Description Of Certain Areas In The Former Bophuthatswana Territories
Before setting out the background or the evidence in regard to the deaths, it is necessary to describe the locale in and around the Mmabatho/Mafikeng area and also to give a description of the other areas in the former Bophuthatswana such as Ga-Rankuwa, Mabopane, Babelegi and Temba.
The Mmabatho/Mafikeng area is reached from four directions as follows
(a). In the south from Lichtenburg. This road passes through the erstwhile border between South Africa and the former Bophuthatswana at a place called Rooigrond. It enters Mafikeng in Voortrekker Road, Mafikeng. Voortrekker Road is a very long road running through Mafikeng on the town's eastern side, proceeding along the outskirts of the industrial area of Mmabatho on that area's eastern side and extending past a hotel known as the Mmabatho Sun before joining the road leading north to the border between the then Bophuthatswana and Botswana, the border post being Ramatlhabama.
(b)In the north from Ramatlhabama. Along the road as described above. On the right hand side of this road as one approaches Mafikeng from Ramatlhabama and some 2 - 3 km from the Mmabatho Sun Hotel, is situated the headquarters of the former Bophuthatswana Defence Force.
(c) In the east from Zeerust. This road, before entering the town of Mafikeng, goes under a bridge which carries the road to Mmabatho and which turns out of the Zeerust-Mafikeng road some 2 km outside Mafikeng. It then goes over a bridge which spans the railway line running from Mafikeng to Zeerust. This is some300 metre from Mafikeng. After passing under the first bridge, the Zeerust-Mafikeng road runs adjacent to a large open piece of grassed land which divides the road from a suburb of Mafikeng known as Riviera Park. The Zeerust-Mafikeng road enters Mafikeng in Shippard Street, Mafikeng. This road runs east to west and at a point where there are two filling stations on the south-east and north-west corners of the intersection, crosses Voortrekker Road, running as it does south to north.
(d) In the west from Vryburg. This road at a point some 2 km from Mafikeng is joined at a set of traffic lights by a road running north to south from Mmabatho known as Lucas Mangope Highway. Turning out of the latter and heading west is a road leading to the Mmabatho Airport which is adjacent to and on the western side of the former Bophuthatswana Air Force Base. Dirt roads from this base skirt Mmabatho on the northern side and join the Ramatlhabama-Mafikeng road on the south of the former Bophuthatswana Defence Force Headquarters or Military Base. The Vryburg-Mafikeng road, after the traffic lights mentioned above, proceeds easterly past a filling station known as Uncle Barney's and between a number of residential villages on the outskirts of Mafikeng. Just before entering Mafikeng the road passes over a bridge which spans the railway line running south from Mafikeng. Some 500 metre before this bridge and on the northern side of the Vryburg-Mafikeng road is situated the headquarters of the former Bophuthatswana Police Force which is also commonly referred to as the TTA. The Vryburg-Mafikeng road goes over the railway bridge and immediately enters Mafikeng in Station Road which runs south to north and thus at right angles to the Vryburg Road. Proceeding north along Lucas Mangope Highway and some 4 km from the traffic lights mentioned above, lies the central business district of Mmabatho. One of the first buildings of the central business district on the left of the Highway is a large shopping complex known as Mega City.
About 45 kilometre north of Pretoria in the district of Odi lies the Morula Sun Hotel Complex. From there, in a westerly direction, runs the main road to Brits. In March 1994 this was known as the Lucas Mangope Highway. On the northern side of this road and some three kilometre from the Morula Sun Hotel a shopping complex known as "Uncle Nats" is situated. The house of its owner is across a small street from the complex. To the south-east of the Morula Sun Hotel and about a kilometre away, as the crow flies, is a large shopping complex known as the Ga-Rankuwa Shopping Complex. This complex, like "Uncle Nats" will be referred to in regard to certain of the deaths in those areas. East of the Ga-Rankuwa shopping complex a very large shopping complex known as Central City is situated in an area known as Mabopane. Many of the deaths investigated by the Commission occurred during the rioting and looting there on 10 and 11 March 1994 and it will be frequently referred to in the setting out of the evidence in regard to those deaths.
About 250 metre from Central City a railway line runs roughly north to south. It formed the border between the former Bophuthatswana and the Republic of South Africa. The Mabopane railway station is situated there. On the South African side of the railway line and about 600 metre from the railway station, the Rietgat Police Station is situated. To the north of Mabopane is an industrial area known as Babalegi and a residential area known as Temba. A shopping complex known as the Temba Complex or, more commonly, the Checkers Complex is situated there. To the east of the railway line and stretching for many kilometre northwards is a large residential area known as Soshanguve. At the southern end of this area is the Soshanguve Police Station. Also just east of the railway line is a hospital known as Clinic III. Near Temba is a small shopping complex known as the Rantol Complex. North-east of Mabopane lies the town of Hammanskraal. All of the above places are referred to in the detailed description of the deaths in those areas of the former Bophuthatswana, other than the Mmabatho/Mafikeng area. Several appear on the map above.