Human Rights Violation Hearings — Bloemfontein — 1996-07-04

UNKNOWN: Excellent. Thank you. A warm welcome to you.Thank you very much for coming. In a minute I am going to try and guide youas you tell your story, but we need for you to take the oath, so will you pleasestand.

SHADRACK THEKO OLIFANT: (Sworn, States)

UNKNOWN: Thank you very much. Please be seated. Ihope you will feel as relaxed as is possible in a setting like this. It's avery big hall, there are lots of people. Some of us you don't know, but we arehere on behalf of the nation, appointed by the President to hear your story,and I hope you'll feel very relaxed in telling that. Now, you are Shadrack ThekoOlifant.

WITNESS: Yes, Sir.

UNKNOWN: Tell me just a little bit about yourself before you tell thestory of how you were tortured and when it happened. You may start.

WITNESS: My nameis Shadrack Theko Olifant. I used to tout the youth for the ANC, and I usedto canvass school children or students. I was working under Steve Bohatshu.On the 29th he came to me in the evening. It was 2.00 am. When Comrade cameto me he told me that the police were looking for them. I went with him. Hestayed next to the shops. He asked me to get into the shop and do his importantthings. He gave me money. I went there and took certain things. He told me thathe won't be in for the following afternoon at the shop. He owned the shop actually. So he told me where I wouldget him. He went away, he left me. On the 3rd police came. I was at the wholesaleto order some stock for his shop. I was the only one who knew where he was.All the other people didn't know where he was. As I was in the wholesale buyingthe stock there came three Afrikaners. When they got to me they arrested me.I was pushing the trolley, because the students were using the shop to eat theirlunch. They asked me where my friend was. Then they made me leave the trolley.They arrested me, they took me to the shop. The children or the students whowere eating there at lunch time were also arrested. They believed that I wasworking with the students. Another one was an elderly man. His name was Mr Mohumutsi.The children were assaulted. I got other Afrikaner-speaking people who werein the office. The office was inside the shop. They asked me why I was in theshop, why I was busy in the shop if Steve wasn't there. They also assaultedme. They said I knew where Steve was. They searched the shop. There are certainthings that they got, but I don't know particularly what the things were. Thenthey went away and they left me. It was during the day. In the evening whenI went back home I heard that the police were looking for me. I asked my motherwhy were they looking for me. Then I went to the Comrades with whom I was living.I told the Comrades that they were looking for me as well as them. In the eveningI went to Comrade Steve. I told him the events of the day. I had to look fora place to stay, I couldn't go back home. Thereafter the Comrades with whomI was working, that is the Vulamasango Comrades, they were also wanted. All in all we were 22. We went to stay at my grandfather'splace, all of us.

UNKNOWN: Whereabouts is your grandfather's place? Which town or whichtownship was it?