Goldstone Commission
{{for|Richard Goldstone's investigations regarding Israel and Gaza|United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict}}{{Infobox historical event|Event_Name=Commission of Inquiry Regarding the Prevention of Public Violence and Intimidation|Location=South Africa|AKA=Goldstone Commission|participants=Richard Goldstone (chair)
Danie Rossouw
Solly Sithole
Lillian Baqwa
Gert Steyn|date=24 October 1991 to
27 October 1994|partof=the National Peace Accord|duration=Three years, three days}}{{Apartheid}}
The Goldstone Commission, formally known as the Commission of Inquiry Regarding the Prevention of Public Violence and Intimidation, was appointed on 24 October 1991 to investigate political violence and intimidation in South Africa. Over its three-year lifespan, it investigated incidents occurring between July 1991 and April 1994, when democratic elections were held. The relevant incidents thus occurred during the negotiations to end apartheid.{{Citation|title=Commission of Inquiry Regarding the Prevention of Public Violence and Intimidation (Goldstone Commission) |url=http://www.hurisa.org.za/gold.htm |publisher=Human Rights Institute of South Africa |accessdate=27 May 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106161836/http://www.hurisa.org.za/gold.htm |archivedate=6 January 2010 }} The Commission's mandate was both to investigate the causes of the violence and to recommend measures to contain or prevent it.{{Cite journal|last=Shaw|first=Mark|date=1993|title=The Goldstone Commission|url=https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/AJA0259188X_511|journal=Indicator SA|volume=11|issue=1}}
The Commission played a critical role in defusing the political violence that erupted when apartheid in South Africa began eroding in the late 1980s as the country moved toward its first democratic elections, and concluded that political violence was fuelled by a 'third force'.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}
The Commission was established in terms of the Prevention of Public Violence and Intimidation Act of 1991,{{Cite web|title=Prevention of Public Violence and Intimidation Act 139 of 1991|url=https://www.gov.za/documents/prevention-public-violence-and-intimidation-act-17-jul-1991-0000|access-date=2021-11-29|website=South African Government}} as a condition of the National Peace Accord of September 1991. President F. W. de Klerk appointed Justice Richard Goldstone to chair it. It operated from 24 October 1991 to 27 October 1994 and, over that period, submitted 47 reports to the President.{{Cite book|url=http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/6/b/d/6bd484493401aedf4ff53342602e8a4b7096645e7a37ef391d87b8a3f29dfa98/AK3342f-A.pdf|title=Project report relating to the Goldstone Commission|publisher=Human Rights Institute of South Africa}} The Commission was fairly large: its investigation team, set up in 1992, comprised five units, staffed by 13 police officers, ten attorneys, and five international observers. It had offices in Johannesburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, and East London.{{Cite book|url=http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/0/a/a/0aaba063eae3067565c3037b91804fc0970ff9fa7baaabe76336b13a118d9f1a/C1039.pdf|title=Report on the Investigation Units of the Goldstone Commission: 1 October 1992–30 September 1993|publisher=Goldstone Commission|year=1993|location=Braamfontein}}
Some of the Commission's reports focused on broad thematic concerns, such as taxi violence (to which seven separate reports were dedicated) or the effects of political violence on children. Others investigated specific allegations or events, among them some of the most prominent incidents of political violence of the period, including the Boipatong massacre, the Bisho massacre, the storming of the Kempton Park World Trade Centre, and the Shell House massacre. Several reports investigated the role of the South African Police and South African Defence Force in political violence, and particular public attention was given to the May 1993 report on allegations of a third force, as well as to related reports such the report of the Malcolm Wallis-led subcommittee on the causes of the violence between the African National Congress and Inkatha.
Commissioners
The Commissioners were:
- Richard Goldstone
- Danie Rossouw
- Solly Sithole
- Lillian Baqwa
- Gert Steyn
Other individuals served on multi-national panels, acted as observers, or participated in committees under the Commission.
