Human Rights Violation Hearings — Soweto — 1996-07-23

CHAIRPERSON: Our next witness is Puleng Swaarbooi.  Let us be quiet, please, as the witness takes the stand.  Is Daphney Ramokgopa in as well?

YASMINE SOOKA: Just call Ithombi Sing and clarify the issue quickly.

CHAIRPERSON: Can I please get a name of a person who will be giving testimony?  Both of you?  Are you both giving?  So I will ask, first of all, Puleng or Puleng Swaarbooi to stand please.

PULENG SWAARBOOI: (Duly sworn in, states).

CHAIRPERSON: I will also ask Daphney Ramokgopa to stand up also.  I will ask for you to take the oath.

DAPHNEY RAMOKGOPA: (Duly sworn in, states).

CHAIRPERSON: I will ask Joyce Seroke to assist you in giving your evidence.

MS SEROKE: Good morning Puleng.  It seems you are having problems with you earphone.  Can you hear me?

PULENG SWAARBOOI: Yes, I can hear you.

MS SEROKE: Would you like me to speak English or Sotho.

PULENG SWAARBOOI: Sotho.

MS SEROKE: Good morning Puleng and Daphney as well.  I will ask for you to tell us so briefly as to what happened to your son.  You live in Rockville and you are here to tell us
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about Bushy, your son.

PULENG SWAARBOOI: Bushy was my only child.  He attended school at St Matthews Catholic School in Rockville.  On the day of 1976 on the 16th Bushy was shot by the police.  He was from school, he was going to Jababu office.  Now there were helicopters flying and we could see smoke, but we did not know as what was happening exactly.  Now, Bushy left for Jababu office.  Now some woman brought Bushy.  This lady was driving a Peugeot, having Bushy in the car and Bushy was already shot by three bullets.  This lady told me that I brought your son here.  You will see that you get some transport so you can rush him to the hospital.  Now my neighbour sympathised with us and took Bushy to Baragwaneth Hospital.
 I called Bushy's father, my husband, and I told him that this child has been shot.  He left work immediately to go to Baragwaneth.  When he got to Baragwaneth he was not allowed inside.  The following day he went back and again he was not allowed to get in.  The third day I went in person and I got there, I forced my way in and they allowed me in.  I looked around for Bushy, I went to the mortuary, I was all over the hospital looking for Bushy.  Finally I located Bushy in Ward 8 at Baragwaneth Hospital.  I found my child so much in pains.  I found out his left arm was injured.  He was also, the third one went through the stomach.  He could not talk.  I waited for Bushy until he got better and God helped us.  He got back home after a month.  
 After three weeks when Bushy was at home Protea policemen came and they told us to go to Protea.  I told the police straight away that my child is sick and there is no transport to Protea.  There were no taxis yet to Protea. 
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Now they brought their own vehicle to take us to Protea.  When we got to Protea they took Bushy some pictures and they asked do I know what happened to Bushy.  I told them I do not know.  He just left school and he went and we could see some fire, some smoke and the helicopters.  After that they took us back home.  They wrote and wrote some things and they took us back home.  
 When Bushy got well recovered in the second week of September Bushy disappeared suddenly, we could not see and find him.  We looked for Bushy until we gave up.  Fortunately my elder sister left for Botswana.  I am from Botswana.  She was going for a holiday.  When she got there she found Botswana, she found Bushy in Botswana with my mum.  Now the organisation of the ANC, some colleagues took Bushy to Botswana.  Now when I went to Botswana, actually my brother called me to tell me that Bushy is in Botswana.  
 In 1983 during Easter time, that was the last time I saw Bushy.  We were there and my father died in 1984.  I could not go to Botswana for a year.  After some time I left for Botswana.  You will please pardon me.  I do not remember the dates very well.  I left for Botswana.  I looked for Bushy.  My uncle told me that I am also looking for Bushy, I cannot see him at all.  I was so surprised where Bushy is. I also looked for Bushy's girlfriend.  She is from Botswana.  She was actually a student at the University of Botswana.  I found also that she was not there.  She had left.  It has been five years that she was away.  I came back.  My sister, elder sister went back to Botswana and she found out that Bushy's girlfriend was back then and Bushy passed away.  I was shocked.  Yes, he is dead.  How, the last time I saw Bushy it was 1983 and it looks like he died in 1983.  What
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is happening?  How come we do not know?  
 After two days I left for Botswana.  When I arrived in Botswana Bushy's girlfriend told me.  She brought some papers with her.  I just think I have those papers, documents in my file.  They are saying Bushy died somewhere in the Western Transvaal.  They left Botswana.  It looks like the very same night when they left Botswana, she was with them.  The girlfriend with Bushy were together and Skhriwi Ramokgopa and they told here that they were going some place somewhere.  Then she said, no, do not go, but they refused.  They said we are going.  They told her we are on duty here, we have got to go.  They crossed Botswana back to South Africa.  When they were busy on their mission as they were going back now to Botswana they hit a roadblock and the roadblock was actually there for them.  As the police stopped them, when they took off from the car, they were searching through there and there was such a war suddenly.  
 There were some people who were my neighbours when they were reading newspapers.  They actually told me that they saw the thing on TV.  We hardly ever watched TV anyway.  They say it was looking like some kind of battle.  I took those papers, I took them to the headquarters of the ANC.  I gave them the information.  I was telling that, you know, I am surprised that you do not communicate and tell me.  This is my only child.  
 The interpretation service will go on as soon as the speaker regains composure.

MS SEROKE: Take your time, take your time, drink some water till you regain your composure.

PULENG SWAARBOOI: They apologised, they said at the time it was
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just difficult and confusion.  They could not contact me. They could not even locate my whereabouts.  Some of them were actually, did not give us their physical address like Bushy.  Apparently he did not furnish them with his address.  He actually said I am not going to give the ANC, anyone my address because they will come to harass you as soon as they know where I am.

MS SEROKE: Rest, take a break.  We will wait for you.  Just drink some water and relax.  We will wait for you.  Can you carry on?  Can you please carry on as soon as you feel you can.