Human Rights Violation Hearings — Krugersdorp — 1996-11-11

RUSSELL ALLY: Sir, you do say that your mother would not allow them to exhume the body after the burial to perform an autopsy, but you say that there was a wound under the neck of your brother.  Just tell us a little bit about that.

MR GOLIATH: The wound was there.  Priscilla Jana is the one who did not see the wound, because they would not allow him to go to the mortuary.  Everytime he got to the mortuary they would refer him to the police station, from the police station to Saffers.  This is why he did not see the wound.  We saw the wound, we tried to explain to him about the wound.  We could see that when he was shot he was being held back, because it is on his neck and underneath.

RUSSELL ALLY: Sir, I know this is pain for you, but was that the only wound on his body?  Were there other wounds, any evidence of any other kind of torture, maybe, or anything?  Can you recall?

MR GOLIATH: I do not remember.  His body was very dry, but there was only one wound.  There were no other wounds.  Even the post-mortem did not reveal much.  This is why Priscilla decided that the corpse should be taken to the doctor for a post-mortem.
KRUGERSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
11 W S GOLIATH

RUSSELL ALLY: Was there ever a court enquiry, an inquest into your brothers death.

MR GOLIATH: No, there was done.  There was no court case, no statement was taken to this day.  We do not know what happened.

RUSSELL ALLY: Sir, I will stop soon.  Lewaai, he was killed in 1989.  Do you know anything about his death, how he died and whether anything happened about his death, because that is the one policeman who you mentioned who would have known something about your brothers death.

MR GOLIATH: Lewaai was stabbed with the knife in a house where he had been drinking.  I heard the next day.  Somebody  came to our home telling us that Lewaai had been killed.  My mother then said that even if Lewaai was killed it would not return her son.

RUSSELL ALLY: And this Skeepers who you mentioned, have you had any contact with him subsequently?  Do you know anything about him now, where he is presently or anything like that?

MR GOLIATH: The last I heard was that Skeepers in Potchefstroom.  He is still a policeman.

RUSSELL ALLY: Do you know his full name or an initial or do you just know him as Skeepers?

MR GOLIATH: I just know that he is Skeepers.  I do not know his initials.

RUSSELL ALLY: Thank you very much Sir.  I am going to hand you back to the Chairperson to see if there are any other questions that my colleagues would perhaps like to ask you.  Thank you very much.

MS SEROKE: Mr Goliath, you said the wound, Shadrick's wound was on his neck, underneath and then he say again that Skeepers said Shadrick was shot running.
KRUGERSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
12 W S GOLIATH

MR GOLIATH: When he was asked they said that he had been running.

MS SEROKE: Is it possible that ...

MR GOLIATH: If somebody was running they would have a wound on his neck like he did.

MS SEROKE: Well it is clear that when he was shot they were holding him back.  What was the feedback from the post mortem.  Do you have the report?

MR GOLIATH: Yes we do.

MS SEROKE: Did you give it to the statement takers?

MR GOLIATH: Yes, I did give them.  I have it here.

MS SEROKE: If we could please get the copy just in case they do not have it.  Could you give it to Mr Jaffer.  Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you Ms Seroke.  Mr Goliath, if I can just ask a few more questions.  Can you tell us how old Shadrack was when he passed away.

MR GOLIATH: He was between 20 and 22 years of age.

CHAIRPERSON: And did he leave any family himself?  Did he have any children?  What was his work at the time?

MR GOLIATH: He was going to go back to school, actually university.  He had no child.  He had not been working, he was going to go to university.

CHAIRPERSON: Now, in your statement you say Shadrack had been an active member of the youth congress in Khutsong since 1982.  Was this the first time he was arrested or harassed by the police?

MR GOLIATH: It was the first time.  He had never before been arrested for political reasons.  It was the first time.

CHAIRPERSON: Can you tell us what Gerry's surname was?

MR GOLIATH: I cannot remember.  I just knew him as Gerry.  KRUGERSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
13 W S GOLIATH

CHAIRPERSON: Do you know members of his family, Gerry's family?

MR GOLIATH: No, I do not know them.

CHAIRPERSON: I just want to ask on the day that Sharack was arrested, there was this possibility of the police station in Khutsong being bombed or attacked.  Were there any other people who were arrested on that same day as Shadrack was arrested.

MR GOLIATH: No, he was the only one that was arrested.  All I know is that they were going to bomb the police station down.  I do not know how many there were.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Goliath, you told us that Shadrack lived with your mother at the time.  Is your mother still alive.

MR GOLIATH: Yes, she is still alive.

CHAIRPERSON: Can you tell us how the death of your brother has affected your family?

MR GOLIATH: They are very reticent.  It is my mother that I can see clearly.  Even today she is lying in bed.  She cannot get up from when Shadrack was killed, my mother has been in ill health.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Goliath, can I just ask as my last question.  What is it that you are requesting or wanting from the Truth Commission?

MR GOLIATH: I request of the Commission today because my siblings have now disbursed.  My mother stays with my sister and her children.  If the Commission could please honour my mother, honour my brother and create a tombstone for him.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you Mr Goliath.  Mr Goliath I thank you and your sister for coming here today.  Although the death of your brother took place almost ten years ago, we can see that the pain is still with you.  You have mentioned the
KRUGERSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
14 W S GOLIATH
names of two policeman who may have been implicated in the death of your brother.  One has passed away, the other one, you say, is still alive and working as a policeman in Potchefstroom.  As you know before we can actually come out with any position from the Truth Commission, we have to make enquiries and, yes, we will make enquiries and we will come back to you and your family.  We thank you for coming today.

MR GOLIATH: Thank you.
KRUGERSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG