Human Rights Violation Hearings — Karoo — 1996-10-08

MONWABISI MASETI: I am not affected - it is just my ear.

ADV POTGIETER: And has that affected your ability to keep a job in any way.

MONWABISI MASETI: Yes, it has affected - it has affected my work.  When I make an application form for a job, it causes problem.  It's an impediment.

ADV POTGIETER: So you are experiencing difficulty in getting a job as a result of your - the condition of your hearing.

MONWABISI MASETI: Yes sir, it is so.

ADV POTGIETER: Can I just ask you finally Mr Maseti - how old were you when you were detained that first time in 1985.  Were you still at school.

MONWABISI MASETI: I was twenty.

ADV POTGIETER: Is there anything that you would like to add to your testimony before I go to Mr Mfazwe.

MONWABISI MASETI: When the police had detained me, they took a book.  There was a trunk full of books from Readers Digest.  Also school books from Standard six to Standard 10 - those books belong to me.  I ask the police to return those books to me please.

ADV POTGIETER: [Indistinct]

MONWABISI MASETI: They took them from my home, yes sir.

ADV POTGIETER: During the 85 or the 86 detention.

MONWABISI MASETI: It was in 1985.

ADV POTGIETER: Did they give you any receipt for the books that they've removed.

MONWABISI MASETI: No, I was given no receipt.

ADV POTGIETER: [Indistinct] throw it into the police vehicle and left with the books.

MONWABISI MASETI: They searched my entire house and took all the books and put them in the trunk and left with them.

ADV POTGIETER: You never saw those book again.

MONWABISI MASETI: No, I never saw them again.

ADV POTGIETER: [Indistinct] about those books.  Did the police question you.

MONWABISI MASETI: They did not ask me anything about the books.

ADV POTGIETER: Thank you very much.  I am going to move to Mr Mfazwe and we listen to his testimony before I hand back to the Chairperson.  And they might want to ask you some further questions Mr Maseti, but we will hear from [indistinct].

ADV POTGIETER: Perhaps Mr Maseti just your personal circumstances before I hand over to the Chairperson.  Are you married of unmarried.

MONWABISI MASETI: I'm not married, sir.

ADV POTGIETER: Have you got dependants.

ADV POTGIETER: I am now going to hand to the Chairperson.  Thank you very much.

MARY BURTON: I am sorry about the noise that you have to compete with - it's quite a dramatic wind outside today.  You have given us a very strong picture of the way in which in those years the authority figures of the time felt that they could do anything.  That the state of emergency gave them powers to detain people without trials, hold them in solitary confinement, to subject them to physical torture.  
And one of the things that we hope to do towards creating the kind of society in which that can never happen again.  Community organisation like NOYCO was seen as centres of resistance that must be stamped out at any cost and I think that it's important for us to remember that in every little town, those struggles of the people in organisations like NOYCO and others that were affiliated to the UDF and to other political organisation - other view points even - were all part of the contribution that brought about eventually in this decade the first democratic elections and the new government that we have.  
So what you suffered was not for nothing.  It was part of the struggle to build the new society.  But we also now that you paid a heavy price - that although you say that you are reasonably well now, that experience does create an emotional impact on you and you have to rebuild your lives.
We wish you well in doing that  and we hope that Mr Maseti you will be able to find employment because it's all very well to talk about the new democracy, but until that translates into development for the small country areas as well as for the cities and jobs and better futures for the people, we won't really be very far along the road to transformation.  
But we thank you for the things that you did to help towards that process and for coming today to talk to us and to tell us what it was like to be young in Noupoort in 1985 and 1986.  Thank you very much.