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3/1/1998 - Seeking Troth through Reconciliation: The Life and Times of Elleck Nchebaleng by Teresa C. Yates

Seeking Truth Through Reconciliation The Life Times Elleck Nchebaleng PIETERSBERG South Africa MARCH ByTeresa C Yates lTranscriptofa speech deliveredataMembersandTrustees meetingoftheInstituteofCur rentWorldAffairs WashingtonDC December6 Goodmorningeveryone Since arrivedbackinNewYork itseemsthateveryonethat encounterwantsto something about Winnie Madikizela Mandela debacle being ported theNewYork Times everyother Thedayafter arrivedinNewYork attendedafriend sweddingandawoman corneredmeatthereception Shewantedtoknowwhether thoughtthatWinniewas guiltyorwhether shewasthe victim ofsome destroyherpoliticalcareen Atlanta giving atEmoryLawSchool several students fessorswantedtoknowwhether thoughtthatWinniewasguiltyofthecrimesshe isbeingaccused ofcommitting Andon Thanksgivingdaymyeighty uncle wanted Whatthey tryin todotoWinnieMandela Myfirst instinct usually I using tenure TruthandReconciliation process Butthatwouldnotbeentirely IndeedI along withthousands ofotherSouthAfricans readinthepapersandhearonradioandtele visionthe revelations ofpast sufferingandabusesunderthe oldgovernmentalmost everyday So I vedecided talktodayaboutthequestforreconciliationthrough truthbecause almostevery aspect ofSouthAfricanpolicy making whetherit island reformorhousingorwater isinsomewaygoingthroughaprocess oftryingtocome gripswith Indeed South Africa ademonthat possessingthe country The South African government spending ofmoneyon range ofcommis sionswhosetaskit exorcise thedemonofthe Forexample TheGenderCommissioncoststhegovernmentaboutoneandahalfmilliondollars TheYouthCommissioncosts TheCommissiononRestitution ofLandRightscomesin atjustover2 million TheTruthandReconciliationCommissiontopsthemall 10million dollars The primary these commission their target groups overcome vestiges discrimination abuse It amonumentaltask An experience Peter Martin visited South Africa earlier yearand story friend illustratejusthowmonumentalthetaskis athand WhenPetervisitedSouthAfrica earlier thisyearhestayed atasmallbedandbreakfastinPietersburg We allknow howgoodPeterisattheartofconversation isnosur prise thathemanagedto getMrs Venter oftheowners confess She confessed tknowaboutany thehumanrights atrocitiesnowbeingreportednearlyevery Truth Reconciliation Commission She Peterthat wejust didnotknow Peteraskedherwhatshe wouldhavedoneifshehadknownandsherespondedthat shewould something educated They course meaning black South Africans MyfriendElleckNckebalengknewwhatwashappening AfricanNationalCongress activists Elleckwasbornin1958inApelvillageinSekhukheneland Northern Province He recruited theANC undergroundwhenhewas17yearsold Buthisfamilypre paredhimfor lifelongbefore Elleck fatherwas Peter Nchebaleng Peter Nchebaleng wasactiveintheANCthroughoutthe 1960s 70sand80s He wasimprisonedonRobbenIslandfrom participationinANC activities WhenPeterwasreleased fromRobbenIslandhewas banned andsentbacktoApel village whereheremainedan activeANCmember In hewas arrested again charges cruiting fortheANCand storingarmsin hishomein Apel Several other activistsfromApelwere tried alongwith Pe teronthesame charges including Elleck Oneyear afterhis arrestPeterwasacquittedandsentbacktoApel Elleckwasnot fortunate ForanentireyearElleckrefused evidence against father police After solitary confine mentandcontinuous torture Elleckwas toRobbenIs landwherehe spent years Elleck refusal evidence police saved father andseveralotheractivistsfromprison Oneofhis accused NelsonDiale admitsthat thepersonwhosaved death Elleck He refused evidence throughout WhenElleckwent prison eighteen years Whenhe released prison again became active intheANCunderground Hisfatherwas thistimethepresident oftheUnited DemocraticFrontinSekhukhuneland Hewasalso covertly active inANCactivities inthe Thepolice triedonsev occasions Peter They placed abombin school report Elleck youngerbrother That letter devicewas discoveredbeforeanyonewashurt TCY By1986the policehadbecomeincreasinglyfrustratedthat could prove Peter storing banned printed material In April thepolicecametotheNchebalenghomeinthemiddleofthe nightandarrestedPeter ElleckwasinPretoria thatevening His motherand brother toldhim later started beatinghimbeforetheygothimout ofthe house His motherWantedto givehimclothes butthe policetookhim pajamas saying going She believedthem The nextdaythe family thenewsthat Peterhad heart attackwhile police custody PeterNchebaleng hadneverhada heartproblem Thefamilyknewwhatreally happenedto Peter thetwentythousandpeoplewho attended funeral Peter Martin Mrs Venter other white South Africansdaimthattheyneverknewtowhatlengthsthestatewas goingin orderto protect their privilege Indeed youwouldbe pressedtofindanywhiteSouthAfricanwhoiswillingto admit anything about activities government alonecondonedthem The Nchebalengsand millions otherblackSouth Afri cansknewwhatwashappeningto theirhusbands wives daughtersand friends Elleck smotherknewthat policewereseriouswhentheytoldherthattheyweregoing