Human Rights Violation Hearings — Winelands — 1996-10-16

WENDY ORR: [indistinct] welcome to you, you've brought a friend, Ann De Bruyn.  Thank you Ann for accompanying her, Maria will you please stand to take the oath.
MARIA REGINA SEGRYS  Duly sworn states

WENDY ORR: Thank you very much, I will ask advocate  Denzil Potgieter to lead your evidence.

ADV POTGIETER: Thank you very much Wendy, Chairperson just indicate that the testimony of the next 4 witnesses relates to the same incident which the Mayor Mr McClune spoke about in Wolseley on the 24th of November 1990.  They were all injured in the incident and we will hear their testimony about what happened to them personally in this particular incident.
 Ms Segrys can you hear well, a hearty welcome to you here once again.  The Mayor of Wolseley has described to us what the circumstances that day were.  What happened that day in Wolseley or in general what happened.  You yourself was also shot that day, is that correct?

MS SEGRYS: Yes.

ADV POTGIETER: Would you like to tell us what specifically happened to you, how did it happen that you were shot that day?

MS SEGRYS: I was involved in the Inauguration of this hall, I went home to buy some cigarettes.  I was just standing there and I went to the  shop.  It was just in between the hall and the Montana  Cafe, I was standing there counting my  money.  While I was counting the money people shouted
Run, run he was going to shoot you.
I didn't take that into regard and I just kept on counting my money, it was R1-80 - that was the last money I had.  Somebody said - it was - somebody said look around and the police started shooting and I said
Don't shoot me.
And he just shot and he kept on shooting till I fell down.
 While I was lying there I look him right into the face and he kept on shooting me.  And then eventually I left - I lost my conscience.  Later on when I regained consciousness I decided I'm going to run and try to get home.  I only got so far as 2 old woman and they assisted me and took me to Ms Fredericks' house.  Ms Zeeman took one of the people's shirts and put a bandage around the vain on my leg where I was hurt.  Afterwards I remained in her house and Ms Zeeman came there and said there was a ambulance waiting, they took me to the Community Hall where the ambulance was waiting.  
Where  - while we were waiting for the other people we went to Dr Nell's surgery.  We waited there for about 20 minutes and then Mr Adam Clune - McClune arrived there.  He and my mother-in-law, they were talking while the ambulance drivers were assisting the people.  Afterwards we were taken to the Eben Donges Hospital where we were treated.  2 weeks - 2 to 3 weeks afterwards we appeared in court.  
We told our whole story in court and later it happened that the whole court case came to a standstill and nothing happened.  Because - and then I decided I had to make a plan to go back to work.  Later I got married, my husband assisted me and the bird shot was removed from my leg and from my forehead, my arm and my leg.  He said he couldn't do anything about my hand because the bullet was lodged in a sinew.

ADV POTGIETER: Thank you very much Ms Segrys, who was the policeman who shot you?

MS SEGRYS: I don't know whether he's a Sergeant but his surname was Young.

ADV POTGIETER: From where was he?

MS SEGRYS: I don't know because it was police from various towns.

ADV POTGIETER: How do you know what his name  was?

MS SEGRYS: The name - the day I appeared in court I saw his name on his jacket.

ADV POTGIETER: With what was you shot - were you shot?

MS SEGRYS: With birdshot.

ADV POTGIETER: Do you still suffer from effects of those wounds?

MS SEGRYS: Yes, it's still bothering me.  Sometimes I feel dizzy and I feel very tired and when there is - when there's very bright sunlight it hurts my eyes.

ADV POTGIETER: You also went to Dr Nell's surgery that day, is that right?  Do you know Dr Nell?

MS SEGRYS: Yes, he's my house doctor.

ADV POTGIETER: Did he treat you?

MS SEGRYS: No, we never saw him, he never came to where we were.

ADV POTGIETER: How long did you wait at the doctor's surgery?

MS SEGRYS: We waited for about half an hour or little more, we were laying on the grass.

ADV POTGIETER: And in that time you never saw Dr Nell?

MS SEGRYS: No never.

ADV POTGIETER: Ms Segrys is there anything else we wish to bring under our attention?  Is there anything else you would like us to investigate for you?

MS SEGRYS: No there is nothing else.

ADV POTGIETER: You've said everything you wanted to say?

MS SEGRYS: Yes.

ADV POTGIETER: Thank you very much.

MS GOBODO: Thank you, any questions?  Thank you very much for coming this afternoon all the way from Wolseley.  Wolseley is a very small town, we are delighted that you could be part of this event - that is a national event and that for once we hear those voices from Wolseley.
 We are sorry to share your - that you have suffered the pain of abuse on the day of the march and we would like to assure you that we would pay attention to the request that you have made, thank you very much.