Amnesty Hearings — Vanderbijlpark — 1999-05-18

ADV SIGODI: There's just one point which I would like to clarify.  In your evidence-in-chief you said that your son, John Buwa, was in another room with his wife, do you recall that?

ELSIE BUWA: Yes, I did say so.

ADV SIGODI: And under cross-examination I made a note that you said that
"He came after the attack, when he was trying to hide his children"

ELSIE BUWA: He went out to hide the children.

ADV SIGODI: So where was he at the time of the attack, where was John at the time of the attack?

ELSIE BUWA: We were all inside the house.

ADV SIGODI: He didn't come from some other place into the house, trying to hide his children?

ELSIE BUWA: No, he never went anywhere else.

ADV SIGODI: Were you aware that there was teargas during the afternoon on that day?

ELSIE BUWA: Yes, they did fire teargas as they passed along the streets and a canister also fell onto my yard.

ADV SIGODI: So can you say that there was tension during that time in the township?

ELSIE BUWA: ...(no English interpretation)

ADV SIGODI: Can you say that there was tension in the township after the police had fired teargas in the township in the afternoon?

ELSIE BUWA: Yes, there was.

ADV SIGODI: And were you aware of any trenches that were dug in your street?

ELSIE BUWA: Yes, there were.

ADV SIGODI: Do you know why they were dug?

ELSIE BUWA: I do not know.

CHAIRPERSON: Yes, thank you Ma'am, you may step down.
WITNESS EXCUSED

MR BERGER: Chairperson, before I call the next witness, could I hand back this - I don't know if it's an original, but it's a statement of, purports to be the statement of Elsie Buwa.

CHAIRPERSON: Yes, very well.

MR BERGER: Chairperson, the next witness is Ms Florence Molete.  She will be giving evidence in Sesotho.

FLORENCE MOLETE: (sworn states)

MR BERGER: Thank you, Chairperson.
	Ms Molete, is it correct that you are the sister of Miriam Molete?

MS F MOLETE: Yes.

MR BERGER: And on the 17th of June 1992, where were you living?

MS F MOLETE: I was residing at 17 Slovo Park.

MR BERGER: Who were you living with?

MS F MOLETE: I was staying alone.

MR BERGER: And that particular night, the night of the attack, who was living with you?

MS F MOLETE: I went to fetch Miriam and her husband to come and stay with me.

MR BERGER: And their daughter, is that correct?

MS F MOLETE: Yes, and their daughter, Mita.

MR BERGER: Now can you tell the Committee about how you experienced the start of the attack, what happened that, or what were you doing when you experienced the start of the attack?

MS F MOLETE: I was employed at that time.  When I came from work I found Miriam at that place with their property, then I told them to use another bedroom and then I told them I will sleep in the kitchen.

MR BERGER: Can I ask you please to speak slower because the interpreter has to interpret your evidence.  Right, where were you working?

MS F MOLETE: I was working at Bratot Supermarket in Boipatong.

MR BERGER: You arrived home and you found your sister and her husband and their daughter, with their goods at your place?

MS F MOLETE: That's correct.

MR BERGER: Can you remember what time that was?

MS F MOLETE: I knocked off at around 7 o'clock in the evening.

MR BERGER: And you went straight home?

MS F MOLETE: Yes, that's correct, I went straight home.

MR BERGER: Alright.  What happened then?

MS F MOLETE: When I arrived at home I was very happy that I'm going to live with them.  At around a quarter to ten at night, then I heard a noise outside, because we had already finished our conversation, we had already prayed, then I said to Miriam: "There is something going on outside" and then I peeped through the hole in the door.  As I was peeping ...(intervention)

MR BERGER: Slow down.  Do you remember what you were doing at the time when you heard the noise?

MS F MOLETE: I had already finished praying, I was about to put on my nightdress.

MR BERGER: And Miriam, what was she doing?

MS F MOLETE: They were in the bedroom and they had already closed the door.   She was there with her family.

MR BERGER: So you said to her: "Come and have a look", is that right?

MS F MOLETE: I peeped through and then I called, I said: "Matseleng, there is something happening outside".

MR BERGER: Well before you called your sister, what did you see as you peeped through?

MS F MOLETE: I saw many people, they were many.  That's when I heard the breaking down of windows outside, then I called her, then I said: "Matseleng, there is something going on outside".

MR BERGER: Slow down please.  Could you make out anything about these men, who they were, how they were dressed, anything of that sort?

MS F MOLETE: When I peeped through they were at a distance, they were next to Agnes' shack, which is far away from my place.

MR BERGER: Alright, so you called your sister and you said: "Have a look, there's something funny going on".

MS F MOLETE: That's correct, Sir.

MR BERGER: And then what happened?

MS F MOLETE: Her husband said to me I should leave all those things that are happening outside, we should go and sleep.

MR SIBANYONI: That was Phule?

MS F MOLETE: That's correct, that's Phule.

MR BERGER: So what did you do?

MS F MOLETE: I kept quiet and put on my nightdress.  While I was still doing that I heard a stone hitting the door, it hit again the second time and the third time the door opened.

MR BERGER: This is now the door of your shack?

MS F MOLETE: That's correct, in the kitchen where I was sleeping.

MR BERGER: Alright, what happened then?

MS F MOLETE: When the door opened a man stood there and then he called others, then I screamed, then I said: "Here are people at the door".  While I was screaming they had already broken down the kitchen window and they entered through that window.
	When they entered they beat me.  While they were still beating me ...(intervention)

MR BERGER: Just slow down, slow down.

CHAIRPERSON: You screamed and said: "Here are men inside"?

MS F MOLETE: Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: And then what happened thereafter?

MS F MOLETE: Thereafter they were already inside and they were assaulting me.

MR BERGER: Before we get there, you say they broke down the window.

MS F MOLETE: That's correct, Sir.

MR BERGER: Was the window part of a wall?

MS F MOLETE: This shack was made from hardboards, not corrugated irons, the window was in the bedroom.  In the kitchen there was no window.

MR BERGER: So when the window was broken down, did that also break down the hardboard?

MS F MOLETE: The window broke down but then the door had already been opened and we could see the light coming inside.

MR BERGER: Coming from where?

MS F MOLETE: It was moonlight and the lights.

MR BERGER: What are the lights that you are referring to?

MS F MOLETE: There is a light in QwaQwa Street and there is another one at the curve of Bakwena Street.  These are long lights.  And next to my shack there were also big lights and they were on at that time.

MR BERGER: The long lights that you're referring to, are those the apollo lights?

MS F MOLETE: That's correct, Sir.

MR BERGER: Can you describe ...(intervention)

MR LAX: Sorry, can I just interpose, Mr Berger.
	I thought I heard you say that "next to my shack there's also one".  I just couldn't hear you, you were going quite quickly, talking about a light.  Did I hear correctly?

MS F MOLETE: I say there is a light in QwaQwa Street and its light reached our place.  At the beginning of the Boipatong Houses, those houses have lights outside and we could see because the light comes to our shack, also into my yard as well.

MR LAX: So I've got a note here that says
"There's a light in QwaQwa Street and then another on the curve of Bakwena"
... you said.