Special Report Transcript Episode 3, Section 5, Time 33:22

Two years later the Sanlam centre in Amanzimtoti was full of Christmas holiday makers and shoppers when a bomb hidden in the arcade went off. The ANC claimed responsibility, and later a youth Andrew Zondo was arrested, charged and hanged for the offence. Five people died in the blast, among them Cornelius Smit. He was eight years old. At the time his father shocked many white South Africans by what he said. // I told the newspapers that I thought my son was a hero because he died for freedom for people that were oppressed. Many people condemned me, but I still feel that way today. I feel that few white people would ever have found out what it was all about if somebody didn’t have the courage to stand and say, ‘this is for freedom.’ Everyone branded the ANC as terrorists and never saw the other side of the coin. // Bishop Tutu’s reply to his testimony reinforced the belief that reconciliation lies with the ordinary South African. // The reason why we still have this hope that reconciliation will triumph in the end is because there are people like yourself. And we’d like to say how much we appreciate what you have done.

Notes: TRC testimony: Johan Smit (father); Archbishop Tutu