MR BLACK
Mr Chairman, with the leave of the Committee, my learned friend, Mr Patel and I, have come to an agreement as to the presentation of the evidence.  We feel, given the nature of the applications and the incidents referred to, that a background, albeit on a brief basis, be presented to the Committee and for that purpose the first witness who will be called will be called by Mr Patel who will sketch the situation which prevailed in Ermelo and the Mpumalanga area.  I will then, with the leave of the Committee, call the current incumbent Mayor of Piet Retief, Mr Gamede, who is not an applicant, to provide the Committee with the background to what prevailed in Piet Retief.  We are acutely aware, both Mr Patel, myself and the leader of evidence of the TRC on a previous occasion had got together to try and limit the time and the extent of the evidence which is going to be presented relating to the background situation.  We had a brief meeting, well not a brief, we had a meeting this morning from half past eight with the other representatives.  Without speaking on their behalf, there appears to be some form of general consensus as to the political tensions and the background evidence which is going to be presented.  So, I'm aware that we don't certainly wish to waste the Committee's time of having lengthy evidence, but we feel that some evidence relating to background will be presented.  So, with the leave of the Committee and the permission of yourself, Mr Chairman, Mr Patel will call his first witness who, I understand, is one of the applicants.