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

PROF MEIRING: Thank you very much.  What have you heard of him since?  You said that that was the last time you saw him, have you heard anything of him since?

KATE BOOI: Thereafter the policemen didn't come looking for him again, they were just looking for me now.  At home they knew that I was at work.  They were aware that I was suffering from arthritis and high blood pressure and I asked them that because of Eddie's problem I was not working for a year, I asked them to be granted some leave.  I was told that the police were looking for me out of the blue my employer called me to come back to work.  I said that it's a good chance so that I should be able to move away from the township to avoid harassment by the police, that's when I decided to stay at work as a domestic servant.  I stayed there for some time and one day when I was off a phone call came through at my neighbour's house.  I was called.  When I got there to respond to this telephone call it was Eddie on the line.  He was telling me that he was still alive and how are you doing and I told him that we are still surviving and I told him that I went back to work as well and that made him happy.
 After two months I heard my employer calling me saying that there's a telephone call, it was quarter to 11 at night.  I did go and respond to the call and it was Eddie and he was just enquiring as to how I was doing and his sisters and the rest of the family.  I wanted to know exactly where he is. He said I am in Lesotho, that's where I am.  I asked him why are you in Lesotho because it is not safe he said no I am in transit.  I will give you another phone call later.  When I phone you I will tell you again 
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where I am living.  I am just waiting for a few documents in order to be able to travel from Lesotho to wherever they will be deploying me to, and I don't know where that is.
 Another phone call came through again at a later date but before this telephone call I came back home.  My employers had granted me four days off and I heard a rumour here in the township that Eddie was no longer around.  Policemen came through and they said to me who is Eddie's mother and I just kept quiet and I whispered that I am not here.  They asked again who is Eddie's mother but I just kept quiet.  They wanted to know don't you know where Eddie's mother is, but I responded and said I don't know because I didn't know what they were looking for.  They said that Eddie's soul is in hell and they just walked off. I was just shocked.  I was just sitting with this lady and we were crying with my neighbour.  They came again before they drove off and they said that we must tell Eddie's mother when she comes back that she must come to the police station to see some photos because Eddie is dead because she is the one who knows where Eddie is.  If they say that she is the one who knows where Eddie is she must come and see the photos.  I never did.  I never went to the police station, I just sat at home.
 I went back to work and there I got a third phone call, which is obvious that if I did go to the policemen on that day they were going to arrest me.  I got this third telephone call saying that I got my documents, now I'll be going somewhere overseas but there is someone from Paris who will bring something but they are just waiting for that specific person, but they will be leaving.  If you don't get any correspondence from me you must know that I have left 
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the country and that is all I know.  Thank you.

PROF MEIRING: Thank you very much. Since then you have never heard of him again?

KATE BOOI: I never heard anything since then.

PROF MEIRING: And did you make any enquiries with the ANC or the PAC or any other institution to find out the whereabouts of your son?

KATE BOOI: I don't want to lie because at that time I was working and my health was in good status, I never tried.

PROF MEIRING: So you would like to ask the TRC to assist you in trying to find the whereabouts of your son?

KATE BOOI: I will appreciate that, to know where he is.

PROF MEIRING: Thank you so much Mrs Booi for telling your story.  It is a difficult time you have gone through over many years but I will hand you over to some of my colleagues who would like to ask a few questions.

MS MKHIZE: Here in the Truth Commission as a Commission there is something that you always think that those whose family members have died in exile it would be a consolation for them if there can be some tombstones in commemoration, how would that be to you?

KATE BOOI: No I would accept whatever I get from the Commission.

YASMINE SOOKA: Mamma can I ask a question.  At the time when Eddie was arrested and at the time when he was given bail, what was he charged with at court?  Was he being charged with the bombing of that shop?

KATE BOOI: They charged him for the bombing of the shop at MacGregor.

YASMINE SOOKA: When you heard from Eddie the last time did you inform your attorney?
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KATE BOOI: Yes I did.

YASMINE SOOKA: Was he ever able to find out anything about what had happened?

KATE BOOI: I don't know because what did my attorney do, because I don't want to lie because most of the time we were not in contact because even my knees are giving me problems. I cannot walk long distances, but at the moment I am feeling much better than before, but I am still having problems with my knees.  But the last time I heard from this lawyer was in 1987 that's when I got a letter from him this year saying that he needs some advice from me.

YASMINE SOOKA: One more question.  Do you know if your son was responsible for the bombing of that shop?

KATE BOOI: I don't know.

YASMINE SOOKA: Thank you.  Thank you for coming to tell us that.  We will make enquiries with the ANC and with the people that you have named in your statement as people who might have information.  We will try and contact them to see if we can find out whether anybody else knew of his whereabouts in exile and we will try and come back to you on that particular matter.  Thank you for coming today.