Special Report Transcript Episode 23, Section 3, Time 06:33

The Truth Commission went to the Karoo this week and visited Hanover, de Aar and Colesberg. The Karoo is a relentless landscape. Dotted across this vast sheep farming area lie a few small towns and townships. During the eighties the dark cloud of political violence, that cast its shadow over the rest of the country, also descended on the Karoo. 1985 was a particularly bad year. The Truth Commission this year heard of police shootings, detentions and torture. They also heard of court cases in which those responsible were never found guilty. In this tense atmosphere harsh punishment was meted out to those seeing to be collaborating with the security forces. In the Karoo, black policemen, councillors and informers were isolated and banished from townships. Some of them were burned, stabbed and stoned.

Notes: Max du Preez