Human Rights Violation Hearings — Klerksdorp — 1996-09-24

MRS OLIFANT: I now understand your question. I don't know, but according to my thinking, there was a bad blood between the principal and this boy because he was a member of the SRC, and there was a shortage of teachers. I understand that KLERKSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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the principal was giving classes with a firearm on his person. He had pointed the gun to many children in that school.  There were children around the school who were telling Happy, who were complaining to Happy about the behaviour of the principal.

PROF MEIRING: A last question I would like to ask you, and then I can pass on to my colleagues.  The last question is, was there an inquest after his death?

MRS OLIFANT: Yes, they were there.

PROF MEIRING: Tell us about the inquest, about the investigation of his death.

MRS OLIFANT: On the 15th of December we got letters, my brother and Rev Zanini and myself, and Boetie who called us that we are wanted.  Soshogoe came and said there is an inquest.  Then he explained to me what an inquest is.  Then they were saying, what we said is what is written.
 When we arrived at court they just told us the same and said - then all the people were chased out and the principal was speaking with the magistrate who was in charge on that day. They were drinking tea together. So I don't know. I didn't understand what was happening on that day.  Somebody was coming to ask questions and went.  Somebody was called again to be asked some questions.  Then thereafter there was a court proceedings, but I didn't understand what was happening. Then they said it is not a court proceedings.  They just said what was written on the inquest. But I didn't know what was happening.  But it was written that he was killed by a policeman called Didibani.  So they just wrote that nobody is responsible for his death.

PROF MEIRING: The inquest said that a policeman and not the headmaster was responsible for his death?
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MRS OLIFANT: Can you repeat your question, Sir? I say I do not know what do they mean when they say he was killed by the police.  They said nobody is responsible for the death of this child. Now I do not know what they are referring to when they say nobody is responsible for the death.

PROF MEIRING: It seems to me that we will have to go into that to try and clarify the matter.  Can I ask a very last question, just a personal question.

PROF MEIRING: Do you have to work every day, do you have to look after your own upkeep?

MRS OLIFANT: I am not working, I am sick, I am just staying at home, I am sick. I have so many diseases, I have just done an operation now recently.

PROF MEIRING: Thank you very much. I would like to pass you on now to my colleagues.

YASMINE SOOKA: Thank you.  Denzil?

DR RANDERA: Mrs Olifant, just one question.  You said that part of the problem between your son and the principal was that because your son was on the SRC.  Do you know - sorry. You also said that the principal, when he took classes, had a gun with him.

MRS OLIFANT: Yes, Sir.

DR RANDERA: Now do you know if in that period before the fatal shooting of your son, there had been any attacks on the principal, physical attacks on the principal or on his home or on the school that he was teaching at?

MRS OLIFANT: There were no attacks.  He was teaching STd 8 and other classes, and because of the shortage of teachers, some teachers were afraid of him and even the students were afraid of him.  They were going to school in Leeudoring, because they were afraid of him.  Even this son of mine
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asked me that he must go to (indistinct), to go to school there, because he said he doesn't want to go to that school.  Then I told him that I am not able to pay for you to go to a distance. Even at the meeting, the teachers, the students said they don't want this principal anymore, together with the parents. Many times the students were complaining that they don't want this principal anymore, they want a new principal. Other parents were saying the children were naughty and this principal is okay.  Other parents say he must leave.  The first one, the other teacher also did reprimand this principal to go around with the gun in the school yard.

DR RANDERA: One of the other people from Lebalen who spoke earlier on today, said that the death of your son sparked off a great deal of unrest in the township.  Was that anger towards the principal, was it towards the police?  Who was it directed towards?

MRS OLIFANT: Can you repeat the question, Sir?  I don't know, because at that time I was sick.  I could see only Hippos and the tear-gas.  Many schools, people were at the school and others were just around the village.  When I heard, but I don't know, because I am sick, I don't go outside the yard, until I heard that my son has died, is the reason I went out of the yard.  I don't understand, I just hear people say that.

DR RANDERA: Sorry, Mrs Olifant, I understand how you must have been feeling at that time. Thank you very much.

YASMINE SOOKA: Thank you, Mrs Olifant for coming to tell us your story. It is very difficult because there seems to have been an inquest and the inquest actually holds that no one is accountable. I think what we will need from you is, if you
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have the names of people who did actually see what happened, it would be very useful if you could pass that on to our statement-takers after you actually leave the stage. It is a very horrible story and I think one of the shocking things has been that wherever the Truth Commission has been, no town has been immune from this sort of violence. It paints a very stark picture of what South Africa was like just under two years ago.
 We thank you for coming.  We will pass this on to our unit to investigate and we will come back to you with more information as soon as we have it.  Thank you for coming.
 Mamma, is there something you would like to say?

MRS OLIFANT: I want to thank this Truth Commission because of the great work you are doing, because it seems you are doctors.   To us you are our doctors, because it is so exciting that you should open up and talk. I didn't know to whom should I speak to.  I am happy for this Truth Commission because you are able to open up to you, so that this case has been done because of the race oppression.  Because they just said there is an inquest and from there the court case, we didn't know.  But at least it is good that we have an opportunity to open up.

YASMINE SOOKA: Thank you, Mamma.
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