killherhusbandandthe father ofher children ButblackSouthAfricans alsoknewthat apartheidwould forever AndwhentheANCcame powerin theywanted vindication Theywantedthe stateandtheperpetratorsto admit crimes committed Theywanted justice ManySouthAfricanswanted crimes tribunal setupandtheywantedto seetheformeragents state rorism prosecuted Whatthey gotwastheTruthandReconciliationCommis theTRC Under Promotion ofNational Unity Reconcilia Act theTRCmaygrantamnestyto personswhocom mittedhumanrightsviolationsbetweenMarch1st1960and June Applicants until September theirrequests foramnesty TheCommissionreceivedmore thaneightthousandapplications Twothousandfivehun dredcameinjustbeforemidnight ofthe cutoff UndertheAct ifpersonsaretobegrantedamnestythey member state security forces ormembersorsupporters publiclyknown political organization liberation movement forwhich seekingamnestywas carried political disclosure relevant facts Theamnestycommitteemustalso considerthemotive thepersonincommittingthe contextinwhichitwas carried gravityofthe objective andwhether itwasaimed primarily politicalopponent against private individuals Thentheremustbe furtherinquiry intowhetherthe lationwascarriedoutwiththeapprovaloftheorganization supportedby person seeking amnesty whether there suitable proportionality between Ifapersonisgrantedamnestyundertheactheorshe shieldedfromcriminalprosecution The TRC deemed appropriate South Africa shealingprocessthan crimestribunalbecause tribunals aregovernedbythe stuffoflaw theelements crimes rules ofprocedure dance ofwitness judge Andthat isthe ultimateproblemwithtribunals stuff thelaw closerone crime likely somuch willbe enough Aristotle saidthatthepursuit ofjusticeshouldbringplea Tribunaljusticemaybring pleasure lawyers draft inglegaldocuments Itmayalsobringpleasuretolocal politicians staking their claims power amidst shattered communities Butlittle satisfactionwillcometo survivors Massmurder torture other heinous crimes maybe tried smallpercentageoftheperpetratorsmaybeconvicted In ternational principles triumph respect rights expand diminish But regardless outcome voices survivors remained largelyunheardand unaddressed Forsurvivors ofhuman rights abuse storytellingis luxury Apartheidstrippedpeople ofcontrolovertheirlives erased sense volitional future Psy chologistElaineScarryobservedinherbook TheBody In Pain discourses torture other forms ofviolence teach their targets objects The process telling observing story being heard allows survivors tobecomesub jects again retrieve resurrect their individual group identities SowhentheTRCheldhearingsintheNorthern Province theNchebalengs otherscame forward their asked Elleck whether satisfied Commission swork Hesaid Elleck process sided His family forward happened impact tragic eventhad their lives But father murderers forward They applied amnesty Elleck knows causeheknowswhothey ManySouthAfricans feelthat notenoughforthe timstocomeforwardtotelltheirstories Ifthereisgoingto betrue reconciliationthen perpetratorsmustalsocome forward Elleck father killers forward reveal father showtrueremorsethenhewillbe satisfied ThereinliesthemainproblemwiththeTRCprocess Per petratorscame forwardand requested amnes onlywhen theywereidentifiedbythe survivors Theywerewillingto truth onlywhen thought might prosecution Andthen often disclose entire truth Perpetratorscomeforwardandrevealwhattheyhope isenoughto satisfythe amnesty criteria fulldisdosure ThisdoesnotadvancethecauseoftheTRC Ifthereisgo reconciliation there beliefby survivorsthattheentiretruthisbeingrevealed Ifnot believe majority South Africans bitter belittledandbetrayed TheActrequires thatamnestyapplicantsmakefull disclo sureoftherelevant facts TheActdoesnot however remorse DesmondTutu Chairperson theTRC stated publiclythat person theamnesty committeethat heorshe isproudofwhattheydid albeit itconstitutesanoffenseunderthelaw HowthenisSouth Africa reconciliation Howis country exorcise itsdemons believe thatthere issomeaccuracy tothe sayingthat truth setyou There goingtobe plete disclosure ofthe entiretruth inSouthAfrica Whenthe Commission sworkis finished there willbe apublished chronicle 000andmorestories ofthe vivorsandthe perpetrators Yes there willbe inthe stories Andyesthere willbe somesurvivorsandperpetratorswhodidnotcomeforward withthe entire truth Elleck family forexample names policemenwho responsible father death Theirrationalewasthat iftheperpetratorsdidnotcome forwardontheirownaccord seekamnesty thenthefam ilywouldhave option seekcriminal prosecution Likewise Elleckdidn tapplyforamnestyafterhelearned thatsome ofhisformerANCcolleagueshadapplied amnestyandnamedhim participant certain crimes Ellecksaid thathe tapply foramnestybecausehewas nevergoingto apologize foranyactionsthathetooktobring downapartheid Hefeltthat ifheappliedforamnestythen hewouldbe better others apply amnestyonly aftertheywerenamedinsomeone mission Theultimatecontribution oftheTRC willbethedocu mentedacknowledgment ofpast suffering This willbe monument thosewho during South Africa Andthat publicacknowledgment willbe beginning reconciliation GI InstituteofCurrentWorld Affairs