Human Rights Violation Hearings — Cradock — 1996-02-10

MR SANDI: Thank you, Thandiwe, thank you Mr Chairman.

BONGANI FINCA: Thandiwe Dano, there is something that I am not understanding well in your statement.  I wonder if you can clarify for me.  Are Luyanda's parents still alive?

THANDIWE AGNESS DANO: Yes, they are still alive.

BONGANI FINCA: Why did they not give a statement?

THANDIWE AGNESS DANO: His father had no way of giving a statement because he was not here, he was not there when Luyanda was detained by the police.  We had to report to him exactly what happened.

BONGANI FINCA: And the mother?

THANDIWE AGNESS DANO: The mother is blind, she cannot see, she was there at the time, but now she is blind.

BONGANI FINCA: Thank you.  Secondly in your statement, unless there is a typing error, in March 1971, we were told that Luyanda was 15, is that a mistake?

THANDIWE AGNESS DANO: Yes, it is a mistake.
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BONGANI FINCA: It was in 1977?

THANDIWE AGNESS DANO: Yes, it was.

BONGANI FINCA: What exactly did Luyanda do in the struggle, what was his contribution because according to the statement he was advocating for the removal of teachers that were not acceptable.  Where there any political motives?

THANDIWE AGNESS DANO: Yes, he was one of the children who fought for the needs of the students at school.

BONGANI FINCA: Was he a leader or just a member?

THANDIWE AGNESS DANO: He was just one of the students, really.

BONGANI FINCA: According to the statement, he was detained and then later charged for having stolen a bicycle, he was then in detention from June 1979, is this a mistake that according to the statement he was detained for a year?

THANDIWE AGNESS DANO: It is a mistake, he was only detained for one month.

BONGANI FINCA: After he had been released from jail, it was discovered that he has a blood clot in the brain.  Was he taken to the Doctor?

THANDIWE AGNESS DANO: Yes, the prison authorities took him to the Doctor.

BONGANI FINCA: After that, did you take any steps as a family to prosecute those who had caused his injuries?

THANDIWE AGNESS DANO: I personally did not take any steps because there was no place I could run to.  We had to go to the police who were the perpetrators, the law was in their hands.

BONGANI FINCA: If our investigators as a Commission, want the names of these people that you suspect caused the injuries, are you able to give the names?

THANDIWE AGNESS DANO: Yes, we are.

BONGANI FINCA: Thank you Mrs Thandiwe Dano for having
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testified here.  We are most aware of the contribution the youth especially students, made to the struggle especially here in Cradock.
 Most of the struggles that were led by students, some of them now have no future, because they spent their time in the struggle.  Luyanda's story is a reminder that there are children today, like Luyanda, he is literally in a mental institution because of a clot in the brain.
 Some children are not literally in mental institutions, but their lives are such that they have no future.  As a Commission we should look at this carefully because in the struggle, I remember that people like Matthew Goniwe, if students had not taken a position, the system would have had its way, but students like Luyanda sacrificed their future for the struggle.
 Thank you Thandiwe for reminding us of those days, those important days.  We will look carefully at what you have said about Luyanda in your statement, we would like to go to the mental institution where he is.
 We would also like to know from the perpetrators themselves exactly what happened to Luyanda, why is it that they would take Luyanda, a healthy boy and then bring him back with a clot in the brain.  If we need any other details, we will come back to you.  Thank you.
 We will now adjourn for 15 minutes, we will be back here at quarter past eleven.