Human Rights Violation Hearings — Worcester — 1996-06-25

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: I'm asking because it's important for us to trace the sources of that information about the bottle and just to establish what kind of rationale was given for the death of your son to the newspaper.  It you find out who the reporter is who wrote that article then she or he may be able to tell us who gave the information and will be able to have something to establish what the facts are.
 In your statement to our investigators, Brenda, Mark and Chandre from our Investigating Unit, you stated that there was a policeman who came up to the woman who shot your late son and commended her for the action that she took and according to the information in the investigators report, this policeman said, good shot lady.

MR DE BRUIN: Yes, that was what the witness told the police.  He heard that the policeman said, good show lady, good show and he gave his name as well to the woman who fired the shot.   There were other witnesses who also saw that and heard that, how the policeman told the woman that - good show.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: ... right now that, you know, looking at Mrs De Bruin that you are talking on behalf of the family and both of yourselves and in a way as I've heard from a number of witnesses who have come up here talking about the pain provides a kind of relief and release.  So for you personally this is what it may do and I would like to know from you what does the experience of talking in front of the Commission do to you?

MR DE BRUIN: Well at the moment I'm feeling, I don't quite know how to put it but I feel better than when I arrived here this morning.  The circumstances surrounding the situation, the fact that there is still so much uncertainty, that bothers me a lot because to think that a person can just be shot like that and the person who did it gets away with it, that really, really upsets me.  To think that there were so many policemen present on that day and they did nothing.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: I'm also wondering how Mrs De Bruin feels because she obviously hasn't been able to talk about it publicly as you have had the opportunity to do and I'm wondering what her feelings are.  I don't know whether se would like to say something about this but I can speak to the Chairperson to find out how he would handle this himself because she hasn't been sworn in.

ADV POTGIETER: If Mrs De Bruin also wishes to make a statement then we can receive that but then she'll just have to be sworn in.

MRS DE BRUIN: (sworn states)
I'll hand you over to my colleague Miss Gobodo.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Mrs De Bruin I'd like you to share with us what your feeling are about the loss of your son.

ME DE BRUIN: Today it is very painful for me to speak about it because I feel as if this happened today.  This child left the school that afternoon and I went to fetch my little girl from the nursery school and I saw him at the corner when he said to me, mother you must please go home and make food for us, I'll be home in a moment. 
 I went home and I said to the little girl that we should go and look what the young people are doing because I was scared that something would happen that day.  We then prepared ourselves to go and see what was happening.  We were walking down the road and we saw some other people who were also on their way to see what the children were doing.  When I got to the shop we heard the children shouting and screaming and then they came and told me that my son was shot.
 I asked them if he was dead but they didn't reply so I ran down the road to the shop and when I got there the police shouted at me, go back, go back but I kept running until I got there.  They cordoned the road and blocked the shop and I asked them whether they shot my child and they said they didn't shoot the child, it was someone else.  I tried to push through them but they pushed me back.  I turned around and ran away to the hospital.  I was shouting Jacques my child, my child where are you, where are you?  I then heard that my child was dead when I came home.  It was not a nice day for me, my heart is still sore for this child, he was my right hand.  He was like a daughter and a son to me, he helped me with everything.  I want her to be punished for this deed that she did.  She had no right to come and say to us that she was sorry for us.  
 There were so many different stories that my son was in her shop and he wasn't in her shop.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Mrs De Bruin it seems very easy for some people to just shoot at others as if they're not human beings like themselves.  It's very difficult for all of us to understand how all those things are possible.

ADV POTGIETER: Thank you Pumla.  Thank you Mrs De Bruin and thank you also Mr De Bruin we know that it is difficult to say something to you that would comfort you because whatever one might say nothing will take away the fact that your son is dead.  Nothing will take away the fact that the dreams of which you spoke have also been taken away with him.  We heard what you said, we heard that it helps to know what the truth is and what actually happened and this brings some comfort.  Your case is in the Commission's hands.  Later today we will hear a version on behalf of the person who shot.  The entire matter will be investigated and we will do our best at least to give you a picture of what really happened on that day.  We hope that this will bring some peace in your heart.  We thank you for sharing your story with us, especially Mrs De Bruin, it is very clear that the wounds are still very raw for you and we hope that with time there will be peace in your heart too.  Thank you for sharing your story with us.