TRC Final Report

Volume 5

Chapter 9

Subsection 24

■ RECONCILIATION WITHOUT FORGIVENESS

94 The above-mentioned emphasis on peaceful or non-violent co-existence suggests that a weak or limited form of reconciliation may often be the most realistic goal towards which to strive, at least at the beginning of the peacemaking process. This applied to relationships between former enemies within communities, but also to the network of relationships between communities, ethnic and racial groups at regional and national levels. This form of reconciliation, without apologies by those responsible or forgiveness by victims, is also reflected in the following individual testimonies:

95 At the Parys human rights violations hearing in April 1997, Ms Mathabiso Marie Sekhopa said:

In 1990, it was in September on the twenty-second. It was on Sunday. I was in the house. My husband was working outside. I was staying with my two children. The other two were not inside the house. It was at about half past three. The Mangesi family – their shop is next to my house – Alina Matsimela, Senela Mangesi and Popo Mangesi. When they come, they were having stones. They threw stones at my house. They broke all my windows. I was in the kitchen then. I took my children and put them under the table, and then I was looking. They broke, then from there, they went to the shop. They came again and threw stones at my house up to half past three.

After that, they went back. I didn’t see where they went. I took my children. I said to my daughter she must go and fetch a blanket for me so that I’ll be able to carry the small one. Afterwards we went outside the house to my next-door neighbour. I sought accommodation at my neighbour. Then I said to my neighbour, "I don’t know what is happening. I don’t know where I am going to sleep." She said, "I will give you accommodation up to the following day in the morning”.

Whilst I was still at her place up to the morning, before then, whilst I was still there, my daughter went outside and then she drank water, then returned and said, "Our house is burning." When I looked through the window, I could see that the house was burning. There were some boys whom we were with at my neighbour. While we were outside, I heard somebody say: "Here they come." We returned to my neighbour’s house. Then I said to those people I was with in the house that they leave my house to burn, otherwise we will be at risk. We were even afraid to go outside.

96 When Ms Sekhopa was asked whether there is now peace in the Rouxville township and how she was getting along with the family which destroyed her house, she said:

Yes, there’s peace now… Yes, we have reconciled because they are our neighbours.

97 At the Duduza human rights violations hearing on 12 February 1997, Ms Evelina Puleng Moloko testified thus:

Ms Seroke: Puleng, the people who killed Maki, what happened to them thereafter?

Ms Moloko: The people who killed Maki were arrested. That is the people who appeared on the video taking part in the killing. They were convicted, but I do not remember quite well as to what sentences were meted out. Some got five years, some ten respectively, and some got a life sentence, but all of them are here at the present moment. They are out.

Ms Seroke: Do you ever meet these people?

Ms Moloko: Yes, I do.

Ms Seroke: Do you talk?

Ms Moloko: Yes, I do talk to some others, and I work at a crèche, and there were two who came to bring their children at that crèche, and if you bring your child there you are supposed to speak to me. I am the one who is responsible with regard to admissions, and they had brought their children. I spoke to them as if nothing happened. We accepted their children, and there is nothing amiss. Everything is just as usual.