Special Hearings — Mandela United Football Club Hearings — 1997-11-25

MR VALLY: Can you tell us when you were released from Mrs Madikizela-Mandela's house?  Do you remember the date?

PELO MEKGWE: I don't remember the date.

MR VALLY: Well, the date I have is the 16th of January.  Do you remember being taken to the Doctor?

PELO MEKGWE: Which Doctor are you now referring to?

MR VALLY: The Doctor you were taken to by, was it Rev Paul Verryn after your release on the 16th of January, that is what I am talking about?

PELO MEKGWE: I remember it.

MR VALLY: Do you remember him thoroughly examining you and telling you what your injuries were?

PELO MEKGWE: Yes.

MR VALLY: Can you give us details of what these injuries were?

PELO MEKGWE: I don't remember exactly the thing that he had said to us.

MR VALLY: Right.

PELO MEKGWE: I forgot everything.

MR VALLY: Did you have broken ribs?

PELO MEKGWE: Sorry?

MR VALLY: Did you have broken ribs?

PELO MEKGWE: I don't think so.

MR VALLY: Did you have any facial injuries?

PELO MEKGWE: Yes, especially on my back.

MR VALLY: Sorry, any injuries in your face?

PELO MEKGWE: Yes, also on my face.

MR VALLY: What were the injuries on your back from?

PELO MEKGWE: From the assault.

MR VALLY: Were you sjamboked in your back?

PELO MEKGWE: I was yes.

MR VALLY: Were you lifted up and dropped from a height?

PELO MEKGWE: You are correct.

MR VALLY: How many times did this happen?

PELO MEKGWE: I cannot say because it is many times.

MR VALLY: Were you still suffering from the consequences of the injuries as a result of the assault on the 16th of January when you went to see the Doctor?

PELO MEKGWE: I don't remember.

MR VALLY: Did the Doctor ...

CHAIRPERSON: Three minutes.

MR VALLY: Did you repeat these allegations at a community meeting on the 16th of January in Soweto?

PELO MEKGWE: You are correct yes.

MR VALLY: Did you make a statement at that community meeting, saying what had happened to you and the other persons?

PELO MEKGWE: I am not sure that the statement was taken, but we were just asked.

MR VALLY: Did you speak at the community meeting?

PELO MEKGWE: Yes.

MR VALLY: And did you give details of what happened about your  abduction and assault?

PELO MEKGWE: Yes, I gave that evidence.

MR VALLY: There is one more item I want to ask you.  You were all assaulted the first night you arrived at Mrs Madikizela-Mandela's house, is that correct?

PELO MEKGWE: You are correct.

MR VALLY: Subsequently, were you assaulted again?

PELO MEKGWE: No.

MR VALLY: Was Mr Stompie Sepei assaulted again?

PELO MEKGWE: Yes, he was.

MR VALLY: Who was he assaulted by?

PELO MEKGWE: Another gentleman, I don't know his name.

MR VALLY: What was the difference in the allegations against yourself, Mono, Kenny Kgase and the allegation against Stompie?

PELO MEKGWE: The difference is that Stompie was accused that he is working with the police is Parys and against the three of us it is that we have allowed ourselves to be used by Rev Paul Verryn.

MR VALLY: Is there any truth in the allegation that you have allowed yourself to be used by Rev Paul Verryn?

PELO MEKGWE: Sorry?

MR VALLY: Is there any truth in that allegation that you had engaged in any kinds of homosexual activities with Rev Paul Verryn?

PELO MEKGWE: It was not the truth.

MR VALLY: My very last question.  Sorry, not my very last, Archbishop, I will be very brief.  I will make quickly.  Why did you leave the country before giving evidence in Mrs Madikizela-Mandela's trial?

PELO MEKGWE: I said it at the beginning, I said to you that I left the country the reason is not that I was running away from the case, but I made that plan a long time before that.

MR VALLY: Who arranged for you to leave the country?

PELO MEKGWE: My Chairperson of the Youth League, by then it was Nona Maloi.

MR VALLY: Who arranged the funds for you to leave the country?

PELO MEKGWE: I am not sure because I was not with him.

MR VALLY: Did you ever discuss this issue of what had happened to you with the ANC whilst you were in exile?

PELO MEKGWE: Sorry?

MR VALLY: Did you ever discuss the issue of what had happened to you regarding your abduction and assault with the ANC when you were in exile?

PELO MEKGWE: I was not asked about that.

MR VALLY: You appeared with Mrs Madikizela-Mandela at a media conference on the 2nd of October 1997, is that correct?

PELO MEKGWE: You are correct yes.

MR VALLY: Where were you staying at the time you attended the media conference?

PELO MEKGWE: Can you repeat the question?

MR VALLY: Where did you come from?

PELO MEKGWE: I was from Cape Town.

MR VALLY: Did you fly to Johannesburg?

PELO MEKGWE: You are correct.

MR VALLY: Who paid for your flight?

PELO MEKGWE: I am not sure, I only received the ticket.

MR VALLY: From whom?

PELO MEKGWE: From the airport in Cape Town.

MR VALLY: And who told you to collect the ticket at the airport in Cape Town.

PELO MEKGWE: I was told by the office.

MR VALLY: Which office.

PELO MEKGWE: The office of Mrs Mandela.

MR VALLY: At that press conference where you were present, and I think we must get clarity on this because we need to know what Mrs Madikizela-Mandela said there, she said we noted that the electronic media has never bothered to interview and broadcast the other side of the story as would be told by the witnesses who are sitting here today.
 One of these witnesses being you.  In addition to this, in response to Mrs Madikizela-Mandela's lawyers about which witnesses she wanted present here there were two she asked for, Mr Cebekhulu and Mr Mekgwe, which is you.  Can you please indicate to us about is there any other sides to the story other than the one you have told in your trial and the one you have given us in the statement and the one you have given us here?
 Is there anything else that you want to tell us regarding Mrs Madikizela-Mandela which will help her case?

PELO MEKGWE: The only thing that I can say to you is that after my disappearance in this country, I was addressed - it was said in the media that I was kidnapped and she was the one who was said she was planning it and I said to the newspapers after that that she is not the one, the ANC Youth League arranged it for me, the Chairperson of the ANC Youth League, I had a plan with him a long time before that.
 And also it was said in the media that I was killed by then, of which I was not killed.

MR VALLY: Very finally, when you returned to the country after your exile and Mrs Madikizela-Mandela helped you with financial assistance, can you indicate to us how much she helped you with, in terms of how much rands?

PELO MEKGWE: I am not sure in terms of amounts, but she assisted in terms of giving me finance to go - I mean for transport and everything else.

MR VALLY: Was this for a long period?

PELO MEKGWE: Yes, it was.

MR VALLY: How many months?

PELO MEKGWE: I course is for six months, another one is for six months also.

MR VALLY: That is for about a year.  Is she still assisting you?

PELO MEKGWE: She was yes.

MR VALLY: Presently?

PELO MEKGWE: If I am having problems presently, I am not afraid to approach her.

MR VALLY: Thank you very much Mr Mekgwe.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.  Mr Semenya?

MR SEMENYA: Thank you Mr Chairperson, may we just state before we commence, that we are still awaiting the documentation that we have requested.   We were just given a few documents and we were told we would get the other documents later.  This inhibits our ability to deal with this proceedings.

CHAIRPERSON: What is it?  They have got the documents ready.  They worked through the night I gather and one of our staff persons (indistinct) the documents.

MR SEMENYA: I am just mentioning Chairperson, that maybe I will ask indulgence to peruse those documents to enable my task during the course of the day.

CHAIRPERSON: yes.