Human Rights Violation Hearings — Klerksdorp — 1996-09-23

PETER PITSO MOLETSANE: I would like to use my language, okay?
 I was arrested in 1986. I was arrested by Stilfontein police in Khuma.  They arrested me when I came to the funeral of my uncle, who was shot in 1986.  The police arrested me and took me to Khuma police station.  They said to me, they asked me about the evidence about my uncle, who 
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was shot on that day.  I explained to them that that is my uncle.    They asked me that again that where I was when all this started. I told them that I didn't know anything because I was schooling at Qwaqwa and at Qwaqwa there was no unrest.   They told me that I was telling them lies, that I am one of the leaders in the township and I am one of the people who is burning the houses.  Then I said I just came back because I was not there, I don't know anything that happened in the location.  They said to me if I am not able to tell them the truth, I will tell them the truth in a different way, if I want to follow my uncle, I have got to tell them there, because they can easily kill me. Then we were fighting.  Then I said to them am I supposed to tell you something that I don't know, I don't know anything, what can I say.  If you said to me that I know this person, and I know what happened.  They told me that what I was saying to me, they cannot understand.  
 They were beating me. They were beating me and tortured me.  They did different things to me and I gave up and told them that it doesn't help, because even if you are beating me, you are beating me for something that I don't know; why don't you just kill me, because you killed my uncle also.  Because what you are doing to me is painful.  They told me that they are killing me slowly.  The time when they will kill me they will do it.  
 They came to Khuma police station.  They gave me dog food, Dogmor, and dirty water and forced me to eat those things.  Then I was under pressure, because I couldn't do anything.  They were beating me and there were many.  They gave me that food and then I ate that food. There was nothing I could do.  I had to eat that food because they 
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would kill me.  
 After that, after eating they continued beating me, kicking me and putting electrical shocks on me. They said to me you must confess and tell us other people were involved in those things. I know their names, but I don't know if they were leaders or not.  
 They took me and locked me with the dogs.  They said to me I am not a person, I have got to live with them and I am eating the dogs' food, these dogs are my friends, I have got to talk to them.  They locked me in that house for about 30 minutes.  I didn't, I couldn't even move, because these dogs were vicious.  It looked as if they were going to bite me. I had to stand still.  After the 30 minutes they came to take me out.  
 They took me to Stilfontein police station.  There they did the same thing as they did at Khuma.  I tried to explain to them that I don't know anything which you say I know.  They said you are forced to tell us.  After they had beaten me, I was bleeding and I was weak.  They took me outside to the hosepipe and they sprinkled me with water.  After that they locked me in the cells. I was taken by the police called Mr Mortor, he is not there any more.  As I know that he is one of us, a Black person, he will feel for me as a parent, but he was still threatening me and hitting me with the keys on the head and kicking me.  
 Thereafter they locked me in the cells.  Thereafter they came again, they took me again.  They asked me - there is this White man called Rambulay.  He said to me my time to die has not yet arrived, he is going to kill me at midnight, 12 o'clock, he is going to take me, because he said there are people in the shaft.  If I am not prepared to tell me 
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the truth he will take me and throw me in the shaft and kill me there, and nobody is going to know where I am and what happened to me.  Then I explained to him that there is nothing that I can do, it is better that he takes me there and kill me because it doesn't help, I have got no evidence to give him.
 Then he took me to other offices upstairs.  They handcuffed me, put a mask which prevented me from inhaling or exhaling, with a rubber. If you put it on your mouth it closes your mouth, you cannot exhale or inhale, and with a copper head again.  They handcuffed me.  They poured water over me and they were torturing me from Khuma police station up to there. I was weak and powerless.  They took me and locked me up. I came at Lehali police station.  They told me that this is the place where the shaft is near, where I was - they will just put me next to the shaft where I am going to be killed.  
 They told my parents that I am not supposed to be seen, because I am not there, because they were hiding me somewhere.  They brought me again.  There were women policemen, White policemen.  This person, the way he explains, he doesn't know anything and these people are forcing her to explain he was coming to his uncle's funeral.  Then it seems he is being killed because of his uncle, he doesn't know anything.