Investigations
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+List of investigations and reports by the Commission !Topic !Date of report |
| rowspan="6" |General
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/6/6/b/66b7d024e144193859323e90078db211dd5ec3d24e7d509e10a6b4f49e6df907/C1034.pdf 24 January 1992] |
| [http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/2/1/3/21335933afb74607e2a0304b9eec93060523ba8d81a692ef609416fcb98e7dcd/C1035.pdf 29 April 1992] |
| [http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/5/9/d/59d3d7f962082b2d739a0d6951a5a29c3bc7b1638cc50240922c85b2d0e5e896/C1036.pdf 21 December 1992] |
| [http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/7/b/0/7b09770ee4f75cd938db0460fbc520a858b9a8f3e0f1187ee3692adaa34727b5/C1040.pdf 6 December 1993] |
| [http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/4/9/6/496d11c04191eec79cbb98c0af2d7f0f001d45b8299ae0c81f07a4ea2bfc2f2a/C1060.pdf 30 May 1994] |
| [http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/8/9/7/89762efca8f170b4d6619bc32461e4da0b718fe8adaa6672327484439e0a0473/C1092.pdf 27 October 1994] |
| rowspan="3" |Violence at Mooi River on 3–4 December 1991
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/7/5/0/750416392861720f7b8fe34512bee25a2db24208b084a8fcd5fd8ed98faf5f70/C1001.pdf 19 February 1992] |
| [http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/1/d/6/1d6f52f00ebd9e0399e95cc62c3267fe75686ed2e7dc27a44c6738292fe08851/C1003.pdf 19 February 1992] |
| [http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/a/2/f/a2fa9b376f69704bdc6fed218866c1f85c2872fc8b2116fd6cc68c48cf6bf96a/C1016.pdf 21 December 1992] |
| Violence at President Steyn Goldmine in Welkom in November 1991
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/b/9/e/b9ea468fe0f274b28c43354babc8abd5b3b07fb42c350ea125a75e7b2b1a4d36/C1025.pdf 28 February 1992] |
| rowspan="7" |Taxi violence
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/8/5/e/85edf736a26672f41c1a28a22cad7ead0a92812b7edd59c94278e9e2905f48c7/C1098.pdf 27 May 1992] |
| [http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/b/2/7/b272c1f6dfcc303aed6bc66a1a2a32bf43acec1db1cc3c2cf353cd16b52f19c2/C1024.pdf 2 July 1992] |
| [http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/7/7/2/772d048c4ae87edd1b1f62f4d4ddfdfd8e846c016cf5704c61f8f09fc52b75a0/C1019.pdf 4 December 1992] |
| [http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/a/e/c/aec7e814eeb120adf7a4701c9d270d29bc7ca9ec662f690c7bb5881ea8b1bbc8/C1022.pdf 23 January 1993] |
| [http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/d/9/4/d949f5bb029aeb317f87186813a4fcc4f376c198b5b03b3278ddadac1005d149/C1026.pdf 26 July 1993] |
| [http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/f/3/5/f35632a942b4b3577e0bd55461d68562a7ad507d21b639c2535f5095d13a99a0/C1062.pdf 26 July 1994] |
| [http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/6/c/7/6c7383936a0f4b1d6394b9f418578b91e1fffec6b20380c12322b3f5a471b9a3/C1061.pdf 24 August 1994] |
| Conduct of the 32 Battalion at Phola Park on 8 April 1992
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/c/f/9/cf933ad2f22ac97feab9363510c5aa557d5a87ab7cdafee8140ba1baf7f188b2/C1004.pdf 10 June 1992] |
| rowspan="2" |Train violence
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/0/b/7/0b77135d8c35225eee7fccc4db4e253bba358aacc3014debe3bef2d45b234f35/C1031.pdf 8 July 1992] |
| 6 May 1993 |
| Waddington Committee: Police response to the Boipatong massacre
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/9/1/a/91a2eb49d35c12423c2fb1b62685ee8787d009dca18e1371ee589af2e8dc54bc/C1054.pdf 20 July 1992] |
| Violence in hostels
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/1/f/e/1fee4fe00d386a42ae4b3304fc069d79288195300e4f48caba16ccd2745024ed/C1017.pdf 21 September 1992] |
| Bisho massacre
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/f/4/9/f49756def9f3819a56ca9b292aef77ea837e94691bb4701ba0463121bed57d70/C1010.pdf 29 September 1992] |
| Role of the South African Police in violence in the Vaal area
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/7/a/f/7af0163f59291e5e819f22e40f57129156f3584cbf61bad51608a69f764fda47/C1013.pdf 27 October 1992] |
| Violence in Tokoza
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/a/9/c/a9c2327310835e2c7d554f77683cb422d9ae4719f673d9bb434ad687d6d7fae6/C1015.pdf 17 November 1992] |
| Allegations about Renamo soldiers in KwaZulu
