Human Rights Violation Hearings — Winelands — 1996-10-15

ADV POTGIETER: Apart from the stab wounds, which other injuries were inflicted on the body - which other injuries could you see?

MS ROBINSON: [indistinct] marks as they dragged him along and I don't know what else they did with him.  But it was - it's a long report and I cannot say - I cannot mention everything because the report is far to long.  Because every part of his hand, his fingers had marks, stab marks, scuff wound - scuff marks from being dragged. I just cannot mention everything.

ADV POTGIETER: Do you have any children from your marriage?

MS ROBINSON: No we did not have any children, here is one of the children who were adopted at the age of 10 years old and then there were 2 boys and another girl who we assisted with their school education because we did not have any children of our own.
A doctor who was born in our house by a women from Piketberg - after she fell pregnant - her husband left when she was 3 months pregnant.  She came to us and the child was born  there - the child is 13 years old now and we've raised her.  This girl got married again and after slightly more that  a year she gave birth to a boy.
 Her child was 10 years old when this child's father was also murdered just after my husband's death - that was on the 11th of February when my husband's matter was finalized in 1993.
And then this child was born and then this child' father was murdered on the 15th of February 1993 and this child is now 3 years old - he'll be turning 4 and I am helping to raise him.  But I do not have any children of my own.  As somebody said to me  in other words I am raising the communities children and I said yes, that is what my husband left me to do.

ADV POTGIETER: How old was your husband when he was murdered?

MS ROBINSON: He was 45 or 46 years old.

ADV POTGIETER: Did you ever - as you say there was no cross examination at the time of the trial - but did you ever receive any explanation or hear any explanation on behalf of Philander about what happened?

MS ROBINSON: Philander did not say a word.

ADV POTGIETER: And you did not receive any other explanations with regard to that?

MS ROBINSON: Apart from a report that was red there - what was it said - it was a - it was said it was something to do homosexuals or something.  In the report it was said that it was merely a motive which was use but that the actual motive was murder and robbery.

ADV POTGIETER: So Philander made allegations of homosexuality?

MS ROBINSON: Yes, that's what they said.

ADV POTGIETER: He tried to use that as motive for the murder?

MS ROBINSON: Yes.

ADV POTGIETER: And how did that strike you - how did you act - find that explanation?

MS ROBINSON: I did just not except it - I did not except it because I said that if it was something like that then they should have come forward and there is a Law for that.  Why didn't they talk about that, so I just did not except it.

ADV POTGIETER: Thank you very much Madam.

MS GOBODO: We would like to recognize your coming up here today as a celebration of your late husband's struggle for Human Rights.  And his contribution to the community helping those who were needy.  We'd also like to remember the suffering that you and other women who have given testimony this week in front of the Commission - the suffering that you went through when you lost your children, your husbands.
We'd like to remember with you the suffering that you went through when you had to relate to your husbands in a secretive way.  
 We again would like to pledge our commitment to do our best in the work of the Commission to establish what the truth is about the death of your husband.  Thank you so much for sharing with us your pain, thank you.