hrvtrans HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION HEARINGS 1996-04-25 HEIDERVELD 4 CT/00618 PAUL MANUEL WILLIAMS PAUL MANUEL WILLIAMS SERIOUS INJURIES https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=55181&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/hrvtrans/heide/ct00618.htm DR BORAINE I call now Paul Manuel Williams and Marilyn Javens. Good morning nice to see you. I would like to welcome you on behalf of the Commission, we are very-very glad that you have decided to come before this Commission. Mr Williams, I would ask you please to stand, if you would like to remain seated please do so, just for the oath. PAUL MANUEL WILLIAMS Duly sworn states DR BORAINE It just seem such a total utter contradiction and I can imagine not only the deep sadness and hurt and loss. But also the just sheer bizarre character of these two coming together. The one is a commitment to peace and love and reconciliation and apparently another totally contradicting that. MS BURTON Mr Williams would you like to tell us about the event as you remember it on the 25th of July 1993. MR WILLIAMS The second person while this hand grenade was still airborne, he opened fire with what I will call a very heavy machine gun. I say a heavy machine gun because the explosions were extremely loud, extremely powerful and I know it was a machine gun because of the type of firing. And he was just spraying bullets you know randomly just across the Congregation and I was sitting on the end - on the end f the pew and that pew was rather full. And you know everything seem like very slow motion, you just cannot imagine. But when I really realised that it was an attack when I saw the explosion coming from the loop of the - of the rifle. You could actually see it the smoke and the fire - the explosion. And we tried to take cover and the pew was full and we went down rather slowly but I managed to get on the - on the floor and I managed to get down on the - between the pews. Nevertheless I was on the floor and in severe pain. Help did come to me immediately in the form of my fellow brethren. What they did was they took off the jersey I was wearing and they actually stuffed the sleeve of the jersey into the hole where the bullet actually went through. I lost a lot of blood in the process and became extremely weak. My injuries I think were - are pretty severe for a young man of 40 in the prime of my years I guess - my injuries are pretty severe. I have total paralysis of the left foot, my left leg muscles have collapsed and I have numbness in a lots of places in my body. And also right foot especially my three small toes. MS BURTON MR WILLIAMS MS BURTON Thank you, questions? CHAIRPERSON Thank you very much. Any questions, yes Pumla Gobodo. MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA Thank you, Chairman, Hi Paul. MR WILLIAMS Hi. MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA In South Africa churches were - have always been and so have they been in other parts of the world as places of safety where nothing of the sort you have described could ever been imagined to happen and yet we have heard quite a few experiences by people in churches who were chased out of church, shot in church. I would like to know from you, Paul how - I know you can feel that you are in pain, I would like to know how has the fact that you are a Christian assisted you in dealing with your pain? MR WILLIAMS The Bible also teaches me that I must if I want people to show compassion towards me, I must be able and willing to show compassion and then I think for me the cherry on the top is what Jesus said on the cross when he said: Father forgive them for they know not what they doing. And I must have a loving spirit, I must have a forgiving spirit and I think that greatly helped me and assisted me in coping with my situation. MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA Has the teachings of the Bible - have the teachings of the Bible being able to - how have you related to the teachings of the Bible in reality? Did you find this easy to do what were your struggles, can you share with us what your struggles were in relating that teaching of the Bible to what the reality of experiencing the pain was for you? MR WILLIAMS Okay can - can - will you set that question a little easier please. MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA Did you struggle or did you not struggle with what the teachings of the Bible are and the reality of the experience of the pain and the hurt that you felt. MR WILLIAMS People maybe think that nothing wrong should happen to them, to Christians, but we are ordinary people, you know, the disasters and tragedies that strike everybody else also strike Christians and that helps me to cope with it. MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA Thank you Paul. MR WILLIAMS CHAIRPERSON Thank you, Dr Randera. DR RANDERA [indistinct] have become injured in the process of the struggle that is taking place. I just want you perhaps to tell us whether you think our health system has coped adequately with your needs both at the time of your injuries and since. MR WILLIAMS CHAIRPERSON Advocate Ntsebeza. ADV NTSEBEZA You are aware that a 17 year old member of the PAC from Khayelitsha, Mr Maqoma, was sentenced to 23 years effective - 23 years effective imprisonment in this regard. You are aware of that - you are also aware that since that three other persons have been arrested in connection with this attack and they are awaiting trial. MR WILLIAMS Ja. ADV NTSEBEZA Now in view of that what - what would you like the Commission to establish in view of the fact that it appears that there is a process in place that has already sentenced one of the people alleged to have been involved and is in the process of charging others. MR WILLIAMS ADV NTSEBEZA MR WILLIAMS Like I said advocate, it is beyond my control that him being granted Amnesty, but should he go free and walk on the streets, my duty as committed Christian should be I think to reach out to him. And that is what I would like to do. ADV NTSEBEZA You are very rare person, Mr Williams. MR WILLIAMS Thank you. CHAIRPERSON Thank you very much.