Human Rights Violation Hearings — Soweto — 1996-07-22

ANTOINETTE SITHOLE: It was on the 16th of June as we were marching against the Afrikaans.  When we arrived at Pafeneng there was confusion.  There were police.  They threw us with tear gas.  We ran away and we hid ourselves.  While we were hiding we found the police, they were on the other side Andy Thomas Hall and then we went out.  While we were still standing outside there was someone coming in front of the school, and who is this person?  And I thought this is Hector.  I called Hector.  I said to Hector he should not, and we go back home.
 There was a gun sound.  There was teargas and there was confusion.  I saw people hiding themselves and then I hid myself too.  While we were standing there I then - I was afraid because I didn't know where Hector has gone to and people were holding something.  And then I moved forward and I could not see properly, and I saw Hector's shoe.  
 Mr Makubu said and ran.  While he was running I asked where are you going.  He said there's a clinic just nearby.  While we were running someone stopped in front of us, this car, my mother came out from the car and she said put him inside the car, I will assist you.  Mr Makubu was carrying Hector and said Hector is dead.
 When we arrived at the clinic we found a doctor there.  When the doctor went on he said there is nothing I can do.  He asked me the names, who I am.  After that I stayed there in the clinic without knowing what to do.  There came two 
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women who were teachers and they went home with me.

YASMINE SOOKA: Thank you.  I am going to ask you some questions for clarification please.  Could you tell me whether Hector was a member of any student organisation at the time?

ANTOINETTE SITHOLE: No he was not a member of any organisation.

YASMINE SOOKA: So Hector got caught in the crossfire?

ANTOINETTE SITHOLE: I think now that we were marching, most of the schoolchildren, we only went to the secondary schools and high schools, so maybe because of curiosity kids from all these lower primary schools they all followed us.  So something like that really.

YASMINE SOOKA: How old was Hector at the time?

ANTOINETTE SITHOLE: He was 12 years old and he was to be 13 in August.

YASMINE SOOKA: How old were you at the time?

ANTOINETTE SITHOLE: I was 17 years old.

YASMINE SOOKA: What has happened to you since, what do you do?

ANTOINETTE SITHOLE: In 1977 we had a ...(indistinct) just to keep us busy and away from the street.  So I was doing that.  And after that I got married and I left my husband and I got - I am married now again.  So my life is not so much well really.

YASMINE SOOKA: How do you feel about the fact that so many years after June '76 we now have a new government, do you feel that Hector's death in any way contributed to what we have today?

ANTOINETTE SITHOLE: Of course it did, it did contribute very, very much.

YASMINE SOOKA: Thank you.  I will ask my fellow commissioners and committee members whether they want to ask you any questions.  Thank you very much.
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THOMAS MANTHATA: Antoinette at the time in what class were you, that is in what form were you?

ANTOINETTE SITHOLE: I was doing form 2.

THOMAS MANTHATA: And at that time what subjects were you doing in Afrikaans?

ANTOINETTE SITHOLE: It was mathematics, biology and geography.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Was it easy and pleasant to receive lessons in that language?

ANTOINETTE SITHOLE: No it was not easy and it was not pleasant.

THOMAS MANTHATA: We have here Umbiswa Makubu who was seen carrying Hector Petersen, how long had you known him before this occasion?

ANTOINETTE SITHOLE: I never knew Mr Umbiswa.  I only saw him that minute and it was the end.

THOMAS MANTHATA: What happened to the students, that is those who were marching towards the end of the day?  Did they march the whole day?

ANTOINETTE SITHOLE: No they didn't march the whole day, we were interrupted by the police.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Thank you.  No further questions.

MR LEWIN: Antoinette could I ask, you must have re-lived this whole experience many, many times since - well in the last 20 years, thinking back on it now do you feel any- what are your feelings about that, looking back on it now?

ANTOINETTE SITHOLE: At first I was very, very angry, but later I realised that no Hector didn't die in vain really, because all what we wanted was the language must be changed and the later generations would enjoy their school, because we couldn't enjoy school because of this Afrikaans.  So I am very happy now because things have changed.

MR LEWIN: Thank you.
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MS MKHIZE: Thank you.  Antoinette partly while you were organising this we had many people asking us as to what we hoped to achieve since so much has been said about June 16, and our response has been we hope from people like yourselves we will be able to get the details that have not been depicted anywhere.  I will ask you just to share with the Commission and the audience as to what kind of information emerged at that time around Hector's funeral, whatever you can think of if you look back.  The people who came to visit your family, the speeches that were made, whatever you think might be significant which you can recollect.  I know it's a difficult thing but it might be of use for this Commission to get a clearer picture.

ANTOINETTE SITHOLE: Ja there were people that were coming at my grandmother's place and they all talked about that one day we will be free of which it was really encouraging, because I think most of the people didn't think that June 16th really gave us freedom you know because we were kids.  So I think most of the people were talking about freedom and that we will one day win this battle of apartheid.

MS MKHIZE: Did young people who were with him at school at that time, you said he was 12, did they also have a similar perspective, what was their reaction, were they also hopeful at that time as early as the age of 12?

ANTOINETTE SITHOLE: I think they were confused actually because most of the kids by that age they were not really in politics so maybe they heard elderly people talking about that but you know how kids are.  I think they were confused, they couldn't understand.

MS MKHIZE: Also of importance for this Commission is to assist the government to make sure that in this country we
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don't ever leave with a situation where we say a person at the age of 12 was killed.  I suppose you have been talking with your family members about this, what kind of advice would you give, what should be done?  How should the present government deal with young people when they are protesting or rioting?

ANTOINETTE SITHOLE: I think the important things before the government, as parents, parents should actually tell or teach children that education is important.  We may have politicians in the kids, maybe the kids may turn to be politicians, but education is the key to freedom.  So I think we must tell the youth to leave drugs and all these funny things that they are doing to concentrate on education.  In that way we will be a better nation.

YASMINE SOOKA: Thank you Antoinette.   Sam will you now tell us your account of what happened on June the 16th and the subsequent days, and particularly how you came to take that picture which was splashed across the world?