Human Rights Violation Hearings — Cradock — 1996-02-10

BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: It was after - when Siwisa came to Venterstad and he was talking to the police and I could hear that they were saying we were not going to get the body of my son and we also heard that the body of my son was in Burgersdorp and they were saying he was still a prisoner.
 He died where he deserved to die.
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MS MAYA: Did you get a Death Certificate?

BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: No.

MS MAYA: Do you mean until today?

BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: Yes, they said I must go to Max, one of my brothers.

MS MAYA: Why were they referring you to Max?

BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: They said it is because he is the one who brought toyi-toyi to Venterstad, so he is the one who must give me the Death Certificate.

MS MAYA: As you had a legal representative, was there any case that was held in the court?

BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: No, they said there was no case because he deserved to die and the Sergeant at the time was Engelbrecht.

MS MAYA: I noticed that you and your family, you were tortured by the police.

BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: They said I am defaming the name of the police because I go out to the neighbouring towns and tell the people that the police had killed my son, whereas the police didn't kill my son.

MS MAYA: I wanted to know because the police went to take photo's.  What is it that they got out of those pictures?

BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: They said there were no pictures, there was nothing.  So he just deserved to die and they were not telling me the truth about my son.

MS MAYA: Last week when the Truth Commission came, we got those photo's, the photo's that they had taken.  I also noticed that while they were torturing you, they also arrested you.

BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: Because they said I was defaming the police and I was asking them more details about this.  They said CRADOCK HEARING TRC/EASTERN CAPE
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that I know where did I say all these things.  They said they have their own informers who were bringing the information to them.
 They said I know that.

MS MAYA: The death of your son, how did the death of your son change your life?

BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: My life has changed.  The Doctors say that I am suffering from heart ailments, that was from the time I was being harassed.

MS MAYA: Do you get any treatment from any Doctor?

BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: Yes, there is a Doctor from Verwoerddam, I usually go to him.  Even in Dordrecht, there is one Doctor that I usually go to.  Whenever I hear of any Doctor who is an expert in heart ailments, I go there.

MS MAYA: Are you also responsible for the expenses of seeing the Doctors?

BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: Yes.

MS MAYA: I am sure that you have a request or a wish that you would like to tell us.

BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: I request that the Truth Commission should help me because the grave of my son is torn, it is disappearing.  I request that the Truth Commission can help me to erect a tombstone for my son.

MS MAYA: You had another request again?

BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: I had two children.  When I started suffering, the second child, my parents said I must take my brother's son to stay with him so that he can replace my son in a way.  Because now I am suffering, I am sick.  I would like the Truth Commission to help me.

MS MAYA: Would you also like to get help to pay for the Doctors?
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BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: Yes.

MS MAYA: Thank you.  I will hand over to the Chairperson, he might have some questions.

BONGANI FINCA: Reverend Xundu?

REV XUNDU: I have a question.  Among the police that were harassing you, did you know any of their names?

BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: Yes, the Station Commander was Engelbrecht.  The Station Commander was in charge while I was arrested and I was talking to him and then Letsi and Sergeant who came to fetch the Death Certificate of my son.

REV XUNDU: You don't know any other policemen except those?

BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: I know all of them, but I cannot say which one actually shot my son.

REV XUNDU: I am asking the police who were harassing you, I want to know their names if you can still remember them.

BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: One of them from the farms was Marts.  Marts was there.

REV XUNDU: Were all of these White policemen?

BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: Ben Letsi is a Xhoza policeman,  Ben Letsi.  Those are the only names that I can remember.

REV XUNDU: Thank you.

JUNE CRICHTON: Mrs Khethwa, can you hear me?

BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: Yes, I can hear you.

JUNE CRICHTON: Can you tell me where Simphiwe's father is now?

BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: Simphiwe's father passed away in 1984.

JUNE CRICHTON: That is not too long after this incident?  You said that his father was present at the post-mortem, is that correct?
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BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: Yes, that is correct.

JUNE CRICHTON: I think I want to say that I, and I am sure the Commission are horrified at what he was subjected to in watching what he had to watch and it just seems to be part of the systematic abuse that was being conducted at that time, emotional abuse and psychological abuse.
 I want to ask you, according to the statement I have in front of me, the Doctor who conducted that post-mortem was a Doctor De Wet, but you mentioned a Doctor  Jordaan.  Which of those two was it that conducted that post-mortem, do you know?

BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: It was Doctor De Wet.

JUNE CRICHTON: And the Doctor Jordaan that you mentioned?  (tape ends)

BONGANI FINCA: Mr Sandi?

MR SANDI: Thank you Chairperson.  Mrs Khethwa, who came to fetch the Death Certificate or the post-mortem report from Dr De Wet at your home, I didn't hear clearly.

BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: It was Ben, his surname is Letsi.

MR SANDI: The one who came to take the Death Certificate, saying that they will send the body to Bloemfontein to their own Doctor because they didn't trust Dr De Wet?

BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: Yes, it was Ben Letsi.

MR SANDI: Was he a Sergeant at the time?

BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: Yes.

MR SANDI: I noticed that in your statement you made mention of - you wish that the Death Certificate that was made by Dr De Wet and the one that was taken by Ben Letsi, you would like to get that Death Certificate back, is that so?

BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: Yes.

MR SANDI: Thank you Mr Chairperson.
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BONGANI FINCA: Mrs Khethwa, the question that Mrs Crichton asked you, I was a little bit confused when you responded.  Who was present at the time of the post-mortem, was it your son's father or your own father?

BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: No, it was my father.

BONGANI FINCA: Thank you.

BONISWA ELSIE KHETHWA: It was a grandfather, not his father.