ANSWER
During the unrest I had at a certain time beeninvolved in a riot squad unit who dealt particularly with theunrest situation throughout South Africa.   At a certain stagein Atteridgeville, when I was still a very young constable, westill used the old Hippo vehicles, we came around a corner andthere were two vehicles parked next to the road.   A group ofnot youth but children, and I doubt if any of them were olderthan 14, were at that time busy pouring out petrol over thesevehicles.   My Commanding Officer at that time, a Captain, butI do not remember who he was, gave instructions to shoot on thesepeople.   I then told him "don't do that, don't do that theseare children".  We sat down and drove off.   The childrenthen dispersed rapidly when they noted us.   A block away fromthis incident, both of these vehicles were in flames.   At thattime, and this must have been in the years of 1976 and later inthe 80's, the youth were politicised and activised to such anextent that they had no regard for property or life left.   Briefly,after I was stationed with the Security Branch, I was given theinstruction or I had rather been requested by the Shoshunguwepolice station, I was the service officer at that time, to comeout.   There was a person arrested known as "Naughty"and this person had the entire Shoshunguwe area in the palm ofhis hand.   If he would say that there was a consumer boycott,then that
1. consumer /...
MR DU PLESSIS 650 J HECHTER
consumer boycott would have occurred.   If he gave instructionsfor a school boycott they would have occurred.  He ruled the entirearea with an iron hand.   I still don't entirely understand theentire story of activists and people like that, but then I wentthere and I visited Naughty in the cell.   On my way down thecorridor I saw a young boy and then I walked back to the Sergeantand I asked him where this person is that I have to see becausethere was only a child in the back.   The Sergeant then laughedand told me that this is indeed the person.   I walked over, Ispoke to Naughty, and I asked him if he was the terror of Shoshunguwe.  At that time he was 15 years of age and he ruled Shoshunguwewith an iron hand.   I do not know if he received his instructionsfrom older persons, from adults, but at that time I was very inexperiencedmyself.   I had an interview with him and then returned to myoffice and I was flabbergasted, I could hardly believe that aperson of such a young age could be so deeply involved in politicalactivity and could exercise such a degree of power.   I was atthat time already an adult but I had not realised that any personcould exercise this degree of power over others.