Human Rights Violation Hearings — Zeerust — 1999-05-06

UNKNOWN: Do you mean the time when they were burnt ?

RUSSELL ALLY: That you're speaking about, where was your mother ?

UNKNOWN: No, he was not communicating with us in that regard Sir.

RUSSELL ALLY: But you say that the funeral that you organised, was very difficult because you said you were, that you were threatened all the time, can you tell us a bit  about that, about the actual funeral of your father, where it took place and how it was organised ?

UNKNOWN: There were no people who were coming to assist us with the preparations.  I was the only one who was running around looking for money, looking for caskets, looking for beasts and looking for groceries and that those people who would come to the funeral would have something to eat but there was nobody who was helping me even about the preparations.

RUSSELL ALLY: You also say that you were harassed and that you were threatened during the time that you were trying to organise the funeral.  Can you tell us about that ?

UNKNOWN: They were telling us after we have buried the corpses they would exhume it and put it in front of our house.

RUSSELL ALLY: You say you did all of this on your own.  You don't mention your mother at all in, in your statement.  Can you, can you tell ... (tape ended)

UNKNOWN: My mother is staying at Vet Luigat and I'm staying  with my two siblings at, locally here and they are schooling at Mmabatho.

RUSSELL ALLY: These people who you mentioned  as the people responsible, at least the people who were part of that group, do you ever, do you see them, do you interact with them ?

UNKNOWN: I don't go to that Luigat which means I've no way of meeting with them, so I haven't met them since.

RUSSELL ALLY: Since that incident, since that night of 1994 you've never had contact with them again?

UNKNOWN: No, I didn't even meet one of them.

RUSSELL ALLY: Thank you very much  for coming to speak to us about something that is obviously very, very painful, to lose a parent is hard enough but to lose a parent under those circumstances with the horrific burning that you, that you describe and to witness something like that, so thank you, thank you very much for coming to speak to us.  I'll give you back to the Chairperson.

CHAIRPERSON: Miss Seroke.

MS SEROKE: You say, your mother is staying at Vet Luigat ?

UNKNOWN: That's true.

MS SEROKE: Did you rebuild that house ?

UNKNOWN: Yes, we did rebuild the house.

MS SEROKE: So you're still, you're still in the same house ?

UNKNOWN: Yes, we're still in the same house.

MS SEROKE: Was it gutted to the ground?

UNKNOWN: Yes, it was burnt to the ground.

MS SEROKE: So you started from the foundation?

UNKNOWN: Yes, we did.

MS SEROKE: Where are you working?

UNKNOWN: I'm working at Standard Bank in Lefurutsi.

MS SEROKE: Your siblings, what standard are they doing ?

UNKNOWN: Two of them are not attending school, one is doing standard ten, the other one standard nine, the other one standard six.

MS SEROKE: Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Professor Meiring.
PROF. MEIRING: Miss Lilian, thank you for coming and it must have been very difficult to tell your story.  I'll be very brief with my questions.  The one question is, after the horrible thing that happened to your family, did you or your younger brother and sister or your mother underwent any form of counselling ?  Did  people  treat  you  psychologically for what happened ?

UNKNOWN: No, we didn't, we didn't meet the psychologist Sir.
PROF. MEIRING: Would you like that ?  Is that a need in the family?

UNKNOWN: Definitely, I say it is a need.
PROF. MEIRING: Thank you, I also see in your statement that you feel that there's no tombstone on your father's grave, is that correct ?

UNKNOWN: That's true.
PROF. MEIRING: And then there's also the matter of the insurance policies that have not been paid out and you need help with that?

UNKNOWN: That's true.
PROF. MEIRING: Thank you.  There's a last thing that I would just like to mention.  You say in your statement that you are prepared to meet with the perpetrators of this deed, it they are willing to meet with you and explain what happened., is that still the case ?  Are you still willing to meet with the perpetrators ?

UNKNOWN: Yes, I'm prepared to meet with them.
PROF. MEIRING: Thank you very much.

CHAIRPERSON: Lilian, just one question.  I heard you say that you've out of the village but your mother still lives in the village, now you said to Professor Meiring that you'd be willing to meet up with  the perpetrators.

UNKNOWN: That's true.

CHAIRPERSON: After all these years, how do you actually feel about what happened ?

UNKNOWN: They de-stopped our lives, because we could have gone to school.  Now we don't have  somebody  responsible  who  can help us further our studies. I was, I couldn't have been working, I could have been at school now.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you Lilian.  Lilian, I'm sure it's - coming here and telling your story to-day, is extremely painful.  This happened  four or five years ago and I just want to echo what Dr Ally said, that this was a horrific killing almost at the time that we were about to move into a democratic South Africa as you've said in your statement yourself.  I hope that coming here to-day has helped in some way and that  the questions that Professor Meiring has asked you, that some help will be provided.  Thank you very much for coming.