Human Rights Violation Hearings — Zeerust — 1997-05-06

CHAIRPERSON: May I ask if Sisinyana Rantao has arrived ?  Mrs Rantao, good afternoon.

SISINYANE RANTAO: Good afternoon, Sir.

CHAIRPERSON: Mrs Rantao, Professor Piet  Meiring is going to assist you  in telling your story, but before he does that, can I ask Miss Seroke to assist you in taking the oath please.

MS SEROKE: I would ask you to stand up please.   You swear that the story you are about to tell is the truth, and nothing else but the truth, so help me God.

SISINYANE RANTAO: (sworn states)

CHAIRPERSON: Professor Meiring.
PROF. MEIRING: Mrs Rantao, can you hear me ?

SISINYANE RANTAO: I hear you well, Sir.
PROF. MEIRING: Thank you for coming.  You want to tell us about your son, Elliot Mokoena.  Eight years ago, when he was twenty eight years old, something happened in your family.  Something happened to him.  Please tell us about that.

SISINYANE RANTAO: In 1989, my son arrived at home, then that time there was confusion, or there was political conflict at that time.  He was working at a mine in Rustenberg.  He arrived late in the afternoon, around seven o'clock, then there was an unrest in our area, then he entered the house, then we stayed with him in the house.  Then from there we went to sleep.  My son went to his bedroom to sleep.  Then after that, I heard footsteps in my house, then they were fast, then they knocked and they were pushing the doors.  Then somebody said, open!  So I said, who are you because I'm an old woman?  Then they said, open up.  I woke up.  After that they've already opened the bedroom where my son was  sleeping.  They didn't give him time.  They took him with the guns, then they said to me, go and sleep, you old woman.  Then when I asked, where are you taking him to?  They dragged him outside and the police cars were surrounding the house and the police were in the house and, together with the soldiers.  They put him in a Hippo and other, his siblings were also  in that police van.
 To-morrow morning when  I wanted to find out what happened to them, they were taken to Motswedi police station.  I went to Motswedi police station.  They were at Welgedacht.  They were locked in a cell.  I went back home.  I slept.  Then when they were taken to court, when they were released at home he had his leg bandaged because he was tortured.  He didn't say anything, he took his bag and said, I'm going, I'm running away, because they're going to arrest me again.  My son then left.  
 Then  the unrest went on.  My son just disappeared.  We didn't see him again, since he left that day, even up to now we haven't seen him.  I haven't seen him since that day.  Whether he has died, or what happened to him, I don't know.
PROF. MEIRING: Thank you, Mrs Rantao.  We've listened to your story.  Thank you that you told  it to us.  May we talk a little bit about the disappearance of your son.  I just want to know, why did the police pick on him?  Was he a political activist?  Was he known amongst his friend that he was very active politically ?

SISINYANE RANTAO: He was a visitor arriving from work.  He didn't know that there is an unrest.  I don't even understand about this political activity but I don't believe.
PROF. MEIRING: So, it was just a horrible mistake?

SISINYANE RANTAO: I believe it was a mistake for the police to come and fetch him, because he was just arriving.  He didn't even went around  in our area, in the village.
PROF. MEIRING: He was twenty years old.  Did he work at that stage ?

SISINYANE RANTAO: Yes, he was working in Rustenberg.
PROF. MEIRING: Rustenberg.

SISINYANE RANTAO: He was working at Swartklip mine.
PROF. MEIRING: Was he already married ?

SISINYANE RANTAO: He was still young.  He wasn't married yet.
PROF. MEIRING: Were there any children, were there any children that he had to look after ?

SISINYANE RANTAO: He didn't have a child.
PROF. MEIRING: So, he  had to take care of his mother ?

SISINYANE RANTAO: Yes, he was looking after me.
PROF. MEIRING: So he was sent then to prison and he was released and there, they, his left ... (interrupted)

SISINYANE RANTAO: Yes, he was released.
PROF. MEIRING: And on that day he came home with his leg bandaged and he said he had enough.  He wanted to leave.  Did you have, do you have any ... (interrupted)

SISINYANE RANTAO: Then said he's running away, because  they may re-arrest him again.
PROF. MEIRING: And you have no idea where he went?  And that was not the only bad thing that happened to you.  Your mother, Pauline, that her house was also burnt.  Was that related to this incident or was that completely another ... (interrupted)

SISINYANE RANTAO: After that, the house was burnt.  We fled, we were no more at that place.  I think in 1991.  They took my property inside the house but I cannot tell who took them.
PROF. MEIRING: So that was two years later.  Your son's disappearance was in 1989 and the burning down of your mother's house was in 1991.

SISINYANE RANTAO: My child disappeared in 1989 and my house was burnt, my mother's house was burnt in 1991.
PROF. MEIRING: Are you working at the moment ?

SISINYANE RANTAO: I try to look for him, even in Johannesburg, I went even in the hospitals in Krugersdorp and other areas.   I went to the police in Johannesburg but I couldn't, I couldn't find any trace.  Then I went back home and just gave up.
PROF. MEIRING: At the moment are you working, are you employed ?

SISINYANE RANTAO: I'm not working, Sir.
PROF. MEIRING: How many children do you have to look after ?

SISINYANE RANTAO: I have  three children and the other one is a cripple.
PROF. MEIRING: Mrs Rantao, thank you.  I've made notes and those are the questions I needed to ask.  I hand over to the Chairman.

MS SEROKE: Ma Sisinyana, was you son working in Rustenberg in the mines ?

SISINYANE RANTAO: Yes.

MS SEROKE: Didn't you hear anything of maybe what happened in the mines that when he arrived at home they came and picked him up ?

SISINYANE RANTAO: I don't understand, because I didn't hear any kind of a rumour of that kind.

MS SEROKE: At home when, at the time when he was picked up, what was happening in the village ?

SISINYANE RANTAO: It was during the time of the unrests.  It was during April, in Good Friday and  he came as a person who's come for a holiday.  He was taken on the 24th.

MS SEROKE: What was .... (interrupted)

SISINYANE RANTAO: They were  people were fighting  in the village.

MS SEROKE: What kind of a fight ?

SISINYANE RANTAO: We were fighting with the police.

MS SEROKE: What was the problem ?

SISINYANE RANTAO: I would, I would not understand what was the problem.

MS SEROKE: He arrived at a time when  you were taken by the police or maybe was it quiet at that time ?

SISINYANE RANTAO: He arrived at seven o'clock in the evening but during that time, the, this fight was going on.  Then we slept and then the police came.

MS SEROKE: Were the police going house to house or they came to your house ?

SISINYANE RANTAO: It's not only my house but it's - they weren't in the whole village.  He was not the only child who was arrested but many, many people were shot and many people were arrested.  Boys and girls, it was just the same.

MS SEROKE: In  your statements, you say you are staying in a shack.

SISINYANE RANTAO: Yes, that's true.

MS SEROKE: Is that the same village ......

SISINYANE RANTAO: Yes, it was.  Yes, we're staying at Legobo, Legobo village but I'm not staying with my mother anymore.

MS SEROKE: You the property which you're going to use to build was taken, so you are not able to build?

SISINYANE RANTAO: Yes, I'm not able to build because  I don't have  enough finance.

MS SEROKE: Thank you, Ma'am.