South African History Online

King William's Town - 8 September 1992

The tragic events in Bisho are yet another grim reminder of the profound
illness that afflicts our country. South Africa is a country traumatised by
centuries of violence and the most brutal exploitation. It requires immense
courage, tempered by patience and sensitivity to address this condition and
apply the therapy that assist us to heal.

Each one of the people who lost their lives at Bisho yesterday, 7th
September, was a unique human being. The daughter or the son of some mother; the
father or mother to some child; a person linked to a home, to a community of
relatives and friends who had loved, cherished and nurtured her or him for many
years in the hope of a continuing and shared future.

Thousands marched full of hope for a better tomorrow. Dozens did not return .

Those fateful four minutes of gunfire, that reverberated through the length
and breadth of South Africa, snuffed out those lives as if they were of no
consequence. The staccato of those automatic weapons added one more grisly
episode to the already bloodstained annals of twentieth century South Africa.

The facts of what occurred have been established by the international media
and eyewitnesses representing local and international agencies whose reputations
are beyond reproach. The shootings were unprovoked and were not preceded by any
warning. Lethal force was employed as the first option of the Ciskei Security
Forces in circumstances that did not even remotely warrant its use.

We condemn these killings in the strongest possible terms!

To the bereaved families; to the relatives and friends who have lost their
loved ones we offer our heartfelt condolences. The words of comfort and sympathy
we pronounce can however do nothing to restore the lives that have been so
brutally cut short . We can but hope that these few tokens of our deep concern
will lend them the support to alleviate their sorrow. We mourn with the
communities of the Border region that continue to bleed even while our country
makes its troubled transition from the autocracy of apartheid to democracy.

From this day, Bisho will rank alongside Boipatong on that roll call of
infamy that recounts the past two years of F.W. de Klerk's incumbency. The
authors of yesterday's massacre already stand condemned in the eyes of the
nation and the world for their criminal actions.

While we wipe away the tears, let us today reflect on what we as a South
African nation need to do so that we can all go beyond our present pain. Let us
learn from the tragedies that still besiege the hopes on which to build our
future.

Those who still wish to cling to a discredited past had their say yesterday.
It is evident that they have nothing to offer our country other than continuing
violence, conflict and bloodshed.

The deceitful attempt to attribute responsibility for the massacre to those
who sought to secure rights that millions throughout the world take for granted
betrays a deep-seated contempt for the people of this country. It also tells us
how lacking they are in a commitment to democracy. The crude apportioning of
blame and disinformation about who shot first has not helped us obtain a clear
picture of what occurred.

Those with a capacity to map our country's way forward are all the political
formations and movements that share a common allegiance to basic democratic
values. The times demand that we now translate our commitment into a common will
and a determination to create, within the boundaries of South Africa, the
institutions that will ensure that South Africa makes a decisive break with its
past. The people want to enjoy their rightful heritage of peace and prosperity.

The Bisho Massacre should alert all South Africans. De Klerk's continued
emphasis on strong regional government, outside of the democratic process and
within the context of the homelands, has given a signal to the repressive
structures built up over the years by the apartheid regime that they can do what
they like to entrench their authoritarian rule. It has also served to
re-emphasise how fragile the very fabric of our society is.

What all peace-loving people are asking for is an end to violence and
intimidation, in the first instance by the state and by various political
organisations. Critical to this is the creation of a climate for free political
activity. That means recognition of the right of all political organisations to
mobilise freely and without fear. To address this the ANC submits the following
proposals:

1. That there be a full, independent investigation into the massacre and the
   circumstances that led to it.
2. That Brigadier Gqozo be removed as head of state and an interim
   administration, acceptable to all parties and determined in full consultation
   with all representative bodies in the Ciskei, be established immediately.
3. Section 43 of the Ciskei National Security Act, which prohibits the free
   activity of any political organisation, should be repealed.
4. South African Military Intelligence officials be removed from Ciskei, as
   should the Peace Force security company which has been involved in training
   and arming vigilante forces.

Similar initiatives to bring about peace and democracy must be urgently
undertaken in all areas where no free political activity is possible. An
enormous responsibility rests with the South African government. Such actions,
coupled with visible movement on the outstanding matters placed before it by the
ANC, would help create the climate so essential for the resumption of meaningful
negotiations.

We also want to say loudly and clearly: we have travelled too far along the
road to freedom to turn back now. We shall not be deterred by the threats or the
actions of the forces of the past. Our people have the right to hope, the right
to a future, the right to life itself. No power on this earth can destroy the
thirst for human dignity. Our land cries out for peace. We will only achieve it
through adherence to democratic principles and respect for the rights of all.
This is the challenge that faces all South Africans. We dare not fail.

King William's Town
8 September 1992

Issued by: African National Congress.