Human Rights Violation Hearings — Uitenhage — 1996-08-27

CHAIRPERSON: Our next witness will be Sylvia Vuyelwa Ketse.

SYLVIA VUYELWA KETSE: (sworn states)

CHAIRPERSON: Ms Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela is going to lead you.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Thank you Chairperson.   We greet you Sylvia.  How do you feel?

SYLVIA VUYELWA KETSE: I am fine, thank you.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: I see something here in your statement which was not here before, where you mention that this Rastafarian guy kept on coming to the people and would then go back to the police and then you heard them calling out to shoot.  The Rasta went to the police then came back to us and he talked to the people in the front then he again went back to the police van and then came to us once more and then there was a policeman who gave instructions that they should shoot to death.  Was this policemen talking on a load speaker?

SYLVIA VUYELWA KETSE: No, he was just speaking ordinarily.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: So, at what stage were you shot?

SYLVIA VUYELWA KETSE: That is the time when I was shot, I saw people at UITENHAGE HEARING TRC/EASTERN CAPE
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first falling down and I could make out that people were being shot and falling down and as I was trying to run away I saw Blaauw who had fallen down and he had already been shot.  Then I jumped over him and I ran and the policemen were chasing us and some men came and they said I had been hit and they should take me, so they lifted me and the policemen came and they hit me on the head but they did not actually hurt me.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Where are your bullet wounds?

SYLVIA VUYELWA KETSE: They are here on my head.  I have got 14 bullet wounds and 2 on the head and even at the back.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Were these big bullet wounds, or were these small, were you hit by pellets?

SYLVIA VUYELWA KETSE: Yes, I saw one pellet.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: So you were taken to Dr Mzimba?

SYLVIA VUYELWA KETSE: No, we were taken to a house in no.15 and then a certain car came to fetch us and took us to Dr Mzimba's surgery.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: So is it there where these pellets were taken out?

SYLVIA VUYELWA KETSE: These men were going to take these out, then they decided not to because they saw the police coming.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: This taking out of bullets and pellets, was it a usual practice in the location?

SYLVIA VUYELWA KETSE: No, I had never seen it before.  It was going to be the first of this kind, but they did not actually do it because they got scared of the police because the police were raiding the house in search of all the victims.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Now could you explain to us how you were affected by  this injury, health wise?

SYLVIA VUYELWA KETSE: My hand does not work.  I am a hawker and when it UITENHAGE HEARING TRC/EASTERN CAPE
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is extremely cold I can't go and sell and now it is even two months that I have not been going.  I have got three children and they are of school going age but I cannot manage to keep them there, I am not even getting any grant.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Which hand is this?

SYLVIA VUYELWA KETSE: It is my left hand side, that is the hand that was shot.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Do you perhaps have any requests that you would like to say to this Commission?

SYLVIA VUYELWA KETSE: I am going to ask this government that they should educate my children and also give me some subsistence of some kind.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Thank you Chairperson, we are sorry for the interruption.
 You were still on the floor explaining to us, how you got affected from the injuries you sustained and also your wishes for this Commission.

SYLVIA VUYELWA KETSE: I was saying that ever since I got shot I can no longer work and use my hand.  I am a hawker and on cold days I can not go there.  Then that brings suffering and I have three children, so I am asking the government to educate these children.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: How old are they?

SYLVIA VUYELWA KETSE: The oldest is 18 and he is doing Std.10.  The next is 15 years old and he is doing Std.2. The youngest is 9 years old and he is in Sub.A.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Do they look up to you?

SYLVIA VUYELWA KETSE: Yes, they are my dependents.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Is there any other wish you perhaps have which you would like to say to this Commission?

SYLVIA VUYELWA KETSE: No, I haven't got any other thing to say, thank
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you.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Thank you Ms Ketse.