Speaker and Members of Parliament, this debate calls to mind the memory of Ahmed Timol, Mapetla Mohapi, Looksmart Ngudle, and Neil Aggett, great South African freedom fighters that were tortured and died in the course of the struggle for the democracy that we enjoy today. These are individuals that paid the supreme price - that of giving their lives for our freedom in this country.
Other than the people who died in the course of torture one way or another, without exception all political prisoners went through a form of torture at the hands of the police. This debate is also a tribute to their endurance and abiding commitment to justice and freedom. We must acknowledge that many South Africans are roaming the streets with the scars of torture still etched on their bodies and in their minds. To those ones, Cope is saying: Never, and never again will torture be condoned in South Africa.
The torture of persons in the custody of government officials did not automatically stop at the dawn of our democracy. Just a few weeks ago, two young men walked into police stations, only to be carried out as corpses after a few hours. In the one case, the police claimed that the then deceased had slit his wrists, but after the family members of the deceased pointed out that there were no wounds on the deceased's wrists, the police changed their version to that of the deceased hanging himself. In the other case, the accused walked into the police station, only for his family to be told hours later that, in fact, the accused never walked into the police station but that he had drowned in water before he walked into the police station. If there is one thing that we need to agree on, it is that just like during the apartheid times, individuals would not report themselves to police stations for their own suicide attempts. Torture at the hands of government officials today is still as alive as torture during the time of Steve Biko. The only difference now is that the governments have changed, but the torture practices still exist to some extent.
We continuously hear of criminally accused people who were assaulted in order to make incriminating statements. The known words of the former National Commissioner of Police, Mr Bheki Cele, that the police...
... sal skiet, bliksem ... [will shoot, hit ...]
... and use the "d-word" that my mother never allowed me to use still ring in my ears. From today onwards, we would be able to call those assaults torture.
South Africa's ratification of the UN convention against torture 14 years ago already showed political commitment to criminalise torture. It is a pity that as a result of African time, the Bill will only be passed today. Nevertheless, with the passing of this Bill, South Africa will be one step closer to listing torture as a criminal offence. With this House's approval, South Africa will now become the ninth country out of 54 countries on the African continent that has shown the political will to tackle this problem. Cope supports this Bill today so that citizens will never again be exposed to the dehumanising experience of torture. Thank you. [Applause.]