Human Rights Violation Hearings — Karoo — 1996-10-07

MARY BURTON: [Indistinct] Phakalitha.  Can you hear me all right on the ear phones.

MIRIAM PHAKALITHA: Yes.

MARY BURTON: And you have a member of your family

MIRIAM PHAKALITHA: Yes.

MARY BURTON: Who is he?

MIRIAM PHAKALITHA: It is my brother.

MARY BURTON: Welcome sir, thank you.  
MIRIAM PHAKALITHA Duly sworn states

MARY BURTON: Thank you ver much.  You have come today to tell us about the disappearance of your father a long time ago - in 1968 was it?

MIRIAM PHAKALITHA: It is said it is 1968 -  I did not know.

MARY BURTON: Please tell us what you know of what happened.

MIRIAM PHAKALITHA: Okay, as it is said in 1968 my mother is a twin and my aunt was looking after us.  My father was working in Brooksun.  He then was transferred to Victoria West - we were very young then.  One day apparently policemen went to the house, asking for my father.  She - my mother then said he's in Victoria West.  The police said - asked them if they are telling the truth.  My mother is very cheeky - she insisted that she works in Victoria West.  From time and time again, they would come.  
She then phone the house where my father was staying.  She told my father that there are police kept on coming.  My father is originally from Lesotho.  When my mother phoned, somebody said he was jailed.  She asked the boers - the boers were cheeky - my mother is also cheeky.  The boers said my father had left because he is too political.
My mother never was clear whether my father had gone home to Lesotho, did they take him to the border gates, what exactly happened.

MARY BURTON: You were also told at the time that he was somehow connected with the people who were accused in Victoria West of trying to poison the water supply.

MIRIAM PHAKALITHA: That is what they say.

MARY BURTON: [Indistinct] to us when we were in Beaufort West from that group of people who were arrested at the time.

MIRIAM PHAKALITHA: Wilson is one of them.  He was my father's friend.  My father sister was also there, but she's also not clear.  All she knows is that my father was arrested.

MARY BURTON: And none of your family ever saw him again.

MIRIAM PHAKALITHA: To this day -  no.

MARY BURTON: You believe of coming to talk here today there may be some way of finding out what happened to him.

MIRIAM PHAKALITHA: I'd be glad -  I want to see my father.  I want to know - is he really at home - what happened.  Did they take him to the border, because he's from Lesotho, what happened.

MARY BURTON: We know that it is very, very difficult when one does not know what became of a family member.  There isn't very much more that we can ask you to tell us, because it was a long time ago, but we will see what can be done to try and find out if there is any trace of him, by making some further inquiries.   I am just going to ask my colleagues if they want to ask you any questions.

MS SEROKE: When you ask your mother, does she not know people from Lesotho who would know your father's address.  Did you try to find out in Lesotho what happened to your father.  Did you go to his home and ask his family.

MIRIAM PHAKALITHA: There are people - it is my grandfather - who is there, but the last time my grandfather had seen my father - it's when he was still this side.

MS SEROKE: Did your father meet your mother in the Cape.  Had she never gone to Lesotho.

MIRIAM PHAKALITHA: They met here - my mother had never - did go to Lesotho.

ADV POTGIETER: Ms Phakalitha - Ms Phakalitha the police were apparently alleging that your father is too politically involved.  What did they say, was he involved in the PAC.   Because there was - we've heard evidence in other hearings as the Chairperson has indicated about other persons - who were also arrested in connection with this incident who alleged to have linked to the PAC or [indistinct] the Military wing of the PAC at that stage.
Were there any talks about that, your father been involved in that political grouping?

MIRIAM PHAKALITHA: According to Wilson they were a member of the PAC.  Apparently my father was very militant, very cheeky.

ADV POTGIETER: [Indistinct] your mother,  Ms Phakalitha [indistinct]

MIRIAM PHAKALITHA: We were four children.

ADV POTGIETER: [Indistinct] and [indistinct] over the years.

MIRIAM PHAKALITHA: Both my mother and my father's sister brought us up.

ADV POTGIETER: Your father's sister, is she also here or is she in Lesotho.

MIRIAM PHAKALITHA: She's here

ADV POTGIETER: [Indistinct] I just want to make sure [indistinct] the translation [indistinct]  your mother and your father' sister.

MIRIAM PHAKALITHA: My mother is a twin.  It is my mother and her twin sister that brought us up.

ADV POTGIETER: Thank you very much.

MARY BURTON: Thank you Ms Phakalitha for coming today.  As I say our - we have a special Investigation Unit which can be asked to look and see if there's any trace of your father outside our country's borders, but perhaps we also can use this opportunity where you have spoken in front of a big audience and have been heard through the radio and so on, that we can appeal that if there is anybody who can give any more information, which would allow your family to have peace in knowing what happened to your father, we would encourage them to make contact and to let you know, so that you can all be helped in this way.
We thank you very-very much for coming.  We understand that it is very distressing and we thank you.