Human Rights Violation Hearings — Venda — 1996-10-03

MALAKA MOTIMEDI: Donna Fraser's people said or diagnosed me to have been ill of (indistinct).  The letter that I had, my stomach was swollen, I was highly depressed.  I was taken to the psychiatric ward.

THOMAS MANTHATA: How do you feel now bodily and mentally?  Are you well?

MALAKA MOTIMEDI: At the moment I feel all right.  Although I'm not really sure whether this relates to what we are saying, or specially relays to the detention, while I think it is not procedural.  Sometimes I forget something which is of less importance, but I think Doctors are saying that that thing is in connection with solitary confinement.

THOMAS MANTHATA: My final question would be, how do you now regard those people who detained you?  Have you since come to terms with them?

MALAKA MOTIMEDI: Maybe I've got a certain way of doing things
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which I cannot take anybody by heart.  But I think those people which they have done, was something that was very wrong and I was very pleased if those people can come forward and explain that they have done me wrong.
 And they hurt people, having done nothing and it is my wish that those people must come forward and to tell the people that they have hurt the people and ask for the forgiveness because they have hurt people.
 And in connection with me I've got nothing against them.  I used to meet some of them, I greet them and that and those which I know that they were people who were behind my suffering and detention, I used to speak to them, I've got no problem with them.

THOMAS MANTHATA: You are working presently?

MALAKA MOTIMEDI: Yes, I am working.

THOMAS MANTHATA: She is working too?

MALAKA MOTIMEDI: She is working too.  Yes, that is correct.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Over to you Chairperson.

RUSSELL ALLY: Thank you very much Mr Manthata.  I just want to check if Mr Lyster wants to ask some questions.

MR LYSTER: You said that you were suspended from your job.  Where were you working at the time?

MALAKA MOTIMEDI: I was working in the Department of Justice, the then Republic of Venda. (tape starts) ... living politically was misconduct.  I don't know if I'm, it is because of my political way of living which was regarded as misconduct.

MR LYSTER: I think in 1985, by Ramoshana.  Was that the man who subsequently became President of Venda in 1990?

MALAKA MOTIMEDI: Mr Ramoshana, it is not in 1990, he detained me in 1978, I think I might have missed something, but it is VENDA HEARING TRC/NORTH WEST
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the same Ramoshana who was then the President of this former homeland.

MR LYSTER: Thank you Mr Motimedi.

RUSSELL ALLY: Mr Malaka, in your statement the issue which comes across most strongly is the question of solitary confinement.
 You say that you were kept for something like two to three months.  Could you just tell us a little bit about this solitary confinement and your experiences and what you think of solitary confinement as a way of keeping people in detention?

MALAKA MOTIMEDI: Truly I think in that solitary confinement, what I can say is this, if people can just imagine of a building in which I was in, if it was a house built by corrugated iron.  People who know the place called Masisi - Masisi is a very cold area, very cold area, very hot.
 The thing which I was having by then was, was the toilet.  And another thing which could happen in masses area, is that you are in a solitary confinement, you are not allowed to have even a Bible and you are even not allowed to sleep during the day because it would be very hot.
 And during the night the area have got mosquitoes and you cannot even sleep.
 Then you think if we can just imagine of those places in solitary confinement, in such kind of situation, with nothing you can do.   I think it is very hard, very hard time.

RUSSELL ALLY: Thank you very much for your testimony Mr Malaka.  It is clear from your statement that you experienced quite a lot of hardship and you can see that all your periods of detention almost coincide with changes that were taking
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place in former Venda land, when it became independent during the period of the rule of Patrick Mpetu.
 One of your appeals that you have made, I think, that we here in the Commission actually endorse that appeal, you have said that those whom you have named, those alleged perpetrators, that you would like them to come forward and we in the TRC are actually making a special appeal to these people - come forward and give your account of events that people are saying that you have committed gross human rights violations.
 It is important that they come forward and give an account and as was actually said by the President and the Deputy-President in a press interview, that if people don't come forward on their own, out of their own free will, then the Commission is going to have no alternative but to force these people to come forward, to subpoena these people.
 So we can only endorse your appeal to these people to come forward and give their account of what happened.  Thank you again and go well.