Human Rights Violation Hearings — Klerksdorp — 1996-09-26

SELLO PAULOS MOTHUSI: When I went to the doctor this year, I can't remember the date, but I have the reference number here, the doctor examined me at Klerksdorp Hospital, Dr Jaroska, and I went to consult him because of the terrible headache, and the veins and I realised I was now using just one side of my body to sleep.  It was ten years and this was now out of my
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mind. I forgot that I was shot with the bird shot, and I went to see him. I was just drinking tablets, I was drinking Disprin. Then I was told if you drink Disprin for two consecutive weeks you must go to the doctor.  On the 3rd of the 5th month I went to this doctor.  Before I could see him I met the sisters in charge and I told them that I have a problem with my veins, and I only use one side of my body to sleep.  The sister said to me Sello, we are going to take you to the radiographers so that they can look at your head.  But before they could take me to the radiographers, the doctor said, examined me and I was taken to the radiographers and the X-rays were conducted.  When he came out with the X-ray reports, he said Sello, he said you must know you have bird shots in the head.  And I asked him how did they get to my head. He asked me is there anything that happened to you in the past years.  That is when I remembered that the police shot me.  I told him that I was shot and he asked me which part of the body was I shot at.  I told him it was the left side of the body.  He said undress, I want to see you. I undressed and he said no, you have six bird shots in your head and they are the source of this problem. I asked the doctor can't you remove them because they are troubling me.  He said no, it is very illegal to take out those bird shots.  He said he will help me with the treatment.  I said to him okay, that is fine with me.   He said to me if it happens that I am not around and you get pains and you go to a doctor and the doctor wants to remove those pellets, please do not agree, that particular doctor must first consult with me.  He gave me a medical certificate to go and get the medication.  They gave me the tablets.  I drank them and thereafter I went back
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home.

MR POTGIETER: Is it now for the first time after having been shot that you actually consulted a doctor and that you are now getting some treatment for the pellets in your body?

SELLO PAULOS MOTHUSI: I still undergo treatment for these pellets. I am going to the same doctor, Dr Jaroska.

MR POTGIETER: And do I understand you correctly, it was as a result of the fact that the police were actually waiting for people who are taken to the hospital for treatment, because the police were waiting on the road for those people, that you had to turn around and that you didn't get medical treatment on the day that you were shot?

SELLO PAULOS MOTHUSI: That's correct.

MR POTGIETER: One assumes that you must have been in quite a lot of pain?

SELLO PAULOS MOTHUSI: Yes, I was in a lot of pain.  Even today I will sleep with one side of the body.  And when the weather is cloudy I get a problem with my veins and I have to rush to Dr Jarosky.

MR POTGIETER: Now are there any people who saw what happened, any witnesses who saw you being shot?

SELLO PAULOS MOTHUSI: Yes, the people in that house saw me and they called a group of young boys and girls to pick me up to take me home.

MR POTGIETER: Do you know the people in the house where you were trying to get into, who saw?

SELLO PAULOS MOTHUSI: I do not know the occupants of that house, because it was not a well-built house, it was just a shack.

MR POTGIETER: Was there any court case as a result of the shooting incident?

SELLO PAULOS MOTHUSI: After I was told by the doctor that I have bird KLERKSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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shots in my head I went to Kanana offices.  There were legal attorneys called para-legal Whites.  I went to see them for help. There was a certain Mrs M M Sewo, who advised me about the procedure of laying charges.  She said to me it is very important for you to lay charges, because you have been to the doctor. 
 I went back to the doctor, I told him doctor, I want to lay charges, what should I do then.  He said to me I should go to the police station to get a G88 form and fill it in and they will give me the case number.  I went to the police station for that form.  A White lady at the police station gave me that form and I went back to the doctor.  It wasn't on the same day.  I had financial problems to go to all these places.  
 On a different day I went to Dr Jaroska and he was not in the office and nobody was present to help me fill in the form.  One doctor said to me you want to lay charges, where are you injured.  I showed him, and he said go to a district surgeon, go to the hospital, you will find one there. I took this form of mine and I went to the district surgeon and he didn't do anything.  He just looked at me. He wrote in this form. When I looked at this form I couldn't read his handwriting.  Even his name was not clearly written.  
 I went back with this form. I took it to Mrs Sewo. I said Mrs Sewo, here is the form.  She said to me that's fine, go back to the police station then, lay charges.  I went straight to the police station to lay charges.    It was on a Friday and on the 3rd of the 5th month.  The policeman called Otto Mazibuko was on duty and I told him.  I even took the X-ray reports and everything.  I took them with to the police station and I told them I was shot by the KLERKSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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police in 1986, I am here to lay charges today.  this Otto Mazibuko said to me this is a difficult matter to handle, we cannot accept this.  He said you should come and meet the adjudant, tell him that you want to lay charges.  It was a Friday, and on Saturday I didn't go that day. I didn't know that they were working on Saturday.  The weekend went by.   On Monday I went to see this adjudant Locke and he was present.  I showed him the forms and I showed him the X-rays. I told him that I was shot by the police in 1986, and I want to open a case with this matter. He didn't want to have a look at the forms. He called one of the policemen, by the name of Sgt Nkulo Njecke. He said he should take my statement and he should help me.  I left with this Sgt Nkulo Njecke and he took my statement.  He gave me a case number.  He said my case number was MR4060596.  The Tuesday went by.  On Wednesday the detectives came to my home.  They were Sgt Merry and another detective, I do not know the name.  They had this docket with them and they were questioning me.  They said to me why didn't you die if you were shot in the head. I said to them sergeant, I was shot, listen at what the doctor is saying, I have proof, I have the X-ray reports and the sergeant said no, I don't want to see them. The sergeant asked me as to where the doctor was situated. I said the doctor was at Klerksdorp Hospital.   And that was it.  
 Until today Mrs Sewo advised me about the Commission.  she said to me Sello, the Commission is coming to our area, we will have to submit our statement and then the Commission will give you a date to appear.  I went to her and she took my statement. I am really sorry because I didn't bring the X-ray forms with me.  But the police have the form in their
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dockets. If I go to the police station, Sgt Merry is not at the office. The documents, everything regarding my health is in that document.  That was the last day of my initiative.

MR POTGIETER: Thank you.  Was it on the 3rd of May, this year that you went to see the police?

SELLO PAULOS MOTHUSI: I can say it was on the 3rd of May.

MR POTGIETER: This year?

SELLO PAULOS MOTHUSI: Yes, this same year.