Human Rights Violation Hearings — Mabopane — 1997-04-09

MR RAMPONE: No it was in 1986.

RUSSELL ALLY: You misunderstand me, what happened to you took place in 1986, but in your statement the letter from the Lawyers for Human Rights was, I imagine those were the lawyers handling your case, not so? The last correspondence is excuse me, 16 February 1993, is that the most recent regard to your court case, legal action against ...

MR RAMPONE: No. The letter from the Lawyers for Human Rights in Pretoria came to me while I was still looking for help, because I didn't lose hope. When I went to Lawyers for Human Rights they wrote me a letter, thinking that my letter took place not far behind from 1993.

RUSSELL ALLY: When was the last time that you heard about your case?

MR RAMPONE: The last time I had correspondence about my case was in 1987, I still remember I was still in school at that time. It was in 1987, that was when I last heard from the policeman who was handling my case.

RUSSELL ALLY: Do you still have the same lawyer, Mr Naidoo, who you mentioned?

MR RAMPONE: I'm not sure whether he is still around in Johannesburg, but if he's still alive I think he's still in Jo'burg, if that will need any reference or his details.

RUSSELL ALLY: ... for a while also, and when was The last time you heard from him?

MR RAMPONE: No, I haven't heard from him.

RUSSELL ALLY: Now you say the soldier who shot you was identified, but you didn't give any name. Do you have a name of this person?

MR RAMPONE: The person whose name I know is the policeman who was handling the case, not the soldier.The soldier was known to my witness because he was already arrested by then. He was in the van or in the hippo that they shot me from.

RUSSELL ALLY: Does the witness know the name of the soldier?

MR RAMPONE: I'm not sure that he knows his name because these soldiers were from. The only person whose name I know and who I can identify is the policeman who was handling my case. This policeman looked as if he knew this soldier who shot me, because in his action, I could see that he was trying to protect him.

RUSSELL ALLY: Your witness knew this person by sight, they were going to identify them because they would be able to recognise his face.

MR RAMPONE: Yes.

RUSSELL ALLY: And were you or the witness ever shown any photographs?

MR RAMPONE: No.

RUSSELL ALLY: Just to go back to the events which led to your being shot, to be clear, you said that you were protesting against the principal because you believed that the principal had actually being misappropriating or misusing school funds. Is that correct? Is that what the nature of the protest was?

MR RAMPONE: Yes.

RUSSELL ALLY: Any other issues which you were protesting about, besides the question of the school principal?

MR RAMPONE: We were also wanted a students representative council at our school to act as a mediator between the principal and the pupils.

RUSSELL ALLY: And what was the attitude of the principal towards this, towards the students wanting a representative council?

MR RAMPONE: He was very negative, by that time they said that SRC's were not allowed in Boputhatswana High Schools.

RUSSELL ALLY: But you persisted with your - did you ever get a SRC elected at your school?

MR RAMPONE: Yes we elected a SRC, but it happened after this incident until I completed matric.

RUSSELL ALLY: ... went back after this, after you were shot, was it the same principal still at the school?

MR RAMPONE: Yes it was still the same principal.

RUSSELL ALLY: Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Dr Randera.

DR RANDERA: Mahase, I just wanted to pose that question a little differently. We heard earlier on that 1986 was, there was a state of emergency. I assume that it applied to your area as well, is that right?

MR RAMPONE: Yes that is right. May you please repeat the question?

DR RANDERA: Was the state of emergency in existence already. What, why else was the army out on the streets of your township at that time, besides the incident you're talking about, there must have a ...

MR RAMPONE: Yes, there were many soldiers even some of them were stationed at a travel authority.

DR RANDERA: What was the reason, was there a lot of unrest in your area?

MR RAMPONE: The problem is we are not going full-time to school, and they were forcing us to go to school, that's what caused that present day.

DR RANDERA: We have also heard that people's houses were being burned down, policemen were being attacked. Was that happening in your area at the time?

MR RAMPONE: Yes that was happening.

DR RANDERA: And were the students involved with that?

MR RAMPONE: I don't know because I wasn't present at the time. I was still in hospital by then.

DR RANDERA: But you do admit that there were houses being burned down, policemen being attacked?

MR RAMPONE: Yes, there were houses that were being burned down, but I didn't know about the attacks on the police, because I stayed at the hospital for a while.

CHAIRPERSON: Ms Seroke?

MS SEROKE: You say after they shot you they stitched you. I want to know, did they amputate you immediately? You said when you were injured, they stitched you and then you came back.

MR RAMPONE: They amputated my leg immediately, that is after I - because I was supposed to be conscious first, and then I had to attach a statement and that is when they would operate me before they could operate anything.

MS SEROKE: How long did you take before you went back to school?

MR RAMPONE: I went back to school in May.

MS SEROKE: When did you get injured?

MR RAMPONE: I was injured 6 March.

MS SEROKE: You said you've completed your matric, have you completed it?

MR RAMPONE: Yes.

MS SEROKE: What are you doing now?

MR RAMPONE: I'm only staying at home.

MS SEROKE: What would you wish to do?

MR RAMPONE: I would like to further my studies, and maybe get any assistance from the commission to help me.

MS SEROKE: But at the moment you are not able to?

MR RAMPONE: Yes, at the moment I'm relying on my parents, and they also have other children, who were born after me. They are the ones who are being provided for, because they are not well educated. That is they have not completed matric.

MS SEROKE: Do you want to go to university?

MR RAMPONE: Yes I want to go to university.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you Joyce. Mahase Rampone, thank you for coming to us. The picture, photo, that you brought to our album today, is a very sad one, having lost your leg, the pain, the suffering, the ending of your studies. But you are still a young man and your whole future is in front of you. We will do our best from the side of the truth commission, but we do hope that you will find a beautiful future, a worthwhile future, that you will be able to find work, study, to do all the things you want to do to help us build up this beautiful country of ours. Thank you for coming and all the best for the future. Thank you so much. While he is taking his place can I just check - Puleng Lebopo has not come yet, the first on the list, which seems not so. Mothomone Masola, the second on the list also not come. Can I ask Matlodi Fedibana, Matlodi Fedibana, not come. And then Mafatima Maluleka also not present at the moment ....(Tape ends)