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

WITNESS: We are staying in 1160 MogwaneStreet, Bathu Location. In that year when we have this pain it was in the eveningwhen the police came in. It was white police. There were also black policemen,but they were outside in the van. They knocked at the door, and when they openedthey said they were looking for Edwin. When they knock Edwin said we must hidehim. We did that. When they get into his bedroom we told them that, "This isElvis, not Edwin." They pulled him while he was still sleeping. He was beatenup. He was bleeding profusely through the mouth and the ears. In front of thedoor where they were beating him there was some pool of blood. He couldn't evenscream, he was so quiet. We thought that he was dead. One of the police cameinside the house and then he took a bucket of water. It was very cold in thatday because it was winter. He just threw the water over his body. They tookhim. They put him inside the van. When I was prepared to sleep I couldn't sleep,it was very painful, and then I woke up my sister and then I told her that wemust go to Philonomi Hospital, maybe they are taking him there. Then my sistersaid, "Let's go. There was no - the street was so quiet, it was very dark outside.Our parents said to us, "How "are you going to reach that place?" I said to my mother, "Godis there. He is going to accompany us." It was like that, and then we went there.When we arrived at the Philonomi Hospital there were security guards outside.By that time we were not allowed - if you are sick you are not allowed to getinside the hospital. I said to her we must just - we must plan as if I pretendas if I am sick. They allowed us to get inside. When we were in Philonomi therewere police in the passages of Philonomi Hospital. Then we came back. We metthis other girl on the way who is a nurse in Philonomi Hospital, who asked uswhat is it that we are looking for. I told her that - I asked if the policedidn't came with a boy who was bleeding. They said he is inside. And then Isaid I was afraid to go in and check, and then she said, "You must go in andcheck." When I tried to look one of the policemen was looking at us, and thenI had to go back again ... (inaudible - end of Side A, Tape 2) ... and I couldn'thear what was going on. I told my sister that, "This is not going to help. Rathergo back home." We went back home. He was in the hospital for three days. Therewas - he was unconscious, he was in a coma. We used to go there just to watchhim, and then we'd go back again because we couldn't communicate. After threemonths he was still in hospital. On that particular day when I went to see himI found out the police had taken him. I went back home and I told them thatthe police have taken him. We couldn't sleep at night, even during the day.Even where I was working the police were always coming too, but each time whenthey go to fetch me at work they said to me they are looking for Edwin. I usedto tell them that I don't even know where is Edwin. Since I last saw him during that particular nightI never saw him again. They were always giving me a hard time. One day theycame to my workplace, they said I must give them Edwin's photos, and I toldthem that I don't have Edwin's photos. They said to me ... (incomplete)

INTERPRETER: The interpretation service will resumeas soon as the speaker is ready. (Pause)

WITNESS: They said to me they knew, theyheard where he is, he was in Lesotho. They said to me I must go to Lesotho andbring him back. I told them that I don't even know Lesotho and I am not goingthere. I don't even have relatives there. I told them that I am not going there.This Prinsloo came to me. He said to me he is going to arrest me. I said tohim, "Instead of arresting me, I don't even know because I am not always withthe kids, you'd better kill me because I am not going there." I never saw himagain.

MR LYSTER: Thank you, Mrs Kaloti. You said Elvis wasin hospital for about three months, and was he discharged after that, and whathappened to him after he was discharged?

WITNESS: When we were in Philonomi lookingfor him we got the message that the police took him. I've been to each and everypolice station, I couldn't get him. But what was surprising, there was thisother lady whose children were also arrested. They said even Elvis was in theircase also with her children. She always tell me when she was going to court,and I went there with the hope that I will get Elvis. And then I asked wherewas Elvis. The Judge told the police that he is somewhere in Bathu. He saidthey must go and fetch him. They brought him. When I asked why didn't they broughthim before then he said the police were always taking him to assault him somewhereelse. They always asked him where was his brother, whether he belongs to anyof the political organisations, who were those people who were always recruitingthem in those organisations?

MR LYSTER: And eventually did Elvis come back to the family house? ---He came back on the day of the case. It was 14 or 16 of them. One of them wasreleased by the name of Madlathela.

MR LYSTER: (Inaudible) ... convicted of anything, or was he released bythe Court?

WITNESS: He was released without any questions. There were no questionsthat were asked to him. It was the only children who were being questioned,because when the police started to visit us they were not looking for him, theywere looking for Edwin, therefore he was the one who was being tortured.

MR LYSTER: Just to clarify that, Edwin is the older brother of Elvis,is that correct?

WITNESS: Yes, it's true.

MR LYSTER: (Inaudible) ... the police were looking for Edwin?

WITNESS: I didn'tknow the reason, and I didn't know where were they going to take him to.

MR LYSTER: Was Edwin a member of any political party at the time? ---He was a member of the ANC.

MR LYSTER: And you mentioned a policeman by the name of Prinsloo. Is hefrom the South African Police, the SAP, or Bophutatswana Police?

WITNESS: He wasin the Fountain offices from the Special Branch.

MR LYSTER: And another witness this morning has also mentioned the wordFountain Police, and in many of the statement that we have taken from peoplefrom this area they have mentioned Fountain Police. What was Fountain?

WITNESS: It is a place where the Special Branch police are posted.

MR LYSTER: Also you didn't clarify which year this took place, Mrs Kaloti.Can we just clarify that. When was Elvis taken to Philonomi Hospital?

WITNESS: Itwas in 1979. It was just after a local policeman's house was burnt down, andhis name was Mojaki. He was staying in Malay Camp. On the same night when hishouse was burnt Elvis was assaulted. They were actually looking for Edwin, notElvis.

MR LYSTER: (Inaudible) ... at the time of this assault?

WITNESS: He was 18years.

MR LYSTER: (Inaudible)

WITNESS: Yes, he was still schooling at Lekayi PrimarySchool, and his brother was in Sifunelo High School.

MR LYSTER: Has this experience, his assault, has it affected him in anyway that you are able to say?

WITNESS: Yes, it affected him mentally, because evennow he is at home. He is doing nothing. He is unemployed. Our mother is takingcare of him. She is doing everything for him. Even he is sick my mom has totake him to the doctor, and every time he is sick we know that it is a mentaldisorder. In 1990, it was in December on the 24th, he was sleeping. I don'tknow what was happening to him, and I don't know how did he feel, but he wasshouting, and when we got into his bedroom he was a changed person. And whenwe asked him what was the matter he fell, and we called an ambulance to takehim to Philonomi Hospital. He was released the next day on the 25th, and thenhe wasn't - he wasn't okay. He has a mental problem if I have to indicate that.

MR LYSTER: And is he taking any sort of medication for that?

WITNESS: No, heis not under any medication. Is he receiving any grant of any sort, disability grant? ---No.