Special Report Transcript Episode 5, Section 4, Time 17:08

Repression in the Eastern Cape had always been more severe than elsewhere. The Commission was confronted with more harrowing accounts of torture this week. Sicelo Apleni was a Port Elizabeth UDF activist, he was detained in 1985. // I was beaten up. The first person to assault me was Mister X. He took my genitals, they opened a drawer. [Inaudible] was on the other side of the desk. He took my genitals and Mister X shut the drawer. That ‘s how I haven’t been taken to the [inaudible] yet. Then all my genitals were in this drawer and the drawer was shut close, he squeezed and squeezed my genitals. // Epsom Banda was a Uitenhage civics leader. He was also detained in 1985. // Sometimes, yes I do get furious about what happened to me. Sometimes I want to scream. Now, usually what happens after that, I can’t even sleep, until 1 am sometimes I can’t sleep. It’s still haunting me in my head. I don’t know how I can help this. // Dennis Neer, a Port Elizabeth trade unionist was also a victim of the wild days of the states of emergency. // Something was going to happen, because somebody came to the front, held me, at my shoulders and then tried to kick my private parts, you know. Then I would bend, then somebody would hit me on my lower back with something like a pick handle, something like that. Then this would continue, front and back. If I bend to the back then this guy hits me, if I bend to the front when he hits me then this one kicks me.

Notes: Max du Preez; TRC testimony: Sicelo Apleni; TRC testimony: Gunqgile Epsom Banda; TRC testimony: Dennis Neer