Human Rights Violation Hearings — Ladybrand — 1997-06-25

WITNESS:   I am the one supporting them.  They are not working and the twins are still at school, and I am here on behalf of their mother.

CHAIRPERSON: Do you have a family member here in the house with you?

WITNESS:   They accompanied me to hear and they went back home, and he said he will come pick me up later.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you, Mama.  We are going to hear a story relating to the shooting of your daughter, as well as the death of eight other people.

WITNESS:   That is correct,

CHAIRPERSON: I will ask you to tell us the story, and I will be there to help you and guide you while you are telling us your story.  Can you tell us, Ma'am, what happened to your daughter?

WITNESS:   She was coming from work, and when she passed through Maseru West she was called that there was a party.  I was told that when she was on the chair she had a plate in her hand, and she was shot at the forehead and here on the cheek.  She was killed with a gun that had a silencer.

CHAIRPERSON: I will just guide you by referring to your statement here.  You say that your daughter was invited to a party.

WITNESS:   That is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: And your daughter went there with eight others.   Did she know this coloured man?

WITNESS:   No, I do not know him.

CHAIRPERSON: The eight other people who went with her, who were they?

WITNESS:   I do not know them, but some of them were in exile in Lesotho.  I do not know them.

CHAIRPERSON: You daughter belonged to a political organisation?

WITNESS:   Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: What organisation?

WITNESS:   BCP.

CHAIRPERSON: Bethlehem Congress Party.

WITNESS:   That is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: Did they belong to the same party?

WITNESS:   I really do not know.

CHAIRPERSON: (Inaudible) ... remember?

WITNESS:   Some were members of the ANC.

CHAIRPERSON: So when they went to this party they were shot, all of them?

WITNESS:   All of them.  I was told that the man and his wife were left behind, and they crossed the border to the South Africa and the house was locked.  That was after they accomplished their mission.

CHAIRPERSON: So, do you believe that this coloured man and his wife were colluding with the South African Government?

WITNESS:   Yes, that's my belief.

CHAIRPERSON: Tell me, Mama, what happened after that?  When they were shot by these men what happened thereafter?  How did you know they were shot?  How did you find them?

WITNESS:   A friend to my daughter who was staying together with her in Maseru came looking for me.

CHAIRPERSON: And what did you do?

WITNESS:   I did not do anything.  We went to fetch her from the mortuary and we buried her.

CHAIRPERSON: Who removed your daughter and the eight others from the house?

WITNESS:   I was told the police removed them.

CHAIRPERSON: Do you have an idea of who were those eight other people?

WITNESS:   No, I don't have an idea.  I do not know them.

CHAIRPERSON: Did you ever speak to any of the police about your daughter's death?

WITNESS:   I have never spoken to them.  There was no way to speak to them.  We were so scared of them, and they did not take any initiative.

CHAIRPERSON: When you found your daughter in the mortuary what injuries did she have?

WITNESS:   She had a bullet wound on the forehead, on the cheek, and on the chest.  Three bullet wounds.  That was on the head and on the chest.

CHAIRPERSON: You had a funeral.  Was it just a funeral for her, or was the funeral for the whole group?

WITNESS:   She was buried alone.

CHAIRPERSON: Did you ever meet the families of the others, the other eight?

WITNESS:   No.

CHAIRPERSON: You said you did not know who are the people who did this to your daughter.  What are your suspicions?

WITNESS:   People were saying the occupant of the house was this coloured man and his wife.

CHAIRPERSON: And the people who actually killed your daughter, you still don't know who they were who actually shot your daughter?

WITNESS:   I do not know them even to this day.

CHAIRPERSON: Was there any court case?  Did you report this to the police station?

WITNESS:   No.

CHAIRPERSON: So there was no court case?

WITNESS:   You are correct.

CHAIRPERSON: (Inaudible) ... inquest?

WITNESS:   Nothing.

CHAIRPERSON: It's a mystery.  You also say that you were also victimised.  Take your time, Mama.  It's a very difficult situation.  (Pause)  You also say you were victimised at work and you lost your job because of your daughter's death.

WITNESS:   That is correct, M'Lady.  I was harassed and I was expelled from work.

CHAIRPERSON: Why did they expel you?

WITNESS:   They were saying I am a member of the BCP.

CHAIRPERSON: This BCP, is that the same party that your daughter was?

WITNESS:   That is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: They also had this other party, the Bophutatswana National Party - Basutoland National Party.  You remember that party?

WITNESS:   Yes, I do remember.

CHAIRPERSON: (Inaudible) ...   all about.

WITNESS:   This was a party belonging to the Chief Leabua Jonathan.

CHAIRPERSON: Was it the party that supported the South African Government?

WITNESS:   At that time, yes, you are right.

CHAIRPERSON: I would like to go back again to your daughter's death, because without any information it will be most difficult for us to help and investigate this case.  Do you know anybody else who can help us with some information other than yourself?

WITNESS:   Mr Moroi is not present, but I think he will come later to pick me up.  He is the person who can provide you with information.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Moroi, is he your relative?

WITNESS:   Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: What's your relationship?

WITNESS:   His father and my husband are from the same family, even though the mothers are different.

CHAIRPERSON: Anybody else who can help with some information?

WITNESS:   I do not remember of any person.

CHAIRPERSON: I will ask my colleagues to ask a few questions.

MR LAX: Sorry, I am just waiting to check something.  (Pause)

WITNESS:   You must know that the two children were left behind, the twins.  They were very young at that stage.

CHAIRPERSON: Where are the children now, the two children who were twins?

WITNESS:   They are at home.

CHAIRPERSON: How old are they?

WITNESS:   They were born in 1976.

CHAIRPERSON: (Inaudible) ... 19.

WITNESS:   Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: No, 21, they are both 21.

WITNESS:   Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: (Inaudible)

WITNESS:   The other one is at school.

CHAIRPERSON: And what is he doing?

WITNESS:   The other one is doing standard 10, matric, and the other one completed last year.

CHAIRPERSON: (Inaudible)

WITNESS:   The child is just staying, yes.

CHAIRPERSON: Can you give me their names?

WITNESS:   The other one is Relebohile and Reitunenzi.

CHAIRPERSON: (Inaudible)

WITNESS:   Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: Okay, I think I will ... (incomplete)

MR LAX: Thank you, Chairperson.  Mrs Mohatla, do you remember whether amongst the people that were killed - you've said that some of them were ANC people.

WITNESS:   Yes.

MR LAX: Do you know whether some of them were killed at a different place from that particular house, at another house nearby?

WITNESS:   I do not remember.  They were all killed in one house.

MR LAX: In 1985 there was, as far as we know, an attack by South African Police people on some ANC cadres, but also some people who were just Lesotho citizens, and the circumstances you have described to us is similar to the circumstances of that attack.  In other words these people were lured to a place to attend a party and then they were shot by South Africans armed with firearms with silencers.  You haven't heard anything more in that line from any of the people who have given you information about this situation?

WITNESS:   Yes, I heard such stories.

MR LAX: So it's probably the same incident?

WITNESS:   You are correct.