Amnesty Hearings — Thohoyandou — 1999-06-28

SISI KHAMPEPE: What I want to know from you is what happened from the time the electric shocks were not administered on your private parts to the time when the bag was not pulled over your head, what happened?  Did anything happen?  Were you tortured during that time?

BRIAN PHINEAS PHOSIWA: Electric shock method was the last of what was happening, that is the last one from what they have related to us here.

SISI KHAMPEPE: So you were just left to stay there with your head inside the bag for almost an hour?

BRIAN PHINEAS PHOSIWA: Because that method was done for the last time, it is the very same time that I was taken outside and then taken somewhere because it was in the evening.

SISI KHAMPEPE: Yes.  And when the bag was pulled out of your face, who was in the room?

BRIAN PHINEAS PHOSIWA: When the bag was removed from my face I've mentioned that there was Mr Ramaligela, Managa, Matsena and Nesamari.  It's the people who I managed to identify, including Mr Netshivale.  The others I didn't know them and even now I don't know them.

SISI KHAMPEPE: It was the same faces who had been there before the electric shocks were administered on you?

BRIAN PHINEAS PHOSIWA: Yes.

MS MTANGA: Rev Phosiwa, on page 155, you mentioned that your hair, that is hair from the head, was pulled from the root and this left a scar on your head.  Do you know who pulled your hair from the head?

BRIAN PHINEAS PHOSIWA: Well, I do not know.  I could not even know who ultimately led to the pulling of the hair but on giving evidence Managa seemed to have know.

MS MTANGA: At the time your hair was being pulled, were you covered with something?  Couldn't you see the people who were pulling your hair?

BRIAN PHINEAS PHOSIWA: I was not covered.

MS MTANGA: I have no further evidence to lead, Chairperson.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MS MTANGA

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you, Ms Mtanga.  Mr Meyer, do you have any questions you'd like to put to Rev Phosiwa?

MR MEYER: Mr Chairman, may I just take an instruction from my attorney?

CHAIRPERSON: Yes, certainly.

MR MEYER: No questions to this witness.
NO QUESTIONS BY MR MEYER

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you, Mr Meyer.  Mr Van Rensburg, do you have any questions you'd like to put to the witness?

MR VAN RENSBURG: No questions, thank you Mr Chairperson.
NO QUESTIONS BY MR VAN RENSBURG

CHAIRPERSON: Judge Khampepe, would you like to put any questions?

SISI KHAMPEPE: I have no questions for Rev Phosiwa.

CHAIRPERSON: Adv Bosman?

ADV BOSMAN: I have no questions, thank you, Chair.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you very much, Reverend.  That concludes your testimony.
WITNESS EXCUSED

CHAIRPERSON: Ms Mtanga?

MS MTANGA: The next person I will call, Chairperson, is Mr Chikororo.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Chikororo, what are your full names, please?

RAMANO SELWYN CHIKORORO: (sworn states)

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you, Ms Mtanga?

MS MTANGA: Thank you, Chairperson.  Mr Chikororo, as you've seen how we've given evidence on the aspects of, the nature of the methods used on you.  I'll also want you to confine yourself to the methods that have been denied by the applicants such as the applying of electrical shocks on you.  Can you give evidence on that aspect?  And then also tell the Committee what the consequences of that torture were on you.

RAMANO SELWYN CHIKORORO: Yes, although I may not put it in that order but I think I'll try and be very brief and to the point.
	The day I was detained, I was taken to Tsanane Police Station where in the charge office, I was slapped by Joe Nesamari.  It was so hard that immediately blood ran out of my ear which for two weeks I tried to get medication and medical attendance for.  And I couldn't get it, it became septic ...(intervention)

CHAIRPERSON: Sorry, was the bleeding from inside the ear or was it because it cut the skin on the ear, what was it?

RAMANO SELWYN CHIKORORO: It was from inside the ear.  And it became septic and I had to squeeze the pus out on my own with a money clip.

CHAIRPERSON: Did you request medical treatment?

RAMANO SELWYN CHIKORORO: Yes, I mentioned it to the station commander and requested for attention.  I only got it I think after two and a half weeks, that's when a doctor came.  Subsequent to that, nothing of substance happened between November and January.
	Mid-January, I think round about the 12th, that's when I was taken to Vembhe torture centre which consequently is about 200 metres from my home.  I was taken to Mr Matsena and Mr Ramaligela - no, sorry, Ramushwana, I'm sorry.  The two of them, Ramushwana saying he was a brother to me and Matsena saying that he was a father to me, gave me a statement that was said I was part of - this statement was complete in as far as the people who were involved and the things that transpired there were contained.
	Now I indicated to these people there's nothing to add to this statement since nothing else of subsequence happened except that one.  Now they said they are afraid that if they take me to the boys, the boys will handle me in such a manner that they as part of my extended family, they will feel very bad about it.  That's when I was taken to the torture room.
	Then when I got there, after all the lighter methods were used, then Mr Makgato said he's going to fetch 'Johnny Mindreader.'

MS MTANGA: Mr Chikororo, before you get there, who were the people present in the room before you were tortured?

RAMANO SELWYN CHIKORORO: Mr Ramaligela was there, Mr Managa was there, Mr Nesamari was there, Mr Msefua(?) was there.  If I remember very well, Patrick Motelo was there who happened to be my classmate.  I think one Mafenya, young fellow was there as well.  Mr Netshivale was there and a few other younger fellows were also in that room.

MS MTANGA: Okay, you can go on with your evidence, you said Mr Makgato went to fetch whom?

CHAIRPERSON: He went to fetch 'Johnny Mindreader,' Johnny, the mindreader.

RAMANO SELWYN CHIKORORO: Yes, he said he was going to fetch 'Johnny Mindreader.'  I had no inkling as to who that was.
	That's when Mr Ramaligela who denies ever torturing me, took a bag which was too small for my big head, he is the one who cut it to fit my head.  And then he put it on my head, my hands were handcuffed to the back, that's when they administered electric shocks.  And during that period I was in my briefs - no, I was wearing underwear only.  He, Mr Ramaligela, was in charge of the interrogation team.  He told me that 'You can also appeal to your God, he never helps some of the people who went through this room.'
	Shocks were applied all over the body, including my private parts and Ramaligela even mentioned to me that if you haven't given birth, it will never come.  This process went on I think from about 09h00 in the morning to say immediately before 20h00 in the evening.
	When they found that they were about to fail to get information, that's when Nesamari said 'Give him to me.'  Then he connected electrodes to my private parts, my groin and my earlobes at the same time.  Then, during that period I felt as if my body was separating in half.  That's when I agreed to give the evidence they wanted which I wrote.
	Then Mosishiwa took it to Gabriel Ramushwana and when he came back to me, Gabriel Ramushwana, and said to me 'Why did you have to lie?', I said to him 'Bra Gabe, this is what I had to say.'  Then he turned to Ramaligela and said to him 'Ons is in groot kak.  This whole thing is a whole big lie.'  Then I was taken bag to Tsanane police station.
	Subsequent to that, I was taken to Slome Hospital because some of the police members at Tsanane police station were concerned about the state of my health.  I was urinating black urine and I appeared to be deranged, mentally.  On arriving at the hospital, I collapsed in the consulting room.  That's when I was admitted.  Otherwise, before that I was only consulted from inside the police van.

CHAIRPERSON: How long were you confined in hospital, Mr Chikororo?