Human Rights Violation Hearings — Klerksdorp — 1996-09-26

DR RANDERA: Mrs Khiba, good morning, can you hear me?

MATHABISO KHIBA: I can hear you, thank you.

DR RANDERA: Are you well?

MATHABISO KHIBA: I am very well.

DR RANDERA: Mrs Khiba, there is nothing to be anxious or frightened about.

MATHABISO KHIBA: I don't think I will be frightened, Sir.

DR RANDERA: I am glad to hear that.  Mrs Khiba, before I ask you to stand to take the oath, will you please introduce the lady who is with you?

MATHABISO KHIBA: This is Neria Mahala.

DR RANDERA: How is she related to you?

MATHABISO KHIBA: This is my daughter.

DR RANDERA: I welcome your daughter, Mrs Mahala as well. Mrs Khiba, my name is Dr Randera and I am going to help you in telling your story.  Can you please stand to take the oath.

MATHABISO KHIBA: (Duly sworn, states).

DR RANDERA: Thank you, Mrs Khiba, would you please sit down.  Mrs Khiba, you come from Kanana township.

MATHABISO KHIBA: That's correct.

DR RANDERA: Kanana is just outside Orkney, which isn't very far from here.  It is a mining community.  You have come to
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tell us about the disappearance of your son. This happened in March 1986.   
 Before you tell us about your son, can you please tell us something about yourself, how old are you, how many children do you have.

MATHABISO KHIBA: I had ten children, five of them passed away and I have six daughters.   Four of them are married and two of them are crippled.  The other one can hardly walk and the other one is just a cripple, as I have mentioned.

DR RANDERA: How old are you, Mrs Khiba?

MATHABISO KHIBA: 78 years.

DR RANDERA: Thank you.  Is your husband still alive?

MATHABISO KHIBA: He passed away a long time ago.

DR RANDERA: And what was your work before you retired?

MATHABISO KHIBA: I was a domestic worker.

DR RANDERA: Mrs Khiba, please tell us in your own words what happened to your son, Sam Lethoba Khiba.

MATHABISO KHIBA: It was on the 4th of March 1986, in the afternoon at about seven o'clock he left the house and he didn't come back.  We only heard gun shots.  Police were all over the place.  There was gunfire the whole night.  The next morning I went to the police station to report his disappearance.  They didn't give me an answer. I searched for him all over, in the mortuaries, in the hospitals, until today I haven't seen him.
 A policeman came to me and he asked me where my son was. I said to him I do not know.  He said to me give me his identity document. I gave him the ID and he left.  After a few hours they came back, they were now two in number.  He asked me again: has he not arrived as yet.  I said no.

DR RANDERA: Did you not hear from the policeman again after KLERKSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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that?

MATHABISO KHIBA: They never came back to me.  They left forever, until today.

DR RANDERA: Mrs Khiba, tell us something about Sam Lethoba.  How old was he, was he working when this happened?

MATHABISO KHIBA: He was working at the municipal offices.  He was the last born and I had my hope on him. I thought at this ripe age he would work for me. Nobody is taking care of me. I am depending on the pension money I get.

DR RANDERA: Was he married?

MATHABISO KHIBA: No, he was not married.

DR RANDERA: Did he have any children?

MATHABISO KHIBA: He didn't have any children.

DR RANDERA: How old was he when he disappeared?

MATHABISO KHIBA: He was 21 years old.

DR RANDERA: Now you say that night in Kanana was gunfire and you could hear it all night.  What was actually happening in the township that caused all these problems?

MATHABISO KHIBA: I do not know, Sir, what was happening. It was a riot and the police were shooting at people.

DR RANDERA: Was your son involved with the youth congress or with the UDF or civic organisations in Kanana?

MATHABISO KHIBA: No, he only played soccer.

DR RANDERA: When he left the house, that evening, it was seven o'clock at night, where was he going to?

MATHABISO KHIBA: I do not know, he just went out, he didn't say where he was going to.

DR RANDERA: Did he go by himself or did some friends come to meet him?

MATHABISO KHIBA: No, he didn't say anything to me.

DR RANDERA: Did he have many friends?
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MATHABISO KHIBA: He had friends, yes.

DR RANDERA: And as part of your enquiries, did you find out from friends that had seen what had happened to him?

MATHABISO KHIBA: I asked them and they said they did not know where he was.

DR RANDERA: What do you think happened?

MATHABISO KHIBA: I think the people who were on te night duty on that same day, were De Kock and De Beer and De Kock took his identity document.  De Beer was a special branch member.

DR RANDERA: In fact, that was my next question to you.  The name of the people who came to your house, the policemen who took the ID document from you, was that Mr De Kock and Mr De Beer?

MATHABISO KHIBA: No, De Kock was shooting at night, he was on night duty and the second one is a special branch, and he is the one who took his identity document.

DR RANDERA: Can I ask how you know that Mr De Kock was shooting at night?

MATHABISO KHIBA: My daughter works at the police station and she knows the police who work duty, at night duty, because she is a police woman.

DR RANDERA: Can I then ask you, what was the names of the policemen who came to your house and took the ID document?

MATHABISO KHIBA: It is De Beer.

DR RANDERA: Was that ID document ever returned to you?

MATHABISO KHIBA: It was never brought back.

DR RANDERA: Mrs Khiba, I do not have any other questions. I would like to hand you over back to the chairperson.

CHAIRPERSON: Tom Manthata?

THOMAS MANTHATA: Mrs Khiba, good morning.

MATHABISO KHIBA: Good morning, Sir.
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THOMAS MANTHATA: You said your daughter was a police woman?

MATHABISO KHIBA: Yes, she is still a police woman.

THOMAS MANTHATA: What assistance did she give the family with regard to the loss of your son?

MATHABISO KHIBA: I do not know.  She never said anything about the disappearance of her brother.  She was disturbed.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Now this shooting incident that took place the whole night, did it take place that only night or did it take place on many occasions?

MATHABISO KHIBA: It took place on many occasions.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Among the people, who was the target actually?

MATHABISO KHIBA: Everybody that was passing was a target.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Were there leaders in the township, leaders that we would say were responsible maybe?

MATHABISO KHIBA: No, the leaders were present, but they didn't know anything about the shooting.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Didn't they help to investigate the disappearance of some members?

MATHABISO KHIBA: No, they didn't.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Aren't they taking any iniative at this present moment to trace the disappearance of the people?

MATHABISO KHIBA: No, they haven't tried it.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Don't you think it is important to start an investigation, especially for the people who have been scared of asking for help?

MATHABISO KHIBA: I am here before the Truth Commission to request them to help me trace my son, even if he is dead, I would be glad to bury his remains.

THOMAS MANTHATA: I thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Piet Meiring?

PROF MEIRING: Mamma Khiba, I just want to ask a few
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questions about your own life.  You told us that you are 78 years of age, that you had ten children, five of them are dead. Is that correct?

MATHABISO KHIBA: That's correct.

PROF MEIRING: You say that you have two crippled children who are dependent upon you.

MATHABISO KHIBA: That's correct.

PROF MEIRING: May I ask how old are the two children who are dependent upon you, the two crippled children?

MATHABISO KHIBA: I don't remember their names, please forgive me, because I am not feeling very well.