hrvtrans HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, SUBMISSIONS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 1997-05-23 BALFOUR 1 SIMANGA E TSHABANGU JB3527 https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=54943&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/hrvtrans/balfour/1baltsha.htm MR TSHABANGU ..... white people as bosses. Referring to him as my boss but I was not working for him in particular. He was just a neighbouring farmer. DR RANDERA Thank you for that clarification. Mr Tshabangu, in that time were you aware of any reasons why the ANC, if it was the ANC, were you aware of any reasons why anybody should be putting bombs on farms. What was the rational behind it ? What was the reasoning behind it ? MR TSHABANGU DR RANDERA MR TSHABANGU DR RANDERA What about yourself Mr Tshabangu, have you ever been a member of any political party, organization or youth congress at any time ? MR TSHABANGU DR RANDERA MR TSHABANGU What I mean by that is that I can see that there is still violence within our community. Not my community in particular but in South Africa as a whole, so I think we can come together as the South Africans and talk peacefully so that we can be able to live peacefully, especially where I come from. We do not have such facilities for promoting peace. We do not have any groups where we hold motivational talks and try to reconcile with each other. I would like the Commission to facilitate that. DR RANDERA Mr Tshabangu, thank you very much. I would like to hand over to the Chairperson. MR LEWIN Mr Tshabangu, if I could just ask a few questions, or two questions really. Just following what Doctor Randera has asked, could you explain where it was that the bomb was planted. Was it actually planted in the farm, or was it in the road near the farm ? MR TSHABANGU MR LEWIN The person planting this bomb, or I presume it was a landmine, would be setting an attack for the farmers rather than for general people travelling on the road. Is that right ? MR TSHABANGU MR LEWIN Where do you think the, I mean you mention the name of a possible person who planted this landmine, where do you think they came from ? Within the country or is Volksrust sufficiently close to a border for someone to have come across ? MR TSHABANGU When I look at it now, I think they were coming from Volksrust because Volksrust is about ten kilometers. Where the bomb exploded is about ten kilometers from where the second bomb exploded and it was from Volksrust or near Volksrust location. MR LEWIN MR TSHABANGU MR LEWIN My second question actually relates to what is happening now, or what happily has happened in the last weeks within our country, where South Africa has been one of the people taking steps to ban the use altogether of landmines. I just wondered what your opinion of that is. What do you as a victim specifically feel about that, not only for South African but for all countries ? MR TSHABANGU MR LEWIN Thank you Mr Tshabangu. MR MANTHATA Mr Tshabangu, after recovery did you ever have a chance to talk about what happened to you with your employer ? MR TSHABANGU MR MANTHATA MR TSHABANGU MR MANTHATA MR TSHABANGU MR MANTHATA We are not certain ourselves whether the person who could have planted that bomb has applied for amnesty but there is this general apology that comes from one of the organizations that was involved in the conflict of the past that is - that has given a general apology about planting all these bombs and so on. What do you think about those people who planted the bomb ? Would you forgive them ? Would you feel that they deserve no continued condemnation ? MR TSHABANGU MR MANTHATA Do you have children, Mr Tshabangu ? MR TSHABANGU Yes, I do. MR MANTHATA Are they at school, Mr Tshabangu ? MR TSHABANGU Yes, they are at school. One is in Standard One and the other one is in Sub B. MR MANTHATA Are you able to maintain them, Mr Tshabangu ? MR TSHABANGU DR ALLY Thank you very much Mr Tshabangu for your frank and honest responses and also for your very clear statement. Do you get a disability grant ? MR TSHABANGU DR ALLY