Human Rights Violation Hearings — Tembisa — 1996-11-26

TIMOTHY TONY MABENA: Ja.  Probably one would start with my detention TEMBISA HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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in 1977.  I was detained by a policeman called Johan Coetzee.  I was by then the Secretary of the Black People's Convention.  At that stage our chairperson which at that stage was James Malea was already detained and a colleague Mike Mtembu were also tortured.  I was brought to Rabasoto.
 On our way to Rabasoto Johan Coetzee asked me that is it possible that Black people can rule this country.  He spoke in Afrikaans and he said to me "Timothy do you think the Black people will rule this country", and I said "Yes".  And he said to me "You are going to jail, just like Mandela".  They brought me to Rabasoto.
 At Rabasoto they took me to one room which had blood all over and Johan Coetzee told me that "Do you see this blood, if you are not going to speak the truth your blood is going to be spilled all over this room".  The other room, where they started beating me, they put a plastic bag over my head and started beating me on the head, on the body and they were using a hammer to beat me on my feet.  At that stage there was some, because I could not see, some policemen who were laughing when I was beaten up and I lost consciousness.  I don't know for how long, but when I gained consciousness I heard Johan Coetzee telling, that was Pat Vilikazi, that "go and through this dog away".  He took me.  I went home and my grandfather could not recognise me.  I was then taken to a doctor, who has passed away, Doctor Khwele at Kopanong Section, where X-rays were taken and I was referred to the hospital.

YASMINE SOOKA: Do you want to tell us about the time that you were also held in Modderbee Prison?

TIMOTHY TONY MABENA: The second, I think it was when I was the General Secretary of the Tembisa Resident Association, and
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at around one o'clock a policeman called Borman came to my house.  With him were close to six, if not seven, other White policemen.  At that stage my wife was also the Secretary of the Women's League.  They started searching the house around one o'clock and picked up some documents that we had at that stage.  They arrested us.  They took us first to Rabasoto and after Rabasoto they took us to Spartan.  They took us to two separate rooms and at that stage Borman left and one huge White policeman came to me and he gave me a paper to say I should write down everything that I know about the Tembisa Resident Association.  But before he came already Borman had slapped me because he said "I must just cooperate".  He asked me to write everything that I know about the Tembisa Resident Association.  
 After writing I handed this paper to this White man and at that stage, close to ten policemen came and this huge White man asked them who is this one, and everybody laughed and he said "no this Timothy Mabena, Resident Association, and if we are having him here we don't know what is going to happen about the rent boycott".  I was then taken to Modderbee Prison.
 Before I could be taken to Modderbee Prison Borman came and commented and said to me I am going to join my colleagues which is Paul Maseko, Isak Nypai and Alithiani who were then at the Modderbee Prison.  He said what other thing do I want from him, I said he can release me.  He came back and he said your wife will be released and she is going to take your clothes, you will be going to Modderbee and we are going to charge you with treason.  We stayed at Modderbee until we were released with restrictions.  I have a copy of the restrictions which was signed on the 21st of TEMBISA HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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February 1989 by the then Minister of Law of Order Adriaan Vlok.

YASMINE SOOKA: You also spent some time on Robben Island, do you want to tell us about that?

TIMOTHY TONY MABENA: No I never, I have never been to Robben Island.

YASMINE SOOKA: You didn't.  Mr Mabena you probably have quite a lot of information on the kind of activities that took place in this area and you mention that you were a member of the Tembisa Residents Association.

TIMOTHY TONY MABENA: Yes.

YASMINE SOOKA: From the statements that we have received in this area there seemed to have been a number of problems.  I wonder if you could tell us a little about the group called "The Toasters"?

TIMOTHY TONY MABENA: I think the group called "Toasters" started at Umtambeka Section after one leader has pointed a gun at somebody, because those youngsters at that stage, it was more of information, because I was the leader of the Residents Association and we had our own sectional committees who were giving us and who were briefing us on what was happening at the sections.  We were told at that stage that a group of youngsters wanted one leader to be killed at Umtambeka Section, and those youngsters were just adamant, ill-disciplined, who never wanted to listen to the leaders.  When the sectional committee wanted to discipline them they actually ran away from Umtambeka Section to Vosimuzi Hostel.  That's the brief that we got from our leadership within the sections.

YASMINE SOOKA: There are also a number of names of policemen.

TIMOTHY TONY MABENA: Yes.

YASMINE SOOKA: Which have appeared quite regularly through the
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statements and I wonder if you could tell us about them, you yourself was interrogated by one of them.  Are they still around in this area?  Were they members of the Security Branch?

TIMOTHY TONY MABENA: Yes.  Let me go back to 1977 and '78.  I was a student at the University of the North.  At that stage one security policeman, which is Pat Vilikazi came to the University with Johan Coetzee.  Pat Vilikazi as a policeman is still alive because when we received these orders to sign at the police station, at one stage it was round about one o'clock, whilst I was signing at the police station he was there.  On a number of occasions I have seen him preaching.  He is at Rabasoto Police Station.  He is now wearing a uniform.  About Johan Coetzee all I learnt is that he passed away.  There is another one who was the lieutenant, the second in charge to Johan Coetzee that was Groenewald and there are some - the other one is Twale also.  It's a policeman who was engaged with Borman.  There was another old man whom I've learnt that he's also related to one Chief's soccer player Fani Madida who used to stay at Umtambeka Section.  Those policemen are still alive except I don't know the whereabouts of Johan Coetzee.  Borman I believe is still in Spartan.

YASMINE SOOKA: Are they integrated within the community now?

TIMOTHY TONY MABENA: The last time when I saw Borman he was watching our march when we marched against "Toasters" to the police station.  I, and a colleague of mine approached him and asked him, Borman are you still a policeman, and I believe he's integrated.

YASMINE SOOKA: Thank you.  Is there anything that you would like to add to your statement?
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TIMOTHY TONY MABENA: What I would like to add to my statement is that I think Johan Coetzee interrupted my future, because in 1978 I had to run away and not finish my degree.  That's all I want to tell the Commission that when looking at my statement they should consider that my education was interrupted by Pat Vilikazi and Johan Coetzee and Groenewald.

YASMINE SOOKA: Could you tell us a little bit about what you actually do now?

TIMOTHY TONY MABENA: What I do now?

YASMINE SOOKA: What are you employed as if you ...(intervention)

TIMOTHY TONY MABENA: I am presently employed by the National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa as an organiser.

YASMINE SOOKA: Thank you.  I am going to ask the others if they have any questions to ask you.