: African National Congress

Tuesday, 30 June 1992

---------------- AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS------------------

MEDIA STATEMENT: CONCERN ABOUT NECKLACING INCIDENT---------------------------------------------------

The African National Congress is deeply concerned about the necklacing incident that took place yesterday in Boipatong. The resurfacing of necklacing in the townships is greatly regrettable. The ANC abhors the practice of necklacing and calls upon all the people to stop the practice.However, as we have already warned before the Boipatong Massacre, it must be clearly understood that the resurfacing of necklacing is a manifestation of deep frustrations and anger in the community with the violence and with government's refusal to accept a democratic dispensation in South Africa.

Issued by: The Department of Information and Publicity, P.O. Box

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61884, Marshalltown 2107, Johannesburg.A rrests of K w aM adala H ostel Dwellers

PRETORIA June 30 Sapa

A further 75 residents of the Kwa-Madala hostel have been arrested in connection with the Boipatong massacre, police said on Tuesday.

Commissioner of the South African Police, Gen Johan van der Merwe said in a statement the breakthrough came after many hours of intensive investigation into the Boipatong massacre on June 17.

The investigation had been greatly assisted by the "whole-hearted cooperation of the Kwa-Madala hostel leadership," Gen van der Merwe said.

Rejecting allegations that the SAP had been directly involved in the the massacre, Gen van der Merwe said the allegations were being viewed in a "very serious light" and that with the information at the disposal of the police "no evidence can be found to substantiate the allegations".He once again made an "urgent appeal" to anyone who may have any information to come forward and make the information available.

Gen van der Merwe directed special thanks to the investigating team who had worked "many hours of overtime" to make the breakthrough possible.

H uddleston on B oipotong M assacre

JOHANNESBURG June 30 Sapa

Anti-apartheid campaigner Archbishop Trevor Huddleston on Tuesday called for foreign intervention to avert catastrophe in South Africa.

"The Boipatong massacre is a sign of the danger, horrific danger for the future," the president of the London-based Anti-Apartheid Movement told a news conference in Johannesburg a day after the funeral of 37 victims of the Boipatong attack.

Archbishop Huddleston stressed "the urgency of compelling the international community to take notice and to act, to act very speedily because of the immense dangers that the Boipatong massacre has thrown up".

The AAM would convene a special session to discuss the crisis in South Africa following the decision by the ANC to withdraw from the Convention for a Democratic South Africa in protest against the Boipatong killings.

Former Zimbabwean President Canaan Banana told the conference "the struggle for justice, freedom and a democratic South Africa is not just the struggle for the people of South Africa.

"We believe that the only solution to the continuing carnage... is the speedy establishment of a democratic order.

"Any further delay can only result in heavy cost both in human and material terms not just for the people of South Africa, indeed to the region... to all fair-minded people".

Meanwhile, the SA Council of Churches has condemned the murder

on Monday of a man believed to be an Inkatha Freedom Party a t '

the mass funeral.

SACC secretary general Frank Chikane also condemned the attacks by alleged PAC activists on journalists at the funeral."I will be contacting the appropriate political leadership to discuss with them, and convey my dismay at this breach of discipline," he told reporters.

He said the incidents, in which white journalists were targetted, were isolated and did not reflect the general mood of the thousands of mourners.

Youths yelling "One Settler one bullet" — the Pan Africanist Congress slogan — were allegedly responsible for the attacks.The PAC has dissasociated itself from the assaults.

SAUJ C oncern A bout A ttacks on Jo u rn a ils ts


The South African Union of Journalists on Tuesday expressed its concern about the growing number of assaults on journalists on assignment.

With particular reference to Monday's incidents at the Boipatong massacre funeral, when at least six journalists were assaulted by mourners, the SAUJ said it was "outraged" by the attacks.

In several incidents on Monday at least six newsmen were held at gunpoint and severely assaulted, a reporter was dragged from his car, and another was kicked in the face. Among those injured were Juhan Kuus of Sipa-Press, Joao Silva of The Star, Guy Adams of the Weekly Mail, and Nick Erasmus and Nic van der Linde of The Citizen.

"Attacks of this kind are anathema to anyone who believes in democracy and have to stop forthwith," Karen Stander, General Secretary of the SAUJ said.

"Those responsible would be the first to complain if the media stopped covering meetings where there is a possibility of violence," she added.

She said political organisations had to start taking responsibility for the actions of their supporters. It did not do for organisations to issue statements after incidents saying it was not official policy to beat up journalists.

