Human Rights Violation Hearings — Leandra — 1997-06-03

CHAIRPERSON: I would like now to call the second witness who is actually Sullivan Molokoane, Sullivan Molokoane who is going to tell us about the case involving his brother Barney Molokoane who, in fact, was killed together with two other people, Vincent Siketi and Victor Kayana and we have with us today together with Sullivan, the grandmother of Victor Kayana who has travelled all the way from the Transkei to be with us today.  Mr Molokoane would you like to put on the earphones?  Okay, can you hear through the earphones?

SULLIVAN P MOLOKOANE: Yes sir.

CHAIRPERSON: It is clear.

SULLIVAN P MOLOKOANE: Yes sir.

CHAIRPERSON: Thanks.  Can you tell us who is with you please.  Just, you do not need to stand yet, just sit, yes.  If you could just tell us who is with you.

SULLIVAN P MOLOKOANE: On my right-hand I have got my mum who is Barney's mother.  On my left I have the old lady, I will just, a mother to Victor Kayana, she is from Transkei.

CHAIRPERSON: Fine, thank you very much.  We would like to welcome you here.

SULLIVAN P MOLOKOANE: Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Okay.  Is it alright if we continue so long?

SULLIVAN P MOLOKOANE: Yes sir.

CHAIRPERSON: Okay.  Before I ask Joyce Seroke to lead your evidence could you please stand.

SULLIVAN P MOLOKOANE: (Duly sworn in, states).

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you very much.  I would like to ask Joyce Seroke, please, to lead you.  Thank you.

MS SEROKE: I will ask Hugh to also ask Mama Kayana to stand up.  I know she has not made a statement yet, but if she could also make the oath and after this we will ask her to submit a statement to our statement takers.

CHAIRPERSON: Okay.

MS SEROKE: She is ready.

MRS KAYANA: (Duly sworn in, states).

MS SEROKE: Sullivan, we welcome you.  Would you rather speak in English or Sotho or Zulu.

SULLIVAN P MOLOKOANE: I prefer English.

MS SEROKE: You prefer English, okay.  You have come to tell us about what happened to your brother, Barney Molokoane, and, according to my calculations, he must have been 19 years old when he disappeared in 1976, because you say he was born in 1985.

SULLIVAN P MOLOKOANE: Yes.

MS SEROKE: On the 27th of August.  Could you tell me what was he doing before he disappeared.

SULLIVAN P MOLOKOANE: Barney was attending school at one of the local schools, a technical school.

MS SEROKE: Where?  Where?

SULLIVAN P MOLOKOANE: In Soweto, yes, in vocational training centre  He was a builder there.

MS SEROKE: And was he an active member of the ANC?

SULLIVAN P MOLOKOANE: Just to tell the honest truth, we were not aware of that.  All I can say is that during the upheavals of 1976 that is how, that is when we missed Barney mysteriously.

MS SEROKE: Before he disappeared he did not give you any indication that he was going to skip the country?

SULLIVAN P MOLOKOANE: Could I make a request.  You know, I am getting interrupted, I wish the lady can stop then I can speak.  I cannot hear.

MS SEROKE: Which.  I think you should remove your earphones.

SULLIVAN P MOLOKOANE: Okay.

MS SEROKE: Then you will not get the translation.

SULLIVAN P MOLOKOANE: Okay, thanks.

MS SEROKE: Just to go back to my question.

SULLIVAN P MOLOKOANE: Yes.

MS SEROKE: Before he left the country did he give any indication to you or your mum that he was going to skip the country?

SULLIVAN P MOLOKOANE: That evening when he disappeared he said nothing to us.  There was a call opposite, a house opposite our house where we were staying, you know, his acquaintance, regular guys that use to call him, like, going out to soccer to go and have some practises in the evening.  So, these guys, you know, this guy called him by the name Barney, Barney, it was like seven o' clock in the evening and then off he left, because he was a soccer right and as usual he would attend his, you know, his practises and then that very evening he never came back home in the evening till the next morning.  Then when he could not turn up, then I said to my mum, you know, what Barney is doing I do not like, maybe he thinks he is a bull in this house, I will deal with him.  What we did now the next day, that was on Monday, we went to this guys home who was calling him.
 When we arrived there and then we found out from the younger brother to this guy who was calling Barney, we found him and then we asked him where is Barney, I will not quote the guys name because there no mention to this.  I said where is Barney and so and so.  Then they said, this young  chap said I, me, I do not know, all I heard, I heard them, you know, saying they were like talking and then I heard them saying they were going to skip the country.  Then it became obvious to us that Barney had left though we never knew where he had left to.  Then all what followed, I will go through my statement, in fact, if I may.  Since he disappeared what followed thereafter was unending visits by a convoy of police who would search for Barney and they impounded his reference book at John Vorster Square and they pleaded with us, if we see Barney we must inform them, the police.  We just made empty promises to that effect and we never told them anything about Barney.  
 Then in 1986, that is now after his disappearance.  In 1986, can I say, yes 1986, there was a telegram from Lusaka.

MRS KAYANA: 85.