Human Rights Violation Hearings — Beaufort West — 1996-08-12

MARY BURTON: Good morning.  Can we make sure that you have your headset.  Now, I believe that you are both going to give evidence this morning.  Would you please both stand to take the oath.

WILLIAM MAKULANI: Duly sworn states

ALWINUS MRALASI: Duly sworn states

MARY BURTON: Dr Ramashala is going to facilitate your evidence this morning.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Good morning Mr Makulani and Mr Mralasi.

WILLIAM MAKULANI: Good morning ma'am.

ALWINUS MRALASI: Good morning ma'am.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: If both these gentlemen are going to be telling us about their horrible torture - experience -  in the hand of the police.  We will start with Mr Makulani and then follow up with Mr Mralasi. Mr Makulani, could you go back even before 1968, and talk about the circumstances that led to your detention in 1968.

WILLIAM MAKULANI: In 1968 I was in my house sleeping and policemen came to my house in the morning at 2 -  it was at 2 a.m.  They knocked at the door and came into the house and started searching the house all over, throwing  my clothes and scattering  them all over the room.  And when I asked them what they were doing, who's permission did they have.  
Then they told me they were policemen, I should not question them.  Then I kept quiet and at about 3 o'clock in the morning, I again asked them what they actually wanted.  Then they said that I should leave them.  I shouldn't just talk nonsense to them.  Then I said to them  Why should you talk like that?  Then they said  This is our job.  Then I left them.  They went on and on, then they took me - just before that they asked me to dress up because I was in pajamas ...[intervention]

MAPULE RAMASHALA: May I just - can I just interrupt you a little bit to find out who was with you in the house.

WILLIAM MAKULANI: I was with my wife and a baby because my wife had just got a baby at that time.  And then they said to me  Let us go, come out.  And I was dressed already at that time.  So I did go outside and I saw a police van outside and I was shoved into one of the vans.  
They drove away with me to the Police Station where we were separated and we were put into another van and we were put into various vans - in groups.  So in the Police Camp towards early morning, they took us to Beaufort West and they drove on to Oudtshoorn and in Oudtshoorn they again divided us into groups.  They sent me to Calitzdorp, together with another man and some other people I do not now.  In Calitzdorp - that is where we were for about 2 weeks and were being fed on porridge only. 
Ever since I was taken from home, I was given porridge and it was very tough.  I even complained that we couldn't even get gravy because we're even having some heartburn from eating the porridge.  Then my colleagues they said that I should go and talk to this white policeman.  Then I asked him to call them to me.  So he said yes he would.
Then at night we were offered soup and pap -  porridge  - and then they came for me,  so I left the others behind.  Then they moved me from Calitzdorp to Oudtshoorn and they asked me if I knew why I had been arrested.  Then I said I didn't know.  Then they said they had them - they had arrested me because of  [indistinct]  which is PAC wing.
Then I said to them that I knew nothing about that thing.  Then they said that I was telling them nonsense, then I said I wasn't telling them any nonsense.  Then one white man that was standing in front of me said that I was telling them nonsense, I should tell them the truth.  Then I told them that that was the only truth I had.  I didn't know anything.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Excuse me, were you a member of any political organization, specifically  [indistinct].

WILLIAM MAKULANI: No, I wasn't  a member.  Then they said they were going to show to me.  They asked me to stand like an aeroplane.  Then I said  How could I do that?  Then they said - they insisted - that I should stand like an aeroplane with my - then I'm standing and I'm showing how they asked  me to stand on my tows.  They had placed a sack on my shoulder and it was very heavy and  then they started beating me vigorously, clapping me al over the body and I fell down. 
 They kicked me severely, asking me to tell the truth because they said I was - they alleged that I wanted to kill the whites.  They beat me up for 3 consecutive days and then on the third day, they left me.  They used even to kick me on external genitals and I was swollen .  I could not even go to the toilet.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: [indistinct]  how many?

WILLIAM MAKULANI: There were two - one of them was Moshweshwe and then another one, but I can't remember his name. But he came from Graaff-Reinet.  Then I was beaten up for 3 days and they took me to jail in Oudtshoorn where I waited for the others.  They just put me there in jail.  Then some pus started coming out of my ear and I could not urinate.
I could not do anything and I was worried, then I asked one of them to look into my ear because it was very painful.  And I've asked them to give me medicine - they wouldn't give this medicine to me.  I even felt dizzy, then Benn looked into my ear and he is the one who saw that there was pus that was coming out of my ear and then he started cleaning up my ear.  And then I asked them to give me medicine, then they called me Poxo saying they were not going to give me medicine.  I should die because I can't live with people, so I kept quiet, and I said it's very tuff now on earth.
So I was sick until I got healed and then they took us back home.   Excuse me - then we were sent to Court to see the - before the Judge that was from Oudtshoorn. The Court who I was sent to, was in Cape Town, in Supreme Court.  Then our case stretched for about 1 year, 6 months in Cape Town and then we were released in June.  So that is what happened.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Thank you, Mr Makulani.  I want to first apologize before I ask the next question.  And state that I do not mean to be disrespectful by asking the question.  But I need to ask  this question because there seem to have  been very special ways of torturing men.  And you mentioned in your statement that during the  torture they kicked you all over and you said including your private parts.
Did they do anything else that you haven't told us about?

WILLIAM MAKULANI: No, nothing else except that they would take me and facing my head downwards, and they would threaten  to throw me down so that I would hit by the head.  That was another thing that I had forgotten.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Mr Makulani, how is your health today?

WILLIAM MAKULANI: I am - I am ill.  I cannot do anything.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: [indistinct] and whether you're receiving any medical treatment at all.

WILLIAM MAKULANI: I have got high blood pressure, I have got what the witness says is   [indistinct]   Then some other times I can't walk properly - I just feel numb.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Were you able to - how many children do you have?

WILLIAM MAKULANI: I have 4 children.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: And you don't work, do you?

WILLIAM MAKULANI: Yes, I do not work.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: How do you manage at home to take care of your wife and also to raise the children?

WILLIAM MAKULANI: It's only my wife who's working and she's therefore the one who's supporting the family.  Even the children now - who are at High School  and University - cannot get any help.  Therefore - such that I have appealed to those that are finance - institutions to  help me with money.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Could you start with your oldest child, give us his age and what he's doing or what she's doing - the standard - and then go down to the youngest one.

WILLIAM MAKULANI: My firstborn is doing BA - he failed he's third year degree in BA - that was that time I used to pay for his school fees, but now he is working part time in Cape Town.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: What about the next one.