The SAUJ had statistics of at least 25 journalists who had been assaulted or harrassed on assignment in South Africa since January. Some of these journalists had required hospitalisation.

"One of the most worrying aspects of the problem is that journalists begin to see being assaulted as part of a day's work and fail to report incidents," Ms Stander concluded.

In k a th a O ffers R ew ard for B oipatong K illersJOHANNESBURG June 30 Sapa

The Inkatha Freedom Party's Sandton branch has offered a R 100000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the people responsible for the killing and necklacing of an IFP member during Monday's mass funeral in Boipatong.

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Mr Bruce Anderson, a member of the IFP delegation lo Codesa and also of the National Peace Accord, told Sapa on Tuesday the reward offer had been decided on after a report on the killing appeared in a Johannesburg newspaper.

According to the report, a crowd pulled an unidentified man said to be an IFP member from a house and started to beat him with sticks and stones. They then shot him dead and put a tyre around hisbody.

DP Y outh on Violence

CAPE TOWN July 1 Sapa

The blame for the violence currently wracking the country must be laid at the door of political organisations who have lost their respect for human dignity.The Nationalist Government, the African National Congress and Inkatha are more interested in power than in the rights of ordinary men and women, Democratic Party Youth national vice-chairman, Colin Douglas, said in a statement on Wednesday."The leadership of these groupings have not made the necessary effort to prevent their own members from abusing the rights and lives of innocent people," he said.

Mr Douglas said it was a double tragedy that the Boipatong massacre had resulted in more, not less, war-talk, harassment and murder."The time has come for ordinary South Africans to stand up and defend their right to carry on their lives free from fear, violence, coercion and poverty."It was time for every peaceloving South African to say to the NP, ANC and IFP: "I will not vote for you as long as your members use violence, coercion and harassment as political weapons."

Com m ent on Boipatong

By David Greybe


The Vaal Triangle townships of Boipatong, Sharpeville, Sebokeng and Bophelong have, more than any other area in the country, come to represent the new face of militant politics.

"Codesa means nothing here. We have our own agenda," a local ANC leader in Sharpeville said during a tour of war-torn Boipatong on Monday when 37 victims of the June 17 massacre were buried.Signs of the new mood of militancy, some argue it is anarchy, were unmistakeable in the streets:

Metre-deep trenches had been dug, full-grown trees had been neatly felled with electric saws, piles of rubbish and tyres would be set alight at night, there were metre-high walls built of boulders.Gone were the days following the February 2, 1990, unbanning of political organisations when members of the news media felt they were safe in these townships.

A number of local and foreign journalists were attacked by angry youths at the Boipatong funeral. One was bashed over the head with a metal bar.

"Hey settler, you deserve a bullet," is now typical of the cries of many angry youthful residents in the Vaal.

The ANC leader in Sharpeville, like a military commander, proudly told reporters that his defence units had been operating "smoothly" for months now.He added the final touches were being put to a plan to reintroduce street committees in Sharpeville.Operations at the Sharpeville police station, where 69 residents marching in protest against pass laws were gunned down by police in 1960, had virtually ground to a halt, he claimed. "When we see a policeman in the streets nowadays we disarm him.”Trends marking this new-found militancy are clearly disturbing: At the Boipatong funeral, attended by about 40000 people, there was an abundance of weapons — including firearms -- and a lack of discipline was evident.The attacks on reporters were blamed on a splinter PAC group, which reportedly cannot be controlled by the local leadership.But the ANC came in for its share of the blame too. ANC supporters armed with AK47s, shotguns and pistols paraded in the open.During the long wait for the bodies to arrive at the Sharpeville cemetary, people toyi-toyied between and on graves — firing at random. While some of the older women shouted "thula (keep quiet)" others, mainly "young lions", roared their approval.Police later claimed a shot had been fired at, and missed, the ever-present police helicopter whose crew diligently monitored the day's events.Then there was the boy — journalists estimated he was 10 years old, definitely not more than 12 - who strutted about with a Makharov pistol stuck in his belt.Other youths passed the time chasing the odd white who cycled down a street in a nearby white Vanderbijl Park suburb. A white resident sitting on his verandha was shot in the foot from a passing mini-bus taxi.

Clearly the mood in the Vaal Triangle’s townships has changed -- many residents seem to have turned their backs on the negotiation process.The country will have to wait and see whether the "liberation" leaders, who themselves gave militant speeches at the Boipatong funeral, will be able to control and direct this anger during the upcoming "rolling" mass action campaign.

