Human Rights Violation Hearings — Karoo — 1996-10-09

MIMI THEMBA RASMANTE: Chris beat me with a stick of broom.  It broke as a result of the force he used.  There were other policemen who were waiting outside.  They were from Oudsthoorn, they were white policemen.  They were braaing outside, they were drinking beer.  When Chris took me out of that room, he took me to these policemen and these police, they formed a circle and I was hand-cuffed at that time.  They were beating me, taking turns in beating me and they threw me outside the gate.  Before that did that they untied me and they told me to run away.  And then I felt that if I run away they will shoot me.  I just thought that Chris will not shoot me and I decided to come back inside and they were beating me all this time.  They took me to the shower again.  They were assaulting me.  Chris took a stick of broom. He tried by all means to beat me and assault me and he saw that I knew nothing.  He took me back to the cell.  
At about eight to nine, the following day, the policemen took me out of the cell.  They were detectives from Middleburg.  They said to me are you Miemie, and I said yes, they said you are going to say the truth.  They hand-cuffed me and they put a sack on my head. There was a shelf in that office and they put my private parts in that shelf and they electrified me.  They did for a long time, but  they saw that there's nothing I know.  They took me to a car.  One of the policeman I still remember is Leemen and one other detective.  They took me together with them.  I think we drove for about an hour and I drove together with them.  
They stopped at some stage.  They were calling Chris with their two-way radios and Chris answered that yes, I am on my way, I am coming.  And I could hear birds and water in that place.  It seemed like a river somewhere.  They opened the door.  They were torturing me.  They put some things in my fingers and Chris arrived.  There was nothing Chris didn't do to me.    Chris was torturing me.  They then took me back to the cells after assaulting me.  Friday night, on Friday night they came back, they took me, it was Chris and other detectives and other policemen.  They took me to Chris's office and Chris said you are going to say the truth.  They were drinking alcohol at that time.  They were beating me up, taking turns in beating me.  There was one policeman who just said, no leave this mad alone.  Chris refused.  The detectives went out.  I was hand-cuffed at that time.  Chris locked me inside.  I couldn't defend myself.  He left me there.  He came back with other white policemen and one black policeman.  There were five of them.  They were kicking me all over my body.  When I tried to protect myself, they were kicking me at the back while I tried to defend myself.  Kicking me in front until they were tired of doing that and they stopped doing it.  I could feel my bladder.  It was painful at that time. 
 I wanted a doctor and they  told me that I won't get a doctor there.  I will get a doctor in the township.  On Sunday night, Chris came back again.  He took me to one other office.  The one they used to assault me in.  He hand-cuffed my legs and my hands and he was torturing me all the time.  There was an electric wire which was there and he was electrifying me, he was shocking me, my toes.  This wire was choking me and he wanted me to tell the truth and I told him there is nothing I know.  After that I went back to the cell.  
At about four a.m. Chris came back and said this is the last time I'm talking to you and then I told him to do whatever he wants to do to me and I asked him to kill me, because I was suffering at that time.  He said to me he will deal with me that day.  He assaulted me, he beat me with iron rods and my back is painful even today.  I can't sleep with my sides.  I have to sleep with my stomach.  Chris continued to beat me and on Monday at eight people were released on bail.  They were given R20.00 fine and they left me behind together with Dick Xinziba and Xinziba were all left there.  And Dick's mother came and Xinziba's mother came. They said to me they will not allow my family to come, because I was older and the other two were released with a free bail.   And they wanted me to pay R300.00 bail.  
At that time there was another attorney, Maruba from Bloemfontein, who was there.  That lawyer promised that he will find that money for me.  And they took me back to the cell on Monday night.  I slept there at night.  Chris came back.  Chris came back that night.  He said to me he envies me he sent me to buy him a coke and when I told him I am not going to do that, because they already charged me.  I was charged on three cases.  I told him that he must go himself to buy coke.  I am not going to do.  He assaulted me again.  
Early in the morning when I was first to be taken to prison, Stompie came, the one who was, he was a lieutenant here.  He asked me whether I have a complaint.  I said yes,  Chris came and sent me to the shop and I refused and he assaulted me.  Stompie said that I will stop throwing stones and I didn't answer him.  They took me to the prison and I was taken to the enkel cell and I was not allowed to see anyone.   Because they said I have dirty tricks.  I cannot see anyone,  they just want me to die.  They put me in this enkel cell.  I was put in this solitary confinement. 
 At about three they came and they switched off the lights.  The gave me food.  They told me to eat in the dark I just slept.  There was another sergeant known as Batis.  He is a colour sergeant.  He used to come and insult me.  I ignored him.  When the chief came to check us, he wanted me to clean the toilet and to clean the floors.   I told them I am not going to do that.  Batis said we will meet and on the morning at about eight, I was released on bail and the conditions was that I have to go and sign every day at four o'clock.  If I can come after four, ten minutes after four, they will beat me up.
The coloured policeman called Jansen who was always there when I went to sign.  He used to beat me up and I decided not to go and sign and this time.  And the police used to come and look for me.  I used to hide from them.  And the day of the court case I went to the police station together with my brother.  
We arrived there and my case was postponed.  And they told me that my bail will be taken from me because I haven't following the conditions of the bail.  And then I told the Magistrate that when I came to sign and this policeman used to beat me up so that's why I had decided not to follow the conditions of the bail.  
I stayed for a long time in this solitary confinement alone.  Sometimes you would find that I would stay in dark for three days and I would not eat, because I couldn't eat in the dark.  I could even exercise because I stayed in one place for a week.  I couldn't even move.  I had to just sit down.  I stayed there for three to four months and I went to the court.  
They gave me a free bail and I was released.  In April 1986 that is when I was sentenced.  I was accused of four cases.  They also accused me of burning one lady who was burnt here in the township and I told them that I was arrested, I was in prison at that time.  I went to Middleburg.  My lawyer was Mr Mpati.  At that time I had three court cases.  The fourth one I told them I was not there.  They sentenced me.  I won the first case.  And the second one was postponed to the following day.  And there was another case waiting for me in the following week.  And one this last day, all this cases were combined and I warned some of them and then I was convicted with the case of burning Chris's car and they sentenced me to four years imprisonment and two suspended years.  
I went to prison but I came back in 1989.  On the 1st or on the 2nd it was on Saturday, I was released.  When I came back home and people were happy to see me.  I stayed at home for two days.  Police used to come to look for me.  And to ask me about the case of this lady who was burnt in the township.  And then I told them I knew nothing about that.  I could feel that anything can happen to me so I decided to leave this place.  I went to Witbank and I came back in December.  Even now I am not I don't stay here permanently.  I just come visit Colesberg in holidays.