hrvtrans HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION HEARINGS 1996-10-16 WINELANDS 3 https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=56147&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/hrvtrans/wineland/mcgregor.htm CASE NO: CT/ VICTIM: WALLACE MCGREGOR NATURE OF VIOLENCE: CONSCRIPTION/DEATH (1986) TESTIMONY BY: ANN-MARIE WALLACE My son was born on the 31st January 1967. He was 19 years old when he was called up in January 1986. He returned on leave from his basic training in Kroonstad, and spent some time at home. He was called again on the 1st November 1986. At the time of this call he had spent ten days in Tygerberg Hospital and was recovering from a swollen arm, which we were told was caused by a blood clot in a vein that was to close to the ribs. I had three boys and it made me feel sad to have my children taken away like that and being kept in the dark about what exactly was involved in the call-up - what they were going to do. But as I said you never ask questions, it was the law - that was that. On the day I accompanied Wallace to be taken away, my heart was very sore. He carried only a few basic things with him in a small bag. It was strange to see him go like that. In fact the whole thing seemed odd. Your child gets a letter telling him to be at such and such a place. Then you accompany him and watch him being loaded with others in a truck, almost like sheep. I could feel that Wallace was a little sad on the day he was taken away. In retrospect it is as if he knew what was going to happen to him. Wallace was a very strong child, very disciplined, good in sports and he was a perfectionist. I never thought in the world that he would be taken away from me forever, never. You know there are certain things you take for granted about your children. Life is one of them. So that when you pray for them, you just pray for there health and well being. Had I been aware of that danger, I would have made more of the good-byes I shared with my son. If I knew he was going to fight in a war, I would have held him closer to me. And held him up in my prayers. In his letters it was not clear either, he wrote to tell me that things were OK, and I accepted that. And then on Thursday, March 9th , I was confronted with the total shock of the news of his death. I was told that my son was killed a few kilometers off Oshakati. He was brought home wrapped in a thick sealed plastic bag. The instructions was that the plastic bag should not be opened. The only thing I know about the state my son was in, is that all his limps were in tact. And this I heard from his uncle, who could only establish this by running his hands over his plastic bag. They can say nobody asked, but who do you ask. And even if you do, you will not get any answers. Ann-Marie once said to me that all she wants to know are answers to her questions. What happened to her son, where did this happen. Who was there with him. Anybody who can explain to her if it was her son who was in that plastic bag. Something that can assist her to complete the process of mourning. I only knew him for short while but I knew him well and I think the following is more or less what he would have asked and said to you if I was shot dead on March 9th 1987. My name is Matthew William Wallace McGregor. My brother is dead today and I can think of no good reason why, he was just a child. What did he know about politics, all he knew was the lies. He was told that there were 40-thousand Cuban soldiers, wanting to invade South Africa. He was told that they joined SWAPO in their invasion, in their fight, and if they do not stop them at the Angolan Border, we will have to fight them at the South African Boarder, just north of Upington. Which is quite close to Nieuwoudville, where he grew up. All he knew was that he must go to the army and protect his country and the people he loves. He was taught that he will also be defending the black people from this outside evil. They do not fight with us, because they cannot be trained as good soldiers, and will only be a hustle in a war situation, and will kill more of their own people because they cannot shoot straight. This outside evil also infiltrated South Africa somehow and was a little group called the ANC. In the township he had to defend the black people against this group. He was taught that people were easily influenced and it was his duty as a Christian to defend the blacks against this evil communist radicals. The people you defended against the ANC all along supported them. The ANC was never a little rebel group. It was the people of South Africa. They also got their independence and the National Party is now the opposition. I want to ask the National Party if they thought they could get away with these lies. I want them to know that we all know the truth today. To PW Botha and his cabinet of those days, why did my brother die? Explain to my mother and my father and to all South Africans how and why my bother died. Why did I die. Regards Wallace. Those, ladies and gentlemen, were the two statements. The first one from the mother of Wallace McGregor and the second one from Owen, his brother. REV XUNDU: Madam Chair, this is indeed a very moving story. And I want to say our hearts go out to Owen and to his mother. We admire you for the courage of coming out to share your pain publicly with us. Not only so that we should hear it, but so that those who where responsible should also hear it and have an opportunity to be saved. Because I think that it is a point that you are making. That they may have the opportunity to repent and then be saved. It is very significant that in your heart of hearts you want that to happen, because you shared your story in order that the opportunity should be given to them for them to do that. One of the strangest things in the history of South Africa within the last 48 years is the fact that in order to protect white privilege, God was also co-opted to be part of that. As if God himself was willing to do that. How could they not dilate if they there able to co-op God. And while people were saying God cannot be like this. All those who said so, were demonised??? as communists, like Desmond Tutu, like Boesak, like Beyers Naude and others. National Party has come up before the Commission but they have not been detailed in giving to this extent how they duped the nation in to conidge just so that they selfishly remain in hell. The Dutch Reformed Church in the Stellenbosch of that Church has come up yesterday to share with us the pain of having been duped themselves and having to justify that with the Bible until it [indistinct] on them that they are being part of a system which was evil and against God himself. And I think that if you there able to hear them yesterday part of you pain will be eased even the fact that there are some people who have actually are prepared to go public about there [indistinct] and [indistinct] so that they begin to change and begin to be part of the transformation agency for justice and peace and Human Rights in the country in which we live. Your son was a victim of that system and so where those people. Gross [indistinct] violations where done in order to mussel them and in order to coheres them to accept being oppressed. As you morn the death of your son also take a turn round to say those were of the civic and also have [indistinct] and probably misunderstood your son when they saw him on the ranks of those who were wanting to mold down those who opposed apartheid. My brother and my sister, please be comforted in the knowledge that what has happened is an assurance to us that the people of South Africa should work for this never to impress again. And that the Truth Commission in its own right, through all its subcommittees try and investigate those people who have been responsible - directly or indirectly - with having made sure that your son goes there and to take up arms against fellow South Africans. It is my hope that these words, inadequate as they are, will help to soothe you and to come to terms with your grief. Thank you, Madam Chairperson. MS GOBODO: Thank you Rev Xundu, anybody else, Wendy? And my hope is that we recognizing this commonality and sharing this common pain and acknowledging that we are all the same, that will be able to achieve reconciliation.