BANTUSTANSGqozo R etu rns to CiskeiBISHO June 30 SapaCiskei military leader Brigadier O J Gqozo said on Tuesday he had learnt with dismay the amount of incorrect information and negative propaganda being fed to Europe about events in southern Africa.

"It is no wonder people are frightened to come to our peaceful

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Ciskei," he told a welcoming crowd at Bisho on his return from a tour of seven European capitals."We must make special efforts to ensure that the international community is properly informed about the positive actions of President de Klerk," he said.

Brig Gqozo was at the head of a Ciskei delegation which visited Europe to study federal systems of government, particularly the Swiss canton system, the regional system in Belgium, and the German 'lander' system."It was interesting to see how political parties from the left and the right worked together in these countries and compromised in the national interest," Brig Gqozo said."For them it is country first and ideology second. We must learn from these people, shape their systems to our cirumstances.

"We have to find a way to make sure that our future is safe in the hands of whoever will be elected by the people to govern."

G qozo's C om m ent on M ass Action

EAST LONDON June 30 SapaThe ANC's reaction following the Boipatong massacre was "complete madness" and their mass action campaign would not be tolerated in Ciskei, the homeland's military ruler, Brigadier Oupa Gqozo, said on Tuesday.Brig Gqozo, who was speaking at his welcoming parade following his return from a constitutional fact-finding trip to Europe, said he would make sure the ANC "did not start their tricks" in Ciskei."The ANC with all its tricks has contributed to a negative impression of South Africa overseas. Wherever we went there was footage of everybody trying to kill the ANC," Brig Gqozo said.

Ciskei would not ban the ANC because the homeland's law was enough to deal with immoral and criminal acts. "Law and order will always take precedence to political ambitions and rhetoric."

Brig Gqozo said the ANC should be held directly responsible for the deaths of people at Boipatong."It is a pity the South African Government feels apologetic because of past apartheid. If it lets blacks do what they want the whole country will be destroyed," Brig Gqozo said.

"To say (ANC president) Mr Nelson Mandela did not foresee mass action would lead to death -- so that he could play God and put the blame on an innocent government — was madness and hypocrisy."We will make sure it does not happen here among law-abiding ctizens. The ANC have done enough harm already to everybody in South Africa. We will be a pain in the flesh of the ANC every time," he said.He said mass action had undertones of violence, death, taunts and inflammatory talk.Brig Gqozo was apparently commenting on an ANC campaign aimed at pressuring Pretoria to force him to "create a democratic atmosphere".

He said Ciskei was still an independent country and would remain so until everything had been negotiated and settled before merging

with a "federal South Africa".

"Nobody in their right senses would be in favour of a unitary system and a federal system is what Ciskei will fight for in negotiations. Eleven out of the 19 parties at Codesa support a federal system," he said.

ECONOMYGovt C om m ent on Econom ic G row th

JOHANNESBURG June 30 SapaMacro-economic relationships will have to yield an average four per cent growth in South Africa if the country wants to absorb the emerging labour force and, to a certain extent, reduce the existing number of unemployed says Reserve Bank Govenor Dr Chris Stals.Addressing business people in Johannesburg on Tuesday Dr Stals said a growth rate of four per cent would require capital investment substantially higher than domestic savings.

This, he said, would give rise to a financing shortfall which could be financed from abroad.Addressing the need for further structural adjustments in the South African economy the Central Banker said the country's economic structure had certain basic faults which would not be corrected through an upswing in the normal economic cycle.He pointed out that there had been a sharp decline in the capital/production ratio over the past years and this added to the increase in unemploymentAdded to this he said productivity in relation to cost was out of line making South African labour costs high and productivity low.

Another factor which affected the weak growth of the country's economy over last few years was the low savings/income ratio particaularly personal savings.

Illustrating the point he said at present total savings as a percentage of gross domestic product amounted to a mere 18 per cent compared to more than 40 per cent in sucessful developed countries in the Far East

Added to this Dr Stals said economic growth had over the past three decades dropped from six per cent to one per cent with the possibility of this becoming negative — if drastic measure were not taken.Another problem the country had was the import/expenditure ratio.He said that when domestic expenditure increased, particularly expenditure on fixed capital goods, there was a sharp rise in imports.Regarding the inflow of foreign capital Dr Stals stressed even if the capital was available, South Africa's foreign liabilities would grow at such an alarming rate that byu the year 2000 it would be more than 100 billion US dollars — five time the present amount.

