Human Rights Violation Hearings — Mmabatho — 1996-07-08

MR RANDERA: I want to understand - and Oupa and Ben Thwala?  They only came to visit you at your house.  They were not there on the night that Daniel was killed?

DIKELEKI MORETI: No, they were in the house on that night.

MR RANDERA: I see from your statement that you identified their bodies too, so they were also killed by the police on the same night?

DIKELEKI MORETI: I saw their corpses when the policemen from the town came to pick me up, so that we could identify the corpses that belonged to us.  I found their corpses when they were sleeping in the white coffins at the Rustenburg Police Station.

MR RANDERA: Mrs Moreti this is very painful for you.  From what you are saying, four people were killed that night?

DIKELEKI MORETI: Yes, that is true.

MR RANDERA: You say no inquest was held into the death of your husband.  Did you lay any charges?

DIKELEKI MORETI: I never took those people anywhere because I was afraid.  The only thing I did was I went to the Tsabane Police Station.  They haven't made any investigations.  And that was what they told me, that they are still investigating up until now.

MR RANDERA: Thank you.  Any question Tom?

THOMAS MANTHATA: I just wanted to know.  At the funeral, what kind of a person was being buried?   How was he looked upon?   How was the funeral conducted?  Was it a big funeral or was it just an ordinary funeral?

DIKELEKI MORETI: It was a very big funeral.

THOMAS MANTHATA: What happened to Oupa and Thwala?  When did you last hear from them?
MMABATHO HEARING TRC/NORTH WEST
7 D M MORETI

DIKELEKI MORETI: We last saw them at the police station.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Where were they buried?   Or were they buried by the police?

DIKELEKI MORETI: I don't know what happened to them.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Thank you very much.

MS SEROKE: Can I kindly ask this question?  The house that was destroyed, how many rooms were in the house?

DIKELEKI MORETI: Are you asking, how big was the house?

MS SEROKE: I'm asking how many rooms were in the house?

DIKELEKI MORETI: It was a four-roomed house.

MS SEROKE: Now during the funeral.  Where did you conduct the sermon?

DIKELEKI MORETI: The sermon was conducted at my mother-in-law's.

MS SEROKE: Were these terrorists staying in Gobane?

DIKELEKI MORETI: Oupa stays in Pokeng but I did not know during his visit was he from Pokeng or from another place.

MS SEROKE: And what about this other one?

DIKELEKI MORETI: No, I did not know him, but he said he was from Johannesburg, Soweto.

MS SEROKE: When they arrived, did they come to overnight or were they just there?

DIKELEKI MORETI: They visited for quite a few days.

MR RANDERA: We heard a great deal today, about what police forces can do.  Can you please tell us about your
husband David Moreti?  What was his work?  Was he involved in the politics of the time?

DIKELEKI MORETI: He was working at Icon Smith in Rustenburg.  He was not in politics.

MR RANDERA: Thank you very much.  Many a time we think that the heroes in the struggle are men, and the stories that we have been listening to are stories from women.  And MMABATHO HEARING TRC/NORTH WEST
8 D M MORETI
they normally say when you pester with women you pester with a stone and then we are quite aware that women have a big contribution to the freedom that we have.  And when we think of many people like yourself still carrying this burden in their hearts for so many years we hope that by appearing before the Commission,you feel heard and your pains will be eased.   Because here are the people sitting here, these are the people who feel with you in the pains that you felt.
 We want to thank you.   We thank your family, because they sacrificed in this way.  We asking God to cover you with his grace and may He comfort you, s well as your family.

MR RANDERA: We did not hear what your requests were appearing before the Commission.  What would you like the Commission to do?

DIKELEKI MORETI: I would like the Commission to build a house for me because I don't have a house at present.

MR RANDERA: Thank you ma'am.