Human Rights Violation Hearings — Bloemfontein — 1996-07-04

WITNESS: After Bokkie had gone they went after Christopher,my younger son. At each and every time they were just on Christopher's neck.They were trying to torture him because now his elder brother wasn't there.In 1980, when I realised that my child can't go to school properly any more, I went to Lesotho to try and seek a schoolfor him to attend. He attended the school, and they took him back to JC untilhe went to senior matric. He passed his matric in Cambridge. When he finishedhis matric in Cambridge he had already got a scholarship. They had given hima scholarship that they would give him a bursary because he had got distinctionsin all his courses. When the schools were closed Christopher came back home.When he came back home it was in 1984 now. When he came back home the schoolswere closed. We went to work, that is my husband and I. We left Christopherasleep. When Christopher was still asleep I got a call when I was at work. Theytold me that Christopher had been handcuffed by the police. They also put aBalaclava on his eyes. I didn't know what was happening. I went to tell my bossas to what was happening at home. My boss gave me money and she said I musthurry up and see what was happening. I never went straight home. Just as I wasfrom work I went to Fountain. When I got to Fountain I asked to speak to CaptainPrinsloo. They told me that Captain Prinsloo wasn't present at that moment.Then I asked them as to whether there wasn't any male who was arrested. Thepolicemen told me that there wasn't any person of that description. As I wasstill talking, standing there, they were taking him from the back. He heardmy voice and they took him out, they took him to the cars. He didn't see wherehe was going because they had put a Balaclava over his eyes. As I was standingthere once policeman who was at the door told me that I must go to Fuchswareto look for my son. They told me that that is where they always keep our children.I went home to my husband to tell him what had happened. He left his job at thattime. We went up and down trying to look for my son. We just couldn't get himanywhere. Others told us that he went to Oosvlei(?). We looked for him for aboutthree days in Oosvlei, but we couldn't get him. From there Christopher - thatwas after three days now. I got a trunk call from Lesotho from our family. Itsaid, Ma Mohali, please hurry and come and see your son. I hurried andI went to Lesotho. When I got there ... (incomplete)

INTERPRETER: The interpreting service shall resume assoon as the witness is ready. (Pause)

WITNESS: When I got there Christopher was grievouslyassaulted. He said he was taken by Captain Prinsloo, as well as another policemanby the name of Marapo. He said they had been kicking and assaulting him. Theywere saying he must speak the truth because he was an ANC member because hewas attending school in Lesotho. He asked them - they said he must work forthem when he gets to Lesotho. He must look for the ANC members and inform them.He said he doesn't stay in Maseru, he is outside Maseru. He doesn't even knowwhere the ANC members are, he doesn't know anything about the ANC. They continuedassaulting him until he bled through his mouth, as well as his ears. Where thereare holes blood was spilling out. He said they told him to wash the pyjamasthat he was wearing because he had bled on them. He couldn't wash the pyjamasbecause he was swollen all over the place. Then they threw him outside the bordersof Ficksburg. As he was there he didn't know where to go. He was given an emergencypassport which says, "I am sick," so he was  taken to Quintu Hospital in Maseru. So they made a passportthat he could go and see his mother, but I was looking for him. Because Christopherdidn't know where he was going he remembered the phone numbers of one of themembers of the family, that is the Maheta family. He phoned the Maheta familyat Apatamayi(?), where they took him to a doctor. They enlisted the help ofa doctor to come and - when I got there I made this passport in Takastad(?).I showed it to Captain Prinsloo. I said to him, "Look, I am still looking formy son. You are keeping him here. Where does this passport come from?" Theytold me that my son was an ANC member. I told them that my son was a studentand he wasn't an ANC member, and he wasn't going to tell me what was happening.He had already assaulted my child. I even said to him my child had died. Thenhe was - he took out my son's watch that he had taken earlier on and gave itto me. Then I told him my son was alive. And I told him that the doctor whohad examined him had told me that if I had the means I could open up a case,but now I am afraid. I am afraid of the forces that be. Then I left the caseas it was. One day Prinsloo sent me to my son. They said they wanted to seehim because I was asking to take my son back. When we got to the border - Iwas with Captain Prinsloo when we got to the border. They asked my son as towhether he still agrees with what they told him earlier on. They said they wantedhim to work for them. He totally refused. He said that he won't work for thembecause they were killers as they had done to him. He pointed out that assaultedhim and he will not do it to other people, or help them do it to other people.Then Prinsloo said to  me, "You are going back to Lesotho. You are never ever

INTERPRETER: are never ever going to come back to Bloemfontein." So, since1984 my son has never been coming to Bloemfontein. He didn't have a passport,he was staying in Lesotho until when the President, Mr Mandela, came back. It'sonly then that he requested that he be made a passport to come back home. That'sonly then that he came back.

INTERPRETER: Thank you very much. I will not keep you very long.

WITNESS: Oh,I'm sorry, there's something that I left out. My husband wasn't working becausethey were always troubling him. I took the case over because I realised thatthey were going to kill my husband. We were in such difficult times. Even nowmy husband isn't working. We are still pulling very hard because of the Afrikanerswho were always troubling us. He got work at the location at Mr Makofane's place.Mafisa and Mpanjani used to go there and go and insult him where he was working.They used to violate him. Mafisa also used to harass me at work. He wanted to- he kept on fetching me from work to ask me some questions. We pulled so veryhard as from 1978 until 1991. We didn't sleep at nights. We were being pointedwith guns. They used to refer to us as dangerous people of the ANC. They wouldknock at night, kick the doors. Some would even sleep outside. The neighbourswere keeping an eye because they were scared that they would throw a bomb ordo something to us. I don't know what was happening.

INTERPRETER: Tell me, your son, Christopher, where is now and what is hedoing?

WITNESS: He is working for the ANC.

INTERPRETER: Whereabouts?

WITNESS: He's in Sanlam Plaza.

INTERPRETER: (Inaudible) ... Bloemfontein?

WITNESS: Bloemfontein. A final point. You mentioned that your daughter was

INTERPRETER: very disturbed by all the - the death of her brother, and thetorture and the harassment and so many other things. Has she been into hospital,or under a doctor or a psychologist?

WITNESS: Yes, this child went to the doctors,that is physicians. The physicians referred her to Orange Hospital, but shenever came all right. My brother took her to Johannesburg at a mental hospital.That is where she became better. I had already spent a lot of money trying toget her to back to normal, but it didn't help.

INTERPRETER: Is she staying with you now?

WITNESS: No, she doesn't stay withme. She got married in Gauteng.

INTERPRETER: Thank you very much. You've been through a horrible experience,and, as I said earlier, you've been very brave. I have no more questions, andI am going to ask the Chairperson to take over.