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

JAMES BARILENG THLAPI: Nicholas disappeared in 1986.  He was 26 years old when he disappeared. It was during the week. I don't remember the day, but it was on the 20th of March.  It was about something to eight in the evening.  He met with me when I met, when I was at the gate.  He was going out, running and then he stopped and said to me - he was wearing a white shirt with a tie and a black trousers.  He said to me I am going to Klerksdorp and we are going to Klerksdorp, we are going to the funerals of other friends who were killed by the police.  Then I said to him I see that the situation is tense, it is tense, are you able to pass through Klerksdorp with all the road blocks which are there on the roads.  Then he said to me I am going with my friends, we will be able to pass through.  Then I allowed him to go.  I saw him for the last time that time when I was talking with him on the 20th of March.
 On the 21st I got a message when I just knocked off.  One of my children said to me that it is unfortunate my brother has been arrested.  They got to a road block between - in Klerksdorp and where they have been locked in.  
 Later in the evening then I asked them who told you.  Then they said we were told by Uncle Oompie, which is George Mamojane.   Then they told me that if we can see him, he has KLERKSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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been beaten the way that we will not believe.  But he said when you knock off he will come and see you.  Then he arrived in the evening whilst I was still at home. Then he told me that Mr Thlapi, we are unfortunate, we had a problem, we were arrested and some of them I don't know where they are now.  Then he asked me if the boytjie had come home. Then I said no.  Then he said Boytjie threw him through the window, they have beaten him with April and Viljoen.   Then they called him in a room where Boytjie was.  That is where Mamajani has seen Boytjie lying down. But he was bleeding from the mouth and from the nose.   
 Then I said to him if you are the way you are now, where is he, and how is he.  Then he said I don't know.  Those who were arrested from Potchefstroom, he didn't know where they were.  Because from where he was electrocuted, George Mamajane was taken to where the petrol bombs were.  From when he left that place, he was taken by the police, beating him with the sjamboks through out by the gate.  That is why he was able to come home.  
 For me to be confused, there were women who came to look for children at Skilpadfontein.  When they arrived at Stilfontein I was unable to come at that time to Stilfontein.  Mrs Sara Dlamani said to me my son, you are going to waste your time, because we are from there.  We are not allowed to see them, they don't want us to see them.  April is the one who is in charge, he said you old women, you are witches, you are making these children to cause confusion.  That's where I was unable to make an attempt to go to that place because they will deny me to enter.  Then again, when we were afraid that if we go there, I am going to be emotional and they are going to harass me again. 
KLERKSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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 On the 10th of April, where my wife is working, she used to tell her employer called Mr Strauss.  Then Strauss told my wife that just tell your husband to come and talk and see that we are able to go to Stilfontein.  That is where I got hope that if I go with a White person maybe we will be successful.  I did that. I went to Strauss, and he said I should go with the boy who told me, with George Mamajane, so that I should go with him. 
 We went, we went to Stilfontein at the police station on the 10th of April. When we arrived at Stilfontein, we used the left-hand side gate, which was the side used by the CIDs.  When we arrived there, then George pointed out which office they were.  Then we were putting Mr Strauss in the middle.  We were welcomed by Mr Viljoen.  Because when we entered they pointed out, the policeman pointed out where we should go.  So when we entered there, he welcomed Mr Strauss. Then he asked him saying good morning, Sir, I am Lourens Du Plessis Viljoen.  Then he said what do you want.  Then he said I am coming to look and to ask about my employee's son.  They were talking Afrikaans. Then he said your employee's son?  Then he said are you a lawyer?  Then that one said no, I am not a lawyer, I am a professor at the Potchefstroom University.  Then he said - after he said are you a lawyer, then he said no. Then he said you should step aside, you may enter.  Then Mr Strauss entered, and then he talked with him, the person who came to look for the son, he left outside.  The person who came to look for his son he left outside.  After a few moments we were called.  We entered together with George Mamajane, because we were together.  When we entered, when he looked at George Mamajane, he said you are one of those people who are here.  KLERKSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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Then he said yes.  Then he took off his clothes, then he said look how you have beaten me.  Then this Strauss, he didn't know that the person who we are with has scars.  Then Strauss was surprised to see that person looking that way. Then I could see that this man is now in despair.  Then he made us to go back. Then he was left with Mr Strauss.  
 Thereafter they called us again.  Then he had files with him.  Those files when I remember, there were nine files.  This officer Viljoen said to us, he said you must listen to your child's name.  Thereafter he had seen that this person has scars, he was a little bit soft.   Then he said you must listen for your child's name.  He read the first file. Then all the files, all of them were from Potchefstroom.  You must know that these files are from Potchefstroom, if you don't know, if he is not here then he is not here.  Then the third file, the fourth one jumped and he said he is not from Potchefstroom.  The third one and the other one, he said the other one is not from Potchefstroom. Then he read others again.  Then he said there you have it.  Then because we didn't have powers, because that man Mr Strauss was not a lawyer, I didn't have questions to ask. I was unable to ask what about the two, why did you jump the two, whose names are those.  Because they were rough at that time.  
 We left that office. After he said he was not there, then we went back to Potchefstroom.  We were taken to the petrol pumps.  When we were at the gate, I said to him again, and said I produced a photo and said haven't you seen this person.  Then he looked and then after he had looked, he was - he liked the other one, he said give me this one.  He appeared well on the photo.  Then he took that photo.  He KLERKSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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told me - he was speaking Afrikaans saying you, Mr Thlapi, don't be in despair for your child, I am going to look for your child, in all the places, in prisons, in hospitals, I will try by all means, and this photo which I have, I am going to take care of it, that you should get it back again.  Then I told him it is okay. 
 Then we left with Mr Strauss.  We went back home.  When we arrived at the gate at Ikageng, Mr Strauss was going to Kynenoch, because he had something to do there or to a meeting, because he was in a hurry for the meeting. Then he asked Josh to go out, and then I was left with him in the car.  Then I said did you hear what that man was saying, then when you are together with him.  Then Mr Strauss said to me Mr Thlapi, this man has told me I should always be aware that my son was always with people who were doing wrong things.  Then he was saying he was with that bad company.  Then I just said if he was with bad company, where is he.  That's how it ended that day. We separated and went our different ways.

THOMAS MANTHATA: You are talking about investigations which were done in 1986.