Human Rights Violation Hearings — Welkom — 1996-10-09

MR DLAMINI: "Guys, which firearm are you referring to?"  They said, "We want a firearm.  Before you give us that firearm we aren't just going to leave you."  They were torturing me in that way and I was crying like a baby.  I was crying like a baby.  This electrocution was very bad.  After some few minutes they took me to Bren Park.  I was dizzy.  I couldn't understand what was happening.  I couldn't even think properly.  They went to Mofube's house.  They searched.  I was assaulted.  My youngest daughter was staying at Mofube's house and she was surprised as to what was happening.  She was asking herself, "What are they doing to my father?  Why are they beating him so much?"  It was late at about 5 o'clock and I was taken to Seisoville police station and I was kept in the cell.  I spent the night at the police station but I could feel my head was getting heavy and I felt it with my hands.  It was swollen.  My eyes were closed because my face was swollen.  Blood was coming from the ears and from the nose and every time I couldn't breathe properly.  I took out my handkerchief at night.  I wanted to sneeze.  I think I sneezed a lot but my eye protruded.  I stopped it and I pushed it backwards and I didn't know the reason why was my eye protruding.  The next day my wife and my daughter-in-law came to see me.  When the policeman opened the door for them I couldn't see them but I could hear from their voices that this was my wife.  And the policeman opened the door and my wife said to the policeman, "No, this is not the man we're looking for.  We aren't looking for this man."  And I said, "Grace, I'm your husband.  There is no one else.  They kept me in the cell for a long  time and when my brother(?) was supposed to appear before the court of law, I was there among this group.  When we came before the magistrate he said, "Accused No 4, the case is closed.  You can go home.  You're discharged."  And I went out of the box.  There was this other chap, a white chap who was a special branch member and I said to him, "I know the case has been dropped but the injuries that I sustained and the torture that you gave me, should I just stop here?"  And I said to him, "I think I should take further steps even though I don't have money."  I remember Mr Lefafa, he was telling me, he said, "Leepo, I want you to take further steps."  But this special branch member said to me, "Listen here, you know what, if I were you I would never take any steps against the police because if you do that they are going to trace you and I must tell you if you can just lay charges against them you must know that you are going to end up nowhere and your children will never know where their father it."  And this was very uncomfortable.  I was told by a special branch member that my children will lose me forever.  I decided, no, I should leave this matter.  Since then my life was a misery.  Until today I'm not - I was working but I lost my job and until today I am a sickly person.  I can hardly work.  I can't do anything.  I can't even lift up my grandchild.  I can't cuddle her in my hands.  I just pick her up for a minute and I'm tired thereafter.  Even if when I walk, I'm battling.  Since then my life changed.  The torture, my private parts were also damaged and this really affected my relationship with my wife.  And until today I'm not working.  I cannot work.   /I cannot

MR DLAMINI: I cannot build my family a beautiful house and that's the reason why my daughter had to leave school because I could not manage to further her studies.

MR DLAMINI: Thank you, Ndade Moleke.  I'm going to ask a few questions just to make sure that we've understood you.  The crossroad that Roland was referring to, was he referring to a particular place or he was just saying that one day he will get square with you?

WITNESS:   He was telling me that one day - because we met before and he thought I was lying to him and he said, "The other day we will meet."

MR DLAMINI: How long did the torture and assault go on for?

WITNESS:   It took about an hour because it was done on many occasions.

MR DLAMINI: The detention itself, how long did it go for?

WITNESS:  Three weeks to a month before I appeared before the court because my head was swollen, my eyes were closed.  They kept me in the cell so that I could get better.

MR DLAMINI: Were you taken to a medical doctor?

WITNESS:   No, Sir, I was never taken to a doctor.

MR DLAMINI: After your release did you go to any doctor?

WITNESS:  I never went to a doctor because of the words uttered by the special branch because I knew by going to the doctor, the doctor was going to give me a letter to take to the attorney to take steps but because of the threat from the SB men I was scared to go to the doctor.

MR DLAMINI: You also mentioned that a certain Mr Lefafa encouraged you to take the matter up, to take some legal action.

WITNESS:   That's correct.

MR DLAMINI: Who was Mr Lefafa?

WITNESS:   He was a teacher in Kroonstad in the past years and after that he was  promoted to be an inspector and he went on pension and a few years thereafter he passed away.

MR DLAMINI: So he was one of your friends?

WITNESS:   He was one of my friends.

MR DLAMINI: And you also mentioned that one of the security branch officers discouraged you from taking legal action.

WITNESS:   That's correct.  That's what I said.  One member of the special branch, that is when I was discharged from the court.  He said to me, "Just give it a try.  Just take steps.  You will know us, because these people are going to trace you.  They're going to follow you and something terrible is going to happen to you, and your children will never ever know where you were."

MR DLAMINI: And the name of the particular SB officer who discouraged you, can you still remember him?

WITNESS:   No, I do not know his name.  It was my first time to see him on that day.

MR DLAMINI: The people who tortured you, Roland, Prins, Mowale and Tabanelo, are they still alive?  Have you seen them of late?

WITNESS:   Mowale and Tabanelo are still alive.  I met Prins two years back.  I don't know whether is he still alive.  I think he is still alive.

MR DLAMINI: Mowale and Tabanelo, where are they now?  What are they doing?

WITNESS:   They are in Kroonstad.  They're on pension.

MR DLAMINI: Are they staying in the same area as you are and if that is the case, have you ever spoken to them, perhaps tried to reconcile at a personal level?

WITNESS:   There is no problem.  I meet them often and we sit down together and enjoy our drinks but I don't touch this issue with

MR DLAMINI: /then

MR DLAMINI: them at all.

MR DLAMINI: I do understand that it's difficult for you to touch it but from their part have they said anything to you or extend an apology to you?

WITNESS:   If you are talking to a person, you'll see by his actions that he wants to say something but each time they time to impress me I ignore them.

MR DLAMINI: You mentioned that you would like to get an opportunity to meet with them where you could confront this unfortunate development and get an explanation from them as to why they did this.  Do you still want to do that?

WITNESS:   That is my request.  I want to ask them why were they torturing me.  They should give the reasons.

MR DLAMINI: Yes, definitely we'll be in contact with them getting their side of the story or we might also subpoena them depending on their co-operation and in the process we'll mention to them your desire.

WITNESS:   Thank you.  Thank you, Sir.