AFRIKA, Jan

... Segments from Uitenhage include the March 1985 Langa township massacre and the violent clashes between UDF supporting Amabutho and Africanist Ama-Afrika groups, following the forced removal of thousands of Langa residents to KwaNobuhle. The Durban hearings cover the August 1985 Umlazi cinema ...

I was merely commanding, telling people not to do this in this particular area or what what. At no stage as a person did I throw even a stone. Mine was to direct the people. // Within the march there were those that were communicating very carefully as to who is staying where in terms of UDF ...

... led to a new cycle of conflict. Between 1986 and 1990 the feud between the UDF youth known as Amabutho and Africanist supporters, known as Ama-Afrika engulfed the community in horrific violence. Gail Reagon was ...

According to residents the police were in full force but did nothing to halt the destruction. A UDF supporter told the Commission how he was attacked by Ama-Afrika and after a day in hiding was arrested by the police who then took him to Ama-Afrika’s headquarters where he was assaulted again.

‘Wat ons gedoen het het ons vir Suid Afrika gedoen.’ [We did what we did for South Africa] // ‘Hierdie briljante man vervang die woord ‘apartheid’ met ‘afsonderlike ontwikkeling.’ Die herwonne vryheid is nou vyf jaar oud, ‘n Vryheid wat nie sonder moeite verwerf is nie.’ [This ...

... … vermoor ‘n verstandelike versteurde parlementsbode Dr Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd, die man wat allerwee bestempel was as die vader van Suid Afrika.’ [In the meantime Vorster tightened his battle on opponents. On 11 June 1963 in a raid on the house of Arthur Goldreich many people were ...

... As young men in particular got mowed down on both sides, mothers and fathers became the ultimate losers. Mirriam Manziya’s son was hacked by Ama-Afrika members after police forced him to run in their direction. She saw him just before he died. // Then he lifted one hand. He again lifted one ...

There are a number of affidavits that I’ve read where people said that this wasn’t just Ama-Afrika’s base, it was also a torture centre for people in disagreement with Ama-Afrika. // I will very much disagree with such affidavits. And for that matter, we came across them and we ...

... word nie, of die koningin van Brittanje ontmoet word nie, hierdie regering onderhandel nie met wreedaards en terroriste oor die toekoms van Suid Afrika nie.” [I don’t care whether Oliver Tambo is met by Reagan, Gorbachev or Kohl; if he’s met by Margaret Thatcher or the Queen of Britain, ...

Die beginsel van een man een stem kan nie in Suid-Afrika werk nie [The principle of one man one vote cannot work in South Africa]. It can’t work because it didn’t work elsewhere in Africa. // I have applied self discipline during the past weeks and months. I’ve been lenient and patient. ...

Early morning January 4 1987. Simmering tensions in KwaNobuhle erupted into full-scale violence. A march by Ama-Afrika, widely perceived as a vigilante group, led to at least four deaths, numerous assaults, and attacks on the homes of UDF members. Mandla Konkie and Mncedisi Sitoto were both there, ...