Human Rights Violation Hearings — Port Elizabeth — UNKNOWN

WITNESS: I was taken by the people I thought at the time were people of the Rovers, but it looked like that was a mistake.  I am sure the Special Branch had a supporting role in this, but I did not know the names of these police.  I was taken to the police station in Uitenhage.  We just passed Uitenhage and we went to Walmer.  I was put in a very dirty cell.  It had blood and I thought this is where they used to torture people.  So I could not make it to the funeral.  No, there was no one to bury anyone because 89 people were arrested.  89 people were put in a police truck and were put in prison.  There was no one to bury anyone.  We were all in prison.
The people who arrived there from the Eastern Cape, from Cradock, Graaff-Reinet, etcetera, those are the places where we used to work.  When they arrived it was just like that.  There was that mess.  I do not know what happened.  I think they just arranged themselves to go back because we were not there.  When I got to Walmer they gave me food.  You will not believe this.  They said, "Here is your food."  When you looked at what you were given you would not associate it with food at all.  They would take...
(?) I am sorry, let me interrupt you.  After the Kinikini family came to your house, did they come back when you were trying to make funeral arrangements?

WITNESS: No, the Kinikini family did not come back.  Now Reverend, the policemen used to come during the day or at night beating up the family.  We did not even know each other.  We did not even know where we were.  They will just beat up and harass the family.  They would always be in the yard, day in and day out.  Every night they would be there.  Sometimes these policemen would be getting drunk in the same street.  When they were drunk they would come to my house and beat up people.
Coming back to this cell.  I would be given food that has "dungeon" in it.  That was the time when I was still moaning.  They would take bread and put it into dung.  I was given that and expected to eat it.  There was nothing else that was given.  I would drink something that looked like coffee, take a short exercise and I would take that bread and make it my toilet paper.  I was not given toilet paper.  I was only given that kind of bread.
(?) Who was in charge at this police station at that time?

WITNESS: I do not know who was in charge there, but the people who were there at that time, it was Eric Strydom who was in charge of the Murder and Crime Robbery Department.  The person who helped me get out of that mess was a lawyer, but I heard somebody said, at that time it was Saai who was here yesterday.  He helped me so I was able to go and bury my family.  I was told that I was held because I was the cause of this chaos in the townships, but I was never aware of why I was arrested.  The police knew exactly where I was, when I was at a certain place and what I was doing there.
On 9 August, I was hiding in Sonki Kungwayo's house.  He was the owner of the van, the same van that Comrades Gongolosi and Galela disappeared with.  
Qhayiya was just an ordinary businessman.  He had a tavern.  He gave me a room so that whenever I come in, anytime, I must just use that room.  At that time there was this curfew.  Sometimes he would help me out with a car.  While we were going to this house were arrested.  We went into the Rovers.  The Rovers said to us, "You cannot be on the road at this time.  This car must be investigated and see if has not been stolen."  When I got there I made the mistake of telling them the truth about my identity.  I said I am Fikile Kobese.  He said to them, "This man is just visiting me."
I was then arrested at Algoa Park.  During the week of the funeral, Comrade Goniwe, Calada Kondo, I was now told I was going to be taken to Transvaal.  I went to Boksburg station.  I was arrested with other inmates, with double the number of people that were supposed to be in that cell.  Instead of being asked about a curfew or a car I was asked about something that happened at Algoa Park.  I did not know anything about that bomb and the police who were involved there.  I tried to think about it, but I could not.  While I was still going to the court I was told, "No, this one must go back to the cell."  I was then taken back to Port Elizabeth and I was told that I was asked by Hatting.  So I asked, "Why was I not taken to court?  
Why was I not asked to plead guilty or not?"  Then I was told, "No, forget about that, we are talking other business here now."  I can understand Afrikaans very well, but I can only speak it to White men when I felt like it.  They said, "There will be no trouble if we kill these people between Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth."  They discussed this now that in the Free State there are fields and they can do anything they wanted to do.  So I was taken to Port Elizabeth.  I thought, if they do this in the car I was determined to tip this car over.
(?) What time was it now?  Could you please summarize this?  The time now is 13h10.  Let us summarize it.

WITNESS: Thank you.  I was arrested under Section 29 of the Internal Security Act.  That is just a different language used.  I was held at Jeffrey's Bay.  At that time propaganda was at its peek.  I was held at solitary confinement.  These policeman was living happily at Kwamagxaki.  No one knew where I was.  No lawyer knew where I was.  My cell was open for 102 days because I was guarded by the police.  There would be a policeman with a gun 24 hours.  I was under solitary confinement.  If there was anybody from the ANC here the police would know that I know the movements by the ANC.  Anyone who would be asking any kind of information I will give it to them.  If that person who is sent by the ANC, that is the only thing that they would know.  
I was not even allowed to whistle.  If I did that they would call the Special Branch.
In Uitenhage at that time people were told not to ask for Kobese.  People were told that Kobese is living happily in Kwamagxaki, but all the time I was in this cell.  This day when I whistled the Station Commander asked, "What is going on?"  I said, "I am nervous.  If I whistle it calms me down."  I did this for just three minutes.  You were guarded by three guards.  That was their job, just to guide you.  I was given a tablet for my headache.  It was 18h00 when I took this tablet and my whole body shocked until the following morning at 06h00.
(?) Do you know who gave you this tablet?

WITNESS: I know that person very well, but it is just that I cannot remember the name now.  He was the Head of the prison at Jeffrey's Bay, just next to the beach, during August at that time.  I used to see him.
(?) What is the name of this police station?

WITNESS: The name of the police station is Jeffrey's Bay.  That is where people used to die one by one especially people involved in the  Mkonto we Sizwe, they used to be held there.
(?) Please summarize Comrade because it is now quarter past.

WITNESS: Reverend, I am trying to summarize here.
(?) Please settle down.