Human Rights Violation Hearings — Karoo — 1996-10-07

ADV POTGIETER: The lawyer did not come at all.  He wasn't at court.  Mr Sewisa wasn't at court at all that day.

MS MANTYSI: He might have been there, because as I arrived, his car was leaving going towards the township.

ADV POTGIETER: Do you want to tell us something about the funeral.

MS MANTYSI: I wanted my husband to be buried on the Monday.  The police refused.  They said he must be buried on the Sunday.  He was buried on Sunday.  The police were everywhere in the township.  They had guns guarding us, but they did not do anything.

ADV POTGIETER: Is it correct that your -  at one stage the body of your husband was removed from De Aar and in fact taken to Bloemfontein, without you knowledge or your consent.

MS MANTYSI: Yes, that's the truth.  I did not know that they were taking the corpse.  They said they wanted to operate on him.  They insisted that I sign I refused.  I said I'd get my own doctor to perform a post-mortem.

ADV POTGIETER: It appears as if it would have been impossible for you to have the funeral on the day that you planned it for.  Because the body wasn't here, the body was in Bloemfontein.

MS MANTYSI: Please repeat your question.

ADV POTGIETER: It appears from the information at our disposal that it would have been impossible for you to have had the funeral on the day that you planned for the funeral, because the body wasn't in De Aar.  The body was actually in Bloemfontein, without your knowledge.

MS MANTYSI: The corpse must have been in Bloemfontein.  But we went and asked for it they said that it was not there.   They did not say at the time that it's in Bloemfontein.  I don't know when they brought the corpse back.  But they brought it back that day they wanted to bring it back.  We then buried him on Sunday - on their own date - not my date.

ADV POTGIETER: Thank you very much Ms Mantysi.

MARY BURTON: Ms Mantysi, sorry don't take it off just yet.  I wanted to ask about your brother.  I believe he is working in Cape Town now.

MS MANTYSI: Yes, it is the same brother that had been shot.

MARY BURTON: Does he have any injuries still as a result or has he completely recovered.

MS MANTYSI: I don't know -  I am not sure.  I don't whether he is still in pain, but he was operated on his stomach -  I never asked him.  I don't ask him now if there are repercussions.

MARY BURTON: [Indistinct] the company knew today, is that right?

MS MANTYSI: No, this is my sister.

MARY BURTON: We have listened carefully to al that you have told us and we have taken note of the struggle that you are having to bring up your children without your husband and breadwinner to support you.  
At the end of our work with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, it is part of our job to present a report to the President and to make recommendations about ways in which some reparation can be made for what people lost in the past.  And maybe one of the ways that people can be helped is by enabling children, the next generation to have a proper education.  And I hope that maybe at that time something will be able to be done to assist your family.  We know that it has been very hard for you to come and live all that painful time in your life and we thank you very much for coming here today - thank you.

MS MANTYSI: Thank you.