Human Rights Violation Hearings — Sebokeng — 1996-08-05

DR RANDERA: Dominic I want to come back to this day that you were shot.  You say you are a member of the ANC Youth League.  So does that mean you were an underground member at the time because the ANC Youth League was banned.  Or were you a member of the UDF or Cosas?

MR TOPI DOMINIC TLADI: I was actually operating underground.  That is correct.

DR RANDERA: Can you then just tell us a little more what does that mean, what were you actually doing at the time that was furthering the aims of the ANC because the ANC was an underground and a banned organisation at that time.

MR TOPI DOMINIC TLADI: I was actually organising meetings and I used to make it a point that the police didn't come to disturb the peace in the meetings that we used to hold.  That was my main concern, that the police should not disturb us.

COMMISSIONER: Please give a chance to continue with his story.

DR RANDERA: Do you want to add anything more to that?

MR TOPI DOMINIC TLADI: What I can say at the moment is that I want to see the person who shot me because what he did to me, what had he thought of just to go and shoot an African child right in the location.

DR RANDERA: Dominic sorry, I will come to that question of the person who shot you but I want to still deal with that period we are dealing with, the 1984, the atmosphere that was there.   I mean you were an underground member.  We also know that, you know, many people lost their lives during that period.  Was that part of the strategy of your
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organisation at that time?

MR TOPI DOMINIC TLADI: Yes, I think that is how we had to operate.  Because we were telling ourselves that as the black nation we should be upgraded or we should upgrade ourselves that we should be united.

DR RANDERA: Dominic I want to come back to your injuries.  You say that you were shot in the shoulder.  And this has affected you in terms of what you can do.  Has it left you paralysed in that arm?

MR TOPI DOMINIC TLADI: I do but it is really difficult for me to use my left hand.

DR RANDERA: Your hand or your shoulder?

MR TOPI DOMINIC TLADI: It is my shoulder.

DR RANDERA: So you can't do very much with that arm of yours.

MR TOPI DOMINIC TLADI: That is correct.  I am actually training but I am unable to do so, especially after this.

DR RANDERA: You said earlier on that this has prevented you from studying and going further on.  Can you just explain to us why that has happened?

MR TOPI DOMINIC TLADI: I run or I jog, that is how I train.

DR RANDERA: I have no further questions.

COMMISSIONER: Any further questions?   We thank you Mr Tladi.  One other thing that we must take into consideration is that some of the things that have happened in South Africa is that our youth sacrificed themselves and many of you actually sacrificed themselves for the nation and we thank the manner in which the youth did this because today we have achieved freedom.  We even thank your friends who were like you, who were also tortured.  I don't know how we can actually try to console you or give any condolences
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because many of you have been affected but today we see the fruits of your struggle.   As we have just said that we as the black nation we have come to the fore and we can be proud of that.  We are now like other nationalities.  We thank you very much even though you are having your spaza shop.