 They took me, returned me to Stilfontein, they were arguing. The policemen were arguing about - because this case is going to be difficult for us and then when these people are going to be looked for, we will not know where they are.  Even if you don't report to the charge office, you bring them through the back door.  So one of the 
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policeman was saying, you see you bring the problem with us, may we please return this person from where he comes from.  Then we will take him back to Stilfontein.
 They took me to Stilfontein.  When I arrived there I slept.  The following day, in the morning, they called me.   They were threatening me and that I should not go through that door, I have got to use the back door, because I am going back home.  But I said to them how should I go back, use the back door, because of the dogs.  You know that these dogs are your friends, they will take you out.  Then I ran out. Then at that time I was not running, because I was still weak. I could not run.  I was injured, my hands were injured.  
 Then I left and at the same time they were taking money from my father as bail, about R500,00.   They don't want him to see that the time I left the cell.  Then I was at home.  The following day I went to the doctor.  After the doctor has examined me, he said to me you are bleeding too much internally, there is nothing we can do, we will give you tablets and then you can go back to school.
 Then I left and went to school.  After some months I still had this pain on the spinal chord. That pain was hitting me. I was staying in the village, not at the school.  I was not able even to climb from the bed. So I had to ask somebody to come and help me because I am sick.  
 I suffered there that way.  After school one of my girlfriends came to take me to ask me why did I go to school.  When she arrived she found that I am dying.  Then she tried to organise all the people to come and see that person is ill, and we don't know what is happening.  He is complaining about the pain and he is not able to get off the KLERKSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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bed and he is crying and they tried to arrange an ambulance to the hospital. In hospital when I arrived there, they said it is (indistinct).  They found that this injury is inside not outside.  Then when they opened up something like a white secretion came out. Then they said they have to meet with the parents and so that I should be operated. They phoned at home.  They explained to them and said your child is in this way, he is sick, and we want you to come and sign for a consent for an operation and the treatment.  My parents asked to say that refer that person here, because that is too far and there is no accommodation.
 They returned me to my home, when they tried to arrange for an ambulance and then I had friends, who were with me when I was arrested.  That friend is Alfred Thi.  I went with him and then he took a car to bring me home.  Then I went with him to book a car to take me home.
 When I arrived at home, at Discott Hospital, that is when I was operated.  These operations were done at Discott Hospital, because this operation made me that I was not able to do anything.  I am not fit for any job. If they go for a fitness test, I am not able to qualify for employment.
 I am suffering, because on top of that I am paying so much money.  That Discott Hospital I was operated at, then they were not able to do it corretly.  Then they sent me to Elizabeth Ross Hospital in Johannesburg.  Then they tried. I was in a better condition but they said to me you are going to be like this for life. Because this poison, this secretion was like a poison inside, inside your stomach, in your intestines, have been joined by the tubes, and there is nothing they could do, so you have got to look after yourself, because there is nothing we can do.  I stayed
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there for a period of three months in the hospital.  They sent me home to stay at home.  They said to my parents that your son is your problem, there is nothing we can do.  The only way he has to stay is this way, there is nothing we can do any more.
 Then I stayed at home for that period. It was about late January or it was in February when I left the hospital. I was still receiving treatment. I am still even today going for treatment and I am in need of so much money because I am not able to pay for the treatment. Because every doctor where I go he is booking me for theatre and then he is demanding so much money like R500,00, the bookings and the examinations.  He is not able to just examine me, but I have got to go for tests. So he has to take me to the theatre first.  
 That's where I was coming to say this old law, what does it think about people whose futures were wasted.  At my age there is nothing I can do. I should have been living like any other person, but I am not able to afford that because of those problems which they did to me. I don't know what they are deciding to do, because if it was me, I would be able to do what I want to do. I don't know what they have decided to do with me. 
 That is why I am here, because I tried - this policeman, when I tried to open legal cases, they just destroyed those cases.  So I don't know what is happening. I am here to ask about how can I be helped. Maybe the legal system may take its course, because I am not able to work, I am suffering.