Human Rights Violation Hearings — Pietersburg — 1996-07-17

RUSSELL ALLY: Thank you for that Mrs Maditsi.  We also had our investigator come and try and find out about this case of your son Solomon and the account that he was given was that there was this march to the chief's kraal by the youth with Solomon and this flag, because they wanted to stop this conflict and the burning of houses.  And it seems as if the police then appeared and the police started shooting at the marchers, and that is when Solomon was shot.
Now our investigator does not have anything on the actual hacking, but you say it wasn't the shooting that killed your son, it was he was actually hacked to death with a panga, that's what caused his death.

MRS MADITSI: Chief Masha is responsible.  If he wasn't responsible he would have never donated four cows.  One mistake he made, he brought these cows without even telling me anything.  I only saw the cows and I was told that they were from Chief Masha.  I cannot even identify him, I can't even tell you how his face looks. I only saw the cows and I was told they were from Chief Masha.

RUSSELL ALLY: Did you get a death certificate which showed how your son actually died?

MRS MADITSI: No I don't have one.  The police at Nebo took the bullet as well as the death certificate.

RUSSELL ALLY: Thank you Mrs Maditsi, as I say our investigators are looking at this and I'm sure that they will try and follow up some of these things.  I don't know if there are any other questions.

THOMAS MANTHATA: We will wait for any report from our investigative unit as to what kind of situation was prevailing at that time.  Was there a political conflict, were these organisations supported by the youth only.

MRS MADITSI: I have to say, my son was a UDF member.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Were they fighting with the UDF members at Masha's place.

MRS MADITSI: No they were not fighting.  They wanted to stop the fight that was started by the people from Chief Masha's place.  They said we have to be united as black people.  Now this fight, I don't understand this issue, Mr Letshabane and the people from Masha's place were fighting.  Letshabane was the chairperson at the school and seemingly there had been votes and Leshabane was high above in votes and the people at Masha's place didn't want him to be chairing.  It's not only Mr Letshabane's house that was burned.  Many peoples' homes were burned on that day.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Now what was the youths' involvement if Letshabane was on the school committee?  Why were the youths involved to resolving the conflict between Maja's people and the other people?  Who was controlling the school in actual fact?

MRS MADITSI: Letshabane stays at stays at Masha's place at Staykraal, he was the chairperson there, and then after voting, he was above the other gentlemen that were with him.  No I don't know whether he was a member of the UDF or not.

THOMAS MANTHATA: I thank you I don't have any more questions.

RUSSELL ALLY: Mrs Maditsi, as I said, we will be following up all of these questions. And thank you very much for coming.  I know it was a long day.  We begin tomorrow at nine o'clock  and we will try this time to stick to the order and to the time.  Thank you.
HEARING ADJOURNS.