Human Rights Violation Hearings — Alexandra — 1996-10-28

YASMINE SOOKA: Are those members of your family who have accompanied you?  We would like to welcome them.

MOTSHENTSHE JAN MATJILA: (s.s.)

YASMINE SOOKA: I will now ask Miss Mkhize to assist you with your story.

MS MKHIZE: We welcome you, sir.  We will ask you to tell us about your life in brief, moreover you are coming to tell us about what happened to you in 1986.

MR MATJILA: In 1985 I met with Cosas members singing at school.  It was the first time I supported them.  I joined the Cosas organisation.  They killed one boy in 1985.  Things went on.  In 1986, it was in December, we were attending a night vigil on 19th Avenue at Jingles Magoti's house.  Whilst we were attending the night vigil we were standing outside.  Policemen arrived.  They had painted their faces in black, they had berets on.  People became scared and they were told they must go inside the house.  They decided they would rather go home to die at their respective homes.  They didn't trust that they would be safe inside the house.  They started throwing tear-gas canisters.  They threw tear-gas canisters and this canister landed in front of me.  This choked me, I inhaled it.  I tried to run away.  When I tried to run away I fell inside a drum.  As I fell inside this drum the policemen were already there.  It was two policemen. Black policemen. I only know one of them.  ALEXANDRA HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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His name is Mtebi.  I don't know the second one.  And four white policemen.  They kicked me.  They hit me with batons as well.  They kicked me many a time.  I think I lost consciousness.  I fainted.  I don't know what happened to these white men.  When I came to I found myself in hospital, at the General Hospital.  They bandaged me on the left shoulder.  I had fractured my arm, my left arm.  They kicked my teeth out as well.  Even in my forehead I was injured.  That is how I was injured.

MS MKHIZE: I thank you.  You can go on.  You said you found yourself in hospital.  In hospital the policemen were on guard.  What did they say?

MR MATJILA: I was not guarded by policemen at the hospital.  I stayed only one week at the hospital, I don't know who took me there but I was looking for this one comrade Ango.  He is the one who went home where I am staying and he told my mother and my friend's mother, Mama Maureen, about the fact that I am in hospital.  And Willem rushed to my home in Hammanskraal to tell my mother that I had been injured, I was in hospital.

MS MKHIZE: As you think why did the police just arrive at that time and assault you people whilst you were busy with a night vigil?

MR MATJILA: They said they don't want people, they wanted only family members to attend the night vigils not the community members.  We forced matters because Jingles was one of our comrades.

MS MKHIZE: Maybe you can tell us more about yourself.  When you say that you joined Cosas what were you doing at that time?  Were you a student or were you working?  And when you say you joined it were you involved, were you doing
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anything?

MR MATJILA: I was not a student, I was unemployed as well.
I was working at Grifti Chemicals, I remember quite well.  When I joined Cosas I joined them simply because of the noise.  I supported the ideas that they were fighting for.

MS MKHIZE: To wind up your statement you mentioned that you are a member of the ANC Youth League and you are a security marshall.  Can you tell us what happened in 1993.

MR MATJILA: In 1993 we were attending another comrade's funeral, I don't remember his name clearly.  I don't remember the name of the place clearly.  We went to - I don't remember the name of this place clearly.

MS MKHIZE: Here you have written Kensington.

MR MATJILA: Yes, we were at Kensington but it is not in 1993.  The Kensington issue was in 1991.  We were attending a meeting there.  It was a marshals meeting in Kensington.  I was deployed in the parking area of the cars.  To watch the cars, to be on guard.  I was pacing up and down, guarding the cars.  It was in the evening.  I just heard a white man saying here he is and there was a gunshot.  I was so frightened and I fell on the ground and then I rolled and I hid myself under the car so that they shouldn't be able to shoot me.  Whilst I was there some policemen came.  They thought I was shot.  They took me to the hall.  Whilst I was there at the hall Comrade Popo Molefe was there and Paul Mashatele and Barbara Hogan was working at regional office.  They gave me water because I was frightened.  Then I became better.  It is Paul Mashatele and Barbara and Popo Molefe.  They took me to Cleveland police station.  When we got to the Cleveland police station they told us that they cannot take a statement there.  It must be taken to GP police
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station and we proceeded there.  They took the statement there and we told them as to how the policemen attempted to shoot me.  And thereafter we came back.  They told me that they will come and fetch me because the meeting will proceed.  The policemen came back to fetch me after a few days and they took me to the GP police station.  When we got there they asked me that same question as to what happened on that particular day.  I told them again the very same story as to what happened on that particular day.  They took me back to where I was working and that was the end of it.

MS MKHIZE: I thank you sir.  I would request the Chairperson to give the other commissioners a chance to ask any questions.

YASMINE SOOKA: Thank you Mr Matjila.  We have heard your story and in fact the evidence of the witness before you was also about Jingles Magoti's death.  You have described what had happened to you and we will investigate the matter and come back to you.  Thank you for coming forward today.  Is there anything that you would like to add before we finish?

MR MATJILA: My mother would like to say something on my behalf.

MRS MATJILA: I am his mother.

MRS MATJILA: (s.s.):  I was very disturbed when somebody came at home in Hammanskraal to tell me about this child, that he is in hospital in Johannesburg.  He has been injured.  I was ill at that time but I was very thankful when they came to tell me how he is.  He is helpless, he can't do anything, he can't lift anything heavy.  Secondly they took out his teeth, they extracted his teeth.  He is weak.  He can hardly move for a long time.  He is not fit enough.  I was hurt as a parent but what he did, he did it on behalf of the nation
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 and he was helping me as his parent.  I don't have much more to say but I would like to thank all the people who have gathered here and I know that God is the only one who says that we must reveal the truth and all these crooks they must come and account.  I thank you.

YASMINE SOOKA: Thank you for what you have expressed.  All the people who come forward are saying the same thing, that the people who did this must come forward and say why they did it.  We have heard you, we hope that they are hearing you and that they will come forward voluntarily.  Thank you for your evidence as well.