Human Rights Violation Hearings — Heiderveld — 1996-04-24

MLANDELI WALTER MQIKELA: No it wasn't I would be lying if I say so, and I was never detained.  And I don't even know if - if they were going to detain me or possess any of my assets but they didn't.  This was just 1987, this happened in 1987 but now in 1982 there were still people coming in asking questions about things that happened then.  But I didn't see any changes.
But I am happy that there is a Commission like this, that is going to help us unveil al those things that we - and give us answers of all those things that we didn't have before and now we are relieved.  It's difficult for us to accept the fact that these people with their own children can be able to kill and torture other people's children.
Our children have been in prisons for a long time and we had to pay a lot of money for these.  They were innocent, we would be waking up at night, and you would ask your child what have you done and they would say no I haven't done anything.  Sometimes they wouldn't even sleep at home, because they are afraid of this police they were running away from the police.
Then once - one incident, this son of mine here, he was wearing a white jacket, he had to jump over a fence in another - in another house, he was running away from the shooting police, it was on a Friday that day.  My house is a corner house, I could see this.  I saw a police station van - a van from the police I am just talking about all these things that happened before, all the agony that we went through, I am just telling you all this, if I can just go on I will never stop.
You know yourself how it was before.  You would be sitting in your house not secure at all not knowing what's going to happen next.  Not being sure if you are going to see your child again.

ADV NTSEBEZA: Thank you.

DR BORAINE: Ms Gobodo.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: You have said two things in your - in your presentation, the first thing you said is that the law allows them to do whatever they want to do to us.  And this was the case in those days, the second thing that you said is that if you were a person in authority, even if you gave false evidence in Court, this was your rights.  Now this is what you said.

MLANDELI WALTER MQIKELA: Okay.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: I would like to ask you sir, as you were going to Court, taking your son's case, what did you expect from the Court, what were your wishes and what did you expect from the Courts?

MLANDELI WALTER MQIKELA: You have a good question there, according to my opinion, it is a Court that is suppose to have judgements it is suppose to have - it is suppose to sift which is the truth and which are lies.  If the Court cannot do that, then you get very disappointed.  What I expected was that the Court should bring up the truth as it was.  But I found out the Courts themselves were lying instead I had to pay.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Thank you sir.

DR BORAINE: Mr Mqikela on behalf of the Commission I'd like to thank you very much indeed for coming along with your father.  I am glad - I am sure you are that you have him alongside of you, during these very difficult times.
And you have reminded us again of the very high price that children and young people had to pay in order for South Africa to move towards a new dispensation and a new democracy.  We are grateful to you for in the mists of your own ill health and still suffering from the results of that savage beating coming here to us today, you and your father.
You have heard what we have asked you if you could do for you, we going to try.  We are not people who possess miracles and great powers, but what we can do, we will do and that you have our promise of.  Thank you very much indeed again for coming to us today and go well.

MLANDELI WALTER MQIKELA: Thank you.