He said South Africa would not be able to service such a debt and would face a unmanageable debt crisis.

These problems, Dr Stals said, would not be corrected in the

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In the light of the problems facing the country Dr Stals said it was imperative that the country address the unemployment crisis as the most important goal of the restructuring program.However he pointed out that the social issues, against the background of political reform could not be left out of such a restructuring program.In creating employment opportunities, he stressed, better living conditions should also be created especially in the lower incomegroups.But Dr Stals made it clear that the required changes could not be implemented without causing a certain amount of hardship and therefore the changes would have to have the support of politicians and the general public.

To this end the Resrve Bank Govenor said the institution was of the opinion it was time macro-economic policy guidelines be drawn up and that these be supplemented by a comprehensive socio-economic program.Dr Stals also said he welcomed and invited public discussion on the economic problems of South Africa.

EDUCATIONLess State Involvem ent in Education - Piet M arais

PRETORIA lune 30 Sapa

There was going to be less State involvement in education with accompanying increased responsibilities for parents, pupils and the community, National Education Minister Piet Marais said on Tuesday.Addressing a seminar of the Suid-Afrikaanse Vrouefederasie in Pretoria, Mr Marais said the government was spending a high percentage of the country’s total budget on education — R1 out of R5 — and it would be difficult to increase this.Responding to the demand for equal education, Mr Marais said "within the current economic parametres the State could not afford to extend the policy (currently applicable to white pupils) to allpupils".However, the government was gradually equalising spending on pupils, Mr Marais added.The government spent almost twice as much money on white pupils as on black pupils "within South Africa's borders", and four times more on white pupils "within the country" than on those in self-governing states.Mr Marais said those who alleged that black pupils received free education free, while whites had to contribute towards it, had to keep in mind that so-called free education was supplied on a level which cost 50 per cent less per pupil than in white schools.Referring to the affordibilty of tertiary education, Mr Marais said it was heavily State-subsidised and in all probability the ceiling had been reached.

Subsidy by the State would not be further increased, leading to increased spending by individuals.

normal business cycle.Tertiary education could not be extended in "an unlimited fashion" and increased pressure was going to be placed on universities to apply even more stringent entrance requirements, said Mr Marais.

He said it was a priority to place emphasis on technikons to ensure they could supply the country's manpower needs.There were 10 million schoolgoing pupils in the country, with 900000 attending schools under the jurisdiction of the Department of Education and Culture (House of Assembly).Most of the remaining 9,1 million pupils were black — 7 million — and they were not legally bound to go to school.As many as 2,5 million black pupils were old enough to go to school but did not do so.FOREIGN RELATIONSSouth A frican 'L ia ison O fficers' to M ozam bique

MAPUTO, June 30 Sapa-AFPSouth African police have sent "liaison officers" to Maputo to work with their Mozambican counterparts in a joint fight against the smuggling of guns over the border, David Laubscher, head of the South African trade mission here, said.In an interview published Tuesday by the independent daily Mediafax, Laubscher confirmed that the South African police officers were in Maputo cooperating with the Mozambican police gun-running and "other matters of bilateral interest."

Many of the weapons used in South Africa's township violence are believed to come from Mozambique, supplied by rebels of the Mozambique National Resistance (RENAMO), by deserters from the armed forces, or by criminals who have purchased weapons from members of the army, police or militia.

"The smuggling of weapons is very worrying", said Lubscher. "We see more and more semi-automatic weapons being used for criminal activities and for political aims" in South Africa.

He would not blame any particular force in Mozambique for supplying the guns, saying, "It's very difficult to say how people get hold of the weapons. There doesn't seem to be any one specific source".Since the African National Congress (ANC), the main anti-apartheid organisation in South Africa, has consistently accused the South African police of complicity in the township violence, the cooperation between the Mozambican and south african police forces on this sensitive issue is likely to prove highly controversial.-AFP

Sweden L ifts S po rts Sanctions

STOCKHOLM June 30 Sapa-APThe Swedish Sports Confederation has decided to lift athletics sanctions against South Africa, thus heeding the preliminary decision taken by the executive committee of the international body last week, a press statement said Tuesday.

The decision taken by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) June 25, to be ratified by its congress in Stuttgart in 1993, means that South African athletes will be

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Collection Number: AK2672 Goldstone Commission BOIPATONG ENQUIRY Records 1990-1999 PUBLISHER: Publisher:- Historical Papers, University of the Witwatersrand Location:- Johannesburg ©2012

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