Human Rights Violation Hearings — Beaufort West — 1996-08-12

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Good morning, Mr Metsing.

MR METSING: Good morning.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Can you hear me all right?

MR METSING: Yes.

<UNKNOWN>: Could the victim move a little bit closer to the mike please.  He speaks soft.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Could you move a little bit closer to the mike, please, thank you.  I'm going to ask you please to stand to take the oath.
THABO ABRAHAM METSING Duly sworn states

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Thank you.  As you know Ms Seroke is going to be helping you to tell us your story.

MS SEROKE: Chairperson,  I'd like to read a summery of our research notes which will give us a idea of the  nature of the events that took place 1987 and 1988 - during the time Thabo Metsing  was shot by kitskonstabels.  
In February 1987 six "Green Flies" - that is municipal police - were recruited from Victoria West and began living in the Coloured township of Rustdene.  They patrolled KwaMandlekosi, which was the township in Beaufort West, day and night.
Some times they used a Administration Board van but mostly patrolled all together on foot.  They were armed with 9 mm hand guns and carried shot guns over the weekends.  They carried out the duties of the Administration Board such as issuing  Summonses for rent.
In May 1987 6 kitskonstabels returned from training in Koeberg, Cape and were joined in June by 4 more.  Apparently the kitskonstabels were told they were being trained as Security Guards before they were recruited and when some wanted to leave, they were told they would be jailed for 5 years if they left the Force.  
The kitskonstabels were recruited by the South African Police in a caravan, which came to the township offering a wage of R300-00 per month.  The people recruited were mostly unemployed, desperate men.  The highest standard of education passed by a member of this group, was Std 7. 
The kitskonstabels patrolled in groups of 2 or more and curried shotguns.  Captain Van Rensburg was in charge of the kitskonstabels and a policeman called Marks handled all complains against them.  
Marks was reportedly of an aggressive and threatening to people when they reported the bad conduct of one of his men.  Residents stated that little to nothing was done about their complains. 
 The residence of KwaMandlenkosi rejected the kitskonstabels because of their aggressive way they treated residence.  Residence  were badly beaten  by the kitskonstabels when drunk.   It was reported that  the kitskonstabels would go to the shebeen owners in  the township and  demanded drink.   
If they refused they were told they would be closed down,  so many obliged.  It was also reported that the kitskonstabels new the activists in the community and intimidated and threatened them regularly.  And during this period 5 people, including the witness standing before us, was shot in Beaufort West by the kitskonstabels.

MS SEROKE: Hello, Thabo.

MR METSING: Hello, Ma'am.

MS SEROKE: I  was busy relating the story of the circumstances at the time at which you were shot.  I would like you to, just very briefly  - in your own words, tell us what happened - the incidence which gave rise to your shooting.

MR METSING: I was from town, I had been sent to town on a Saturday.  I think it was approximately between - past 10, something to 11.  And I saw these blou doeks near the shanty town, where my aunt was staying.  They called me and I went to them and they said   You've been silly for a long time.  And the one blou doek by the name of Vilapue was fat, said that I had been silly for a long time and I said  What had I done?  And he said  You have been silly for a long time.  Don't give us a hard time.  Just don't be silly.  I just said  Look, I haven't done anything.  And they asked me - they said  If Skonkwani doesn't shoot you, we - you - I'm going to shoot you.   
And I left.  When I got home I left the things and went forward. When I got to a certain place I saw Skonkwani and I was shot and when I looked I saw that Skonkwani was shooting me and he shot me on my back.  When I wanted to run away, I fell and when I got up he  - tried to get up again he shot me a second time.  And these are pellets that spread when they strike you. 
And James Diamond and Banana picked me up and took me to the hospital.  I was admitted to hospital and stayed there for 6 days - I think it was about 6 days for which I lay there - before I was sent to Tygerberg Hospital, in Cape Town.   
I came back in January - I think it was early in January - I know that I spent my new years day here at home.  When I came back from hospital, I saw James Diamond and a attorney coming to my place who was - the attorney was Matxharbey.
Matxharbey  then proceeded with my case  here in Beaufort West and the trial continued. I think it started in 1991 - 1991 or 1989 - I'm not sure.  And everything continued  and we then had to go to the Supreme   Court in Cape Town.  I'm not to sure which court it was, but it was in Cape Town. 
When we got there, everything - as far as my claims - was sorted out and I was told that I would get my money after 3 weeks.  I waited for 3 weeks for my money and I think in 1992 I borrowed money from this attorney and he gave me 
R6,420-00.  I didn't receive any other money after that,  that was the only money he gave me.  I think he said that that was my claim. And I assumed that was it because I don't see any other money forthcoming.

MS SEROKE: In your statement you said that on the 3rd of December 1988 - the day on which you were sent to go and buy groceries - there where some uprising in the township.  What was happening?

MR METSING: They  were singing.  There was a traditional ritual taking place there and they were singing volk songs.   And that's where the shooting incident took place.

MS SEROKE: You say that Spyker was a kitskonstabel.

MR METSING: Yes, he was a kitskonstabel.

MS SEROKE: And he said to you that you were silly for a long time, boy.  What - what did he refer to you having done when he said you were silly?  What - what  was he referring  to?

MR METSING: I would say that these people didn't like me.  I worked with them before they became kitskonstabels.  We worked at a Construction Company.   Vilapue and Spyker worked with me at Robert's Construction Company.  And I was working with electrical  cables at the time.

MS SEROKE: Were you a member of any political organization?

MR METSING: Yes, I was.

MS SEROKE: Which organization was it?

MR METSING: The  ANC.

MS SEROKE: Do you think that this silliness that they referred to was cause by you having been a member?

MR METSING: I think - I think so.  I think I could say that they said I was silly because I was a member of the ANC.

MS SEROKE: As a member of the ANC, what - what did you people do in the location that people didn't approve of ?

MR METSING: The ANC was doing a lot - we did a lot of work - and we were working very well with the people.  And even these kitskonstabels, that were shooting people - the people were being told that you cannot walk around with a gun in front of the children.   And people would just be shot.  It you see somebody drunk, you just shoot at a drunk person, because there are children that run around here to.

MS SEROKE: I want to know - this Spyker - is it this Ben Vuso referred to in your statement?

MR METSING: Yes, it's Ben Vuso.

MS SEROKE: Did he just shoot you at random without you having done anything?

MR METSING: Yes, I hadn't done anything.  And he was drunk on the day  on which he shot me - he was drunk on the day he shot me.

MS SEROKE: You say that this incident was seen by Diamond and Banana.  Did they see you being shot?

MR METSING: Yes.

MS SEROKE: Are those  your witnesses?

MR METSING: Yes.

MS SEROKE: You went to Beaufort West and stayed in hospital, were you where diagnoses by a doctor.  Do you still have any documents relating to the doctors?