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Content
A listing of transcripts of the dialogue and narrative of this section.
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Structure
The list provides the transcript, info about the text, and links to references contained in the text.
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Special Report
Transcripts for Section 4 of Episode 12
| Time | Summary | | | 12:32 | For years the people of Maokeng, the township outside Kroonstad in the Free State were terrorised by a brutal gang, called the Three Million Gang. The authorities, for their own reasons, turned a blind eye. And then the community dealt with it in their own brutal way. | Full Transcript and References | | 12:47 | Adultery and a man with a sharp sense of revenge sparked off political passions that had the Free State community in an iron grip of violence. Maokeng township in Kroonstad is as small as its passions are large. George Ramasimong, better known as DiWitty, went into battle with the ANC youth league after learning that his wife, Alice was having an affair with one of its leading members. A man, in hiding from police, who DiWitty had sheltered at his house. It was a personal conflict that by all accounts was soon exploited by the South African Police. | Full Transcript | | 13:21 | The morning, DiWitty came to me and said that his heart was very sore. The comrades, whom he had done everything for, given his house, now they were taking his wife. | Full Transcript | | 13:32 | The February 1992 execution style killing of its most notorious inhabitant, DiWitty, ended a two year long reign of terror and fear in Maokeng. He was shot repeatedly by a balaclava clad man, at the local taxi rank. // At the taxi rank I went to DiWitty. On my way, someone who was behind me, called him. He turned around and looked straight at me. That was when I fired the first shot at him. He ran away towards the back of the taxis. He ran into high fences and he was cornered. Then he ran back at me, at the same time … I ran towards him … I knocked him down … When he fell, I shot him in the head. | Full Transcript | | 14:29 | DiWitty, it was said, was the top man in the Three Millions, a gang that was seen to be working with the police. // In 1990 after the unbanning of the political parties, a group was formed and was called the Three Million. The situation, as from September 1990 until 1992, was sheer hell in Maokeng. I can describe it as hell. Nobody felt safe, even just to walk to his toilet at night. // I am aware of a number of charges that were laid against the Three Million Gang. Those that I know of would be attempted murder, in some cases murder, in some cases arson where houses of people were set alight … victims, and mainly robbery which arose out of attacks on shop owners, just walking into shop taking whatever you want to take because you want to eat it and just moving out, and also mainly the hijacking of taxis. // Yes, I came around here at 1991 at the height of the fighting. In fact, at the height of the reign of terror here, it was a terrible situation for all the citizens here ...more | Full Transcript and References | | 16:39 | I’m going to illustrate what joy there was in the community of Maokeng the day when DiWwitty was shot dead, it was worse than when Nelson Mandela was freed. // Up until today it is quiet and peaceful in Kroonstad. | Full Transcript | | 17:19 | Roland Petrus is one of five ANC self defence unit members who are in prison for the murders of members of the Three Million Gang. This week, they asked the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for amnesty. Macheba Thulo was commander of the SDU. // I’m applying for amnesty concerning the killing of Seabata Ntema, whom I was part of those people who killed him and then the motivation is totally political. Cause Ntema was part of the Three Millions which was terrorising the community and doing all its efforts to eliminate the African National Congress and its alliance. I killed Seabata Ntema on the 11th of February 1991. Yes, the situation that day was very much tense, because the policemen were collaborating with the gangsters, which is the Three Million. It was a situation whereby it’s a battlefield actually and then Seabata confronted me with a knife, a self made knife that he tried to stab me and then I just moved on the side and then because he was drunk he passed. And then, he ...more | Full Transcript and References | | 19:02 | You’ve seen in my evidence this afternoon I have said that the previous system have turned our young people into murderers, into people without any feeling. It is not their mistake. We must put the blame squarely on the previous government, the NP government. // I just regret that after, you see, when you’re in such a situation you are merciless, because your people are dying and you cannot resist it, it’s very much in the deed. You see, so I can say I was born militant. So, afterwards I realised that OK as far as humanity is concerned it doesn’t call for, but that was the only alternative. | Full Transcript | | 20:06 | The ANC’s position will probably be that whereas we don’t agree with what they did we understand the circumstances that drove them to do it. And therefore we will take a position that justice demands that they should be granted amnesty. | Full Transcript |
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