Human Rights Violation Hearings — Kimberley — 1996-06-10

KIMBERLEY BRANCHES: The recent brutal killings our comrades are a manifestation of the last kick of a dying donkey i.e. the apartheid monster but death or not victory is certain.  The two who had been murdered are Ivan Segamie, 19 years old and Christopher Mokhuwane [COSAS member[.  Comrade Christopher died in hospital after the police stormed into Thabane Senior Secondary School and shot at the students at random using bird shot, rubber bullets and batons.  The Thabane incident happened on 17 July 1990 and Comrade Christopher died on 21 July 1990 at the Kimberley Hospital.

SUMMARY: During the 16th and the 17th July 1990 there were several incidents of unrest around Thabane School in Galeshewe.  Around 1415 on 17th July 1990, Riot Squad Police entered the premises of Thabane giving chase to students.  During this incident Christopher was injured on his head and he was taken to Kimberley Hospital.
 Police claimed that he was hit by a stone thrown at him from outside the school yard.  The post-mortem photo's show bloody stripes on his body as if he was hit by a blunt object.  His medical reports stated he had severe head injuries that caused clotting on the brain.  He died three days later at hospital.
 The Investigating Unit went to the parents in order to get names of witnesses to the incident.  They were not able to help us and they were not even able to tell us which school he attended.
 The Headmaster of Thabane Mr Harms, was employed at the school when the incident took place.  He remembered the incident, but only the damages that were done on the building.  He called other teachers that were employed at the school at the time, but none of them was able to recall that a student was injured in the yard.  The school records were scrutinised and Christopher had never been a student at that school.
 It is recommended that the case must be further investigated to trace the witnesses.

<UNKNOWN>: Around the 17th of July 1990 Galeshewe township was rocked by student protest and police action.  A main reason for the protest was the cutting off of electricity and water.
 The Diamond Fields Advertiser of 18th July 1990 reports the following incidents
 Violence ensued particularly on Old Barkly Road in Galeshewe.  Three vehicles were stoned on Old Barkly Road, three others were burned at Tlhomelang Secondary School.  At Thabane Secondary School singing and chanting students were dispersed with tear gas.  Later during the day police used tear gas, baton charged and bird shot, several students were admitted to Kimberley Hospital and Dr M Matlaopane's surgery - three people were arrested.  The newspaper does not mention any deaths resulting from the violence.
 On Monday students marched to municipal offices to hand a memorandum to the Town Clerk Mr JJ van Rensburg.  They occupied the building for 20 minutes, they were dispersed after the police fired tear gas.  Some students burned and partly ransacked the Municipality offices in Phajane and in Vergenoeg were also damaged.  On the same day another group gathered at the Bantu Hall and were dispersed with tear gas.  Near Phatsimang College of Education police used tear gas and bird shot, apparently after their vehicles were stoned.  Several roads in the township were barricaded.  One 16-year old youth was arrested, after allegedly injuring a policeman.
 Apparently Dr Matlaopane regularly treated victims of violence.