MR MAPOMA
Thank you Chairperson.  Chairperson, we are opposed to the application for postponement of this matter and I would like, Chairperson, to outline the background and the circumstances under which you have been operating all along with the applicant's side regarding this matter.
	This matter, Chairperson, you will remember was initially set down for some day in November last year 1999 and we had been in constant touch with Mr Skeen of the firm of Mr van Breda.  He outlined the problems that he was having in getting in touch with the applicant to such an extent, Chairperson, at some point he withdrew and we took it upon ourselves to investigate the whereabouts of Mr Gonya with the view to notifying him and arranging for his legal representation if he could be found and if Mr van Breda's firm could not represent him.  That was all in vain, Chairperson, and necessitated that this matter get postponed and I must mention, Chairperson, that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission incurred insurmountable expenses as a result of that postponement.  We went out of our way to investigate his whereabouts throughout until on the 18th January 2000.  We ended up issuing media notices, media announcements through the Umshlobelele Radio and through radio Ciskei, notifying about this hearing and in particular asking Mr Gonya to contact the TRC should he get this announcement.  I am informed by our media liaison officer that those announcements were in fact at on the radio and in fact in the Daily Despatch press release did appear calling upon Mr Gonya to contact the TRC.  All that was done and Mr Gonya did not contact the TRC.  I'm informed by the evidence analyst here in this matter, Mr Camagu, that he received a call from Mr van Breda's law firm from Mr Hendrick who told him that Mr Gonya had since phoned them and they would not be able to attend to this matter because of their schedule.  I told Mr Camagu to tell them that the matter will be proceeding today.  If they can't afford to appear for him, we are prepared to arrange for an alternative legal representation in respect of Mr Gonya.  	Chairperson, I pause at this stage to outline - I mean to mention in particular that all this was done because we wanted to avert the further expenses in this matter through postponement.   I've taken note of the communication that Mr van Breda's firm did have with our officers in Cape Town but I want to stress, Chairperson, that the person that was communicated with regarding this matter is our evidence analyst Mr Camagu and I have all along been impressing upon him to inform Mr van Breda's firm that the hearing is going on at Bisho on the 4th and the 5th, on the 31st up to 2nd will be in Umtata and I've been advised by him that that has been done accordingly. 
	In the circumstances, Chairperson, I am taking a point that it looks like Mr van Breda or his firm are not in a position to proceed with this matter today and I ask this Committee in the circumstances that we proceed with the matter and arrange for an alternative legal representation for Mr Gonya.  It is my submission, Chairperson, that it will not be unreasonable to get a legal representation for Mr Gonya at this point, to go ahead with the matter and I submit further that it will not be in the prejudice of Mr Gonya if that happens.  In fact, Chairperson, it will be in the benefit of the taxpayer that the matter proceed today and I may further mention, Chairperson, that the instructions for Mr Gonya to appear are instructions which are received from the Government and the Government pays the legal representative for those instructions.  So it is not a question of Mr Gonya specifically as such instructing a particular firm but it is the Government instructing the legal representative to represent a person who appears before the Amnesty Committee.  Instructions through the Department of Defence.  So all in all, Chairperson, and it is my submission, that the balance of convenience is in favour of us proceeding with the matter today.  All that was reasonable was done by the Commission to notify Mr Gonya and in fact Mr Gonya did in fact receive that notice through the media because the legal representatives for Mr Gonya told us that he said to them that he received through the media that the matter is going ahead today.  Thank you Chairperson.