Human Rights Violation Hearings — Sebokeng — 1996-08-08

MARTHA HONOKO: (sworn states)

PROF MEIRING: Mrs Honoko, welcome from my side too.  Again we are back to that awful night of the 18th of April 1993.  It was the night of the vigil for Chris Hani and many horrible things happened that night. You are going to tell us the story of your brother Molebatsi and his girlfriend Dolly. Just before you start, do you know the surname of Dolly so that we can add that to the record?

MARTHA HONOKO: Yes I do know her surname.

PROF MEIRING: What is the surname?

MARTHA HONOKO: It was Magode.

PROF MEIRING: Thank you very much. Please tell us what happened that night to your brother Molebatsi and to Dolly his girlfriend?

MARTHA HONOKO: On the 18th in the morning when I was at home, I heard on the news that there was a white Jetta which was driving around shooting people in Sebokeng. It was driven by a male and a female. A man and a female died. I woke up and went to the cemetery.  Just as I went into the cemetery I came across my uncle and I could see that my uncle's face was spelling tragedy. I told my uncle that I had heard in the news that some people had died and I asked him as to which families were affected.My uncle avoided looking me in the eye, he said to me it's Molebatsi. Then he told me that he had come to fetch me so that I could go with him to Zone 12 where Molebatsi was staying and we went together with my
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uncle on foot because there was no transport and we went to Zone 12.  When we got to Zone 12, that is now the house, I saw my aunt as well as another lady and our neighbours. As I was getting into the house they helped me and they led me into the bedroom. They had already put the mattress down.  I sat on the mattress and I kept on asking them as to what was happening. I asked them whether they were sure that Molebatsi had died. My aunt told me that they were sure because they had gone to where Molebatsi had died and when they got there he was not there any more because the Hippo had taken him.  But what we got there was that there was blood, there was a pool of blood, that's why they say they were sure that he had been killed. I said to them they mustn't start mourning because I hadn't yet believed that he had died.  I told them that I would go around trying to search for him until such time that I get him. 
 Then on a Tuesday morning I went to Sebokeng police station, that is where I got Molebatsi. He had been shot just above the eye as well as on the chest.  I came back and when I got home they had already started mourning and they had smeared the windows. I told them that I did not understand how all this happened, I wished to talk to an eye witness. People kept on coming as well as Dolly's family and Dolly's neighbours. They also came with the same message, that there is a certain neighbour who came from Dolly's place and he knocked at Dolly's place, he spoke to Dolly's father and asked where Dolly was and asked him whether they were all at home. Dolly's father replied that there was only one missing. They both went outside and Dolly's father discovered the two corpses.  Dolly's father passed the message to my uncle's place and my uncle sent the message 
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that I should notified of what had happened. That is where I will end.

PROF MEIRING: Thank you so much Mrs Honoko for telling the story. May I ask a few questions just to clarify the matter.  The first thing I would like to ask of you is whether Dolly and Molebatsi her boyfriend, your brother, were they politically active? Did people know that they belonged to a certain party?

MARTHA HONOKO: What I know, I know only about Molebatsi who was a member of the PAC.

PROF MEIRING: Do you think that could be the reason why they were shot? Were they pointed out being members of the PAC?

MARTHA HONOKO: I do not think so.

PROF MEIRING: Were they just innocent people at that stage at the wrong stage at the wrong place?

MARTHA HONOKO: I think so.

PROF MEIRING: Thank you. There's another question I want to ask you. You say that there was a white Jetta, a model unknown and the registration number also unknown. We've heard today of another white car, a white Volkswagen Golf, it's not the same car, is that another car that was in the neighbourhood that night driving around?

MARTHA HONOKO: I don't know how I can explain this, I heard it over the news.

PROF MEIRING: So you have no special knowledge about that?

MARTHA HONOKO: I have absolutely no knowledge.

PROF MEIRING: Thank you for that. I just want to know about Molebatsi and Dolly are there any children that needs to be taken care of?

MARTHA HONOKO: They don't have any children.
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PROF MEIRING: Thank you those were the questions I wanted to ask, I'll pass it on now to the others.

CHAIRPERSON: Ms Seroke?

UNKNOWN: Martha in your statement you said it was rumoured that Dolly and Molebatsi were told to sleep on their stomachs.  Who gave you this report?

MARTHA HONOKO: I did not say that they were told to sleep on their stomachs.  I don't understand your question.

UNKNOWN: In your statement you pointed out that this Jetta came, it had no number plates, and people came out of this car and they had guns and they told Molebatsi and Dolly to lie on their tummies.

MARTHA HONOKO: The message that I got from the people who had gone to pay condolences at Dolly's place, Dolly's father explained that the manner in which the people were shot. It seems as if they were shot lying down.

UNKNOWN: I am through thank you.

MR MONTATA: How old was your brother when he died?

MARTHA HONOKO: I don't understand you.

MR MONTATA: Was he old or -?

MARTHA HONOKO: No he was very young he was 22 years old.

MR MONTATA: I'm asking this question because you said he was a member of the PAC.  And when we look at these deaths, it is apparent that it was ANC members. Do you think this was a mistake, membership?

MARTHA HONOKO: I do not think so. I thought it was his time and he had to go in that manner.

MR MONTATA: Maybe, do you think that he was going to where they were going to watch Chris Hani's night vigil?

MARTHA HONOKO: No I don't think it has anything to do with that.
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MR MONTATA: Now just tell us, What do you think of the death of your brother?

MARTHA HONOKO: This is an incident that took place on that same day where many people died.  I think that is the way God called him. I don't know how to explain this so that you can understand it Sir.

MR MONTATA: In short I wanted to say, seeing that they killed your brother in that way, and we have heard that they killed people at Palm Springs and others at Section 7 in Sebokeng, now this is a message that the killing was all over the Vaal area.

MARTHA HONOKO: Yes.

MR MONTATA: That is why I say I think your brother was killed, maybe the murderers thought he was a member of the ANC.

MARTHA HONOKO: I don't have it that way Sir.

MR MONTATA: At the funeral of Dolly and that of your brother, were there members of the PAC present or anybody from any organisation?

MARTHA HONOKO: Yes the ANC members were present at Molebatsi's funeral. I do not know about Dolly's funeral because I wasn't there.

MR MONTATA: In other words you are telling us that the people were united by such killings whether you belonged to the PAC or the ANC?

MARTHA HONOKO: Yes that's correct.

MR MONTATA: I thank you.

DR RANDERA: If I can just ask you one question. You say your brother was 21 years old.  Tell us something more about Molebatsi. Was he working at the time? Did he have any children?
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MARTHA HONOKO: Yes he was working at Lombards. He was not married. He didn't have a child.  He had no mother.