Human Rights Violation Hearings — Upington — 1996-10-02

WITNESS:  We were not tortured but it was before the trial, after we had been arrested by the police we were tortured.  That is when they put this tyre over my head and made me twirl around this 2c piece on the floor and whilst I did that they, the police would kick me and that is what they would do.  They also hit me with rifle butts.

GLENDA WILDSCHUT:  Why did they torture you?  Did they want you to make a statement about the death of Jetta?

WITNESS:  They wanted me to confess.  They wanted me to agree to the fact that I had been involved in the deceased's death but I had sworn to speak the truth and nothing but the truth and I was not involved in the deceased's death in any way.  I have nothing to add.  I also want to say that I don't nurture any feelings of hatred or revenge.  One of the deceased's sisters, well we're still friends and we were friends at the time of the trial - 1985/1986 we remained friends, we still are friends.  One of his brothers - Moses, with him too I have remained friends.  I would just like to add, yesterday after we went from the workshop here, when I arrived home there had been some kind of a quarrel or dispute about the deceased's death and it involved the deceased's mother's sister that had a quarrel with my uncle because my uncle had been asked by somebody else what exactly what was happening at the Civic and then the answer was given, well it relates to the Truth Commission and people got a bit excited and so on but we are not actually cross with one another, we all live in the same square.  We all stay very close together in the same square but we don't hate each other.  It is just that when she gets upset then she starts becoming a bit insulting and she says she is not the mother of a murderer and that is a bit awkward for me but I don't hate her.

GLENDA WILDSCHUT:  You also mentioned your mother.  You said that...

WITNESS:  No, what I am saying is the deceased's mother's sister said that she is not the mother of a murderer.  In other words, my mother is the child of a murderer.  That is actually how it all fits together.

GLENDA WILDSCHUT: Thank you Mr Kutu, I will hand you over now to the Chairperson, I have no further questions.

MR POTGIETER: Thank you Glenda.  Wendy?  Thank you Mr Kutu.  Thank you for coming and for telling us your story.  We have taken note of what you have said.  We have taken a special note of the fact that you said that you hadn't done anything wrong towards the deceased and you don't feel therefore that you owe any specific gesture of apology towards the deceased's family but you immediately add that you're also not bitter towards the family and that in fact, you are on friendly terms with the brother and sister of the deceased and that is proof of the fact that you never perpetrated any act against the deceased.  We thank you for your evidence, we thank you for your contribution.  We thank you for the perspective which you have contributed to this case and relating your particular experiences.  We have taken note of it.  The matter is now before the Commission and we will do some further investigation into the case but thank you very much for your story.  It is very important that the community participates and joins and shares in your experience because the idea is that we must learn from the past to build something positive for the future.  Thank you very much.