Issued by: Truth & Reconciliation Commission
TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION KWAZULU-NATAL/ORANGE FREE STATE FIRST HEARINGS
INTER-FAITH SERVICE FOR TRUTH COMMISSION
On the eve of the Truth Commission's first hearings in KwaZulu-Natal, a special interfaith church service will be held in Durban to pray for the success of the commission's work and also to pray for families of victims of gross human rights violations, some of whom will be appearing before the commission next week.
The service will be organised by the KwaZulu-Natal Church Leader's Group and the Durban Chapter of the World Conference on Religion and Peace.
This very important service will take place at the Durban City Hall on Sunday 5 May and will START at 2.30pm. The service will be led by Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Christian Leaders. The address will be given by the Bishop Stanley Mogoba, who is the head of the Methodist Church in Southern Africa.
Premiers of both KwaZulu-Natal and the Orange Free State, KZN cabinet ministers, all the mayors of the Durban Functional Region, 17 judges of the KwaZulu-Natal bench and members of the consular corps have been invited and are amongst dignitaries expected to attend the service. Members of the public are also invited and seating for the public will be on first come first served basis.
REGIONAL HEARINGS
The long-awaited hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the KwaZulu-Natal/OFS region, which will be held over a period of four days, next week, kick off on Tuesday May 7 at 10am and continue daily up to Friday May 10.
The hearings which will be open to the media and to the public will be held at the Mahatma Ghandi Memorial Hall in Lorne Street, Durban.
PUBLIC ACCESS TO HEARING VENUE
Due to the very limited seating space in this hall which has been set aside for members of the public, it has been decided that tickets will be issued to people who have interest in attending the hearings. Admission to the hall will strictly be allowed only to those who produce such tickets at the door.
These tickets will be freely available at the offices of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and will be given away on a first come first served basis. People who do not have these tickets, are advised not even bother to come to the venue as they will surely be barred from entering and security will be extremely tight.
The admission tickets for the public will be available at the TRC offices on Friday, March 3 from about 9am. The commission offices are on the 9th Floor, Metlife Building, at number 391 Smith Street, DURBAN. Our telephone number is 3076767 and fax number is 3076742.
MEDIA ACCREDITATION -
All media representatives who will be covering the commission proceedings would have to notify the commission in good time, either by letter or fax, so that they can be properly accredited for the four-day event.
Accreditation will entitle radio, print, journalists and television crews to use the Media Centre which has been set up at the venue, and will also enable access to areas reserved for the media.
While everything possible will be done by the truth commission's media liaison team to help journalists in their work, it must be stressed that the Commission is obliged in terms of the law, and intends on its own volition, to create a climate during the period of the hearings in which the dignity of victims and survivors of human rights abuses is respected by members of the media.
APPLICATIONS FOR ACCREDITATION
Applications for accreditation on a letterhead should be faxed to the TRC Media Liaison Officer, MDU LEMBEDE, on fax number (031) 307 6742, phone 307 6767 and 307 6745 or cellular phone number 082 45 88464.