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/1/4/b/14bb4b5419a1c2ee62d499c1004a5b24988d0d0dddeb689d04fa31b54b29a956/C1014.pdf 15 December 1992] |
| rowspan="2" |Regulation of gatherings
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/f/1/1/f110a1bc5796462c605031ed89214b29c05425f40e5da2184e6ad4e1621f2095/C1009.pdf 15 January 1993] |
| [http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/9/4/5/9453596a5e7045e6243a5bf09985e292d619d07a08f152d6ae1b2b812e7c35f3/C1030.pdf 28 April 1993] |
| Activities of the Azanian People's Liberation Army
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/7/b/a/7ba8623daf0e6e164e014ec49e59338a74e276f09fb05d424d2e71ade8d95531/C1006.pdf 15 March 1993] |
| Allegations of a third force
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/c/e/0/ce091a192efeae35440aa5610e318a0e90a5f1354f9d80c25069f7360a097d2d/C1012.pdf 27 May 1993] |
| South African Defence Force, including 1986 Caprivi training of Inkatha supporters
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/c/d/6/cd60543456ca97615d6d4f0d3e920569901f7dbcccbbcdbf1fa23b26cf06f94c/C1008.pdf 1 June 1993] |
| Events after the assassination of Chris Hani
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/7/9/e/79ed7ccc8a7d36e87b1acff5f202b14b0de575a2ea26055bc0902782f345eabe/C1020.pdf 29 June 1993] |
| Storming of the World Trade Centre
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/1/a/9/1a9053f69dc556f8b5c282e0ac48466ff0b5ca7ee7857b9cb75957755094d0da/C1027.pdf 13 July 1993] |
| Curbing of violence and intimidation during the forthcoming election
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/b/d/7/bd78095b4fc2242d65047a638cca58bc6081ca901a2cb0ad509a21d8da4355f3/C1028.pdf 11 August 1993] |
| Illegal importation, distribution, and use of firearms, ammunition and explosives
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/c/4/f/c4f4bfcfd4fb868f720d8e8b6e6945ac7341c8d00a99f9e83d4f5918838430e3/C1032.pdf 5 October 1993] |
| Violence in Mossel Bay in July 1993
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/6/e/f/6eff0c9d4d39edf83b9bbf5795ca4b29f1c3616b14256fedc3a0f7dd8266b32e/C1042.pdf 12 October 1993] |
| Violence in Crossroads in March to June 1993
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/5/0/c/50c32656acd3e29edccd95a05b51a2199a13f5730ee58457fca392f5ffe64d84/C1033.pdf 11 November 1993] |
| Shooting in Katlehong on 9 January 1994
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/1/3/1/131bfbd6538c168a72fa22089be5def540a71872ae34bc60f9cadadebf3cebcc/C1041.pdf 18 January 1994] |
| Criminal political violence by the South African Police, the Kwazulu Police, and Inkatha
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/a/c/a/aca3d9d0b201d1b4eb9ef591a02ec199da58bd6563fa2ade81ec23a3110ab1bf/C1046.pdf 18 March 1994] |
| rowspan="2" |Wallis Committee: Inkatha-African National Congress conflict, and special matters
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/7/3/4/7341f3665a567d1e6d0bcd78ff6c08924d15acf26d617188268ffb45fb01b576/C1052.pdf 18 March 1994] |
| [http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/3/c/8/3c827c192eea9c12efc85fe3e20fffcfb4c4e7143ef23377a27e33fbc2562236/C1053.pdf 18 March 1994] |
| Attack on Power Park squatter camp on 27 July 1993
|11 May 1994 |
| Shell House massacre
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/f/e/b/febd006141385e78f128a63399926ddf87c7e762d40446924ea5cd9da4f6452e/C1056.pdf 21 April 1994] |
| Attacks on members of the South African Police
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/0/e/1/0e1dc90804b059f6a2d7c414d7afe76873f8c11e4eb75786b089defa8e000ea5/C1057.pdf 21 April 1994] |
| Attempted purchase of firearms by the KwaZulu government from Eskom
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/6/f/2/6f24a9379035071f1b54ea92531baa400375f624da33aacdce8c040fe562bf0f/C1055.pdf 22 April 1994] |
| rowspan="2" |Effects of public violence and intimidation on children
|[http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/uploads/r/historical-papers-research-archive-library-university-of-witwatersrand/d/4/9/d49bd5b0af999cef220e0bb5b59e8ce9030b50a444b7e388b9f7d2921d51066e/C1099.pdf 10 August 1994] |
| 27 October 1994 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/goldstone-commission-of-enquiry-into-phola-park-records Records of the Commission's inquiry into the conduct of 32 Battalion in Phola Park]
- [http://historicalpapers-atom.wits.ac.za/goldstone-enquiry Records of the Commission's inquiry into the Boipatong massacre]
{{Political history of South Africa}}