Human Rights Violation Hearings — Witbank — 1997-06-05

MR MALAN: Mrs Faku, in your statement and also in your evidence here you say when you met with your child in the hospital on the floor, she was bleeding all over and that she had many wounds.  Can you just again tell us about those wounds and the nature of them?

UNKNOWN: There were just holes, bullet holes.

MR MALAN: But you say there were many holes.

UNKNOWN: Yes, all over the body.  From the top of the shoulders at the back, there were holes, big holes.

MR MALAN: Can you tell us how many holes you saw?  Can you remember?  Were there a lot of were there a few?  I'm sorry that I'm asking this very difficult question but you tell us that the policeman said he shot her only two times.  Did you see more holes than two holes?

UNKNOWN: There were many holes.  As I've explained before they were stretching right from the shoulders down to the buttocks.

MR MALAN: Do you have any closer information for us as to perhaps a case number or who the policeman was.  Was it a criminal case or was it an inquest?  Do you have any documentation at home that we can look at?

UNKNOWN: I no longer have those papers but there is this White man who was the investigating officer from Pretoria.  I just forgot his name.

MR MALAN: Once you remember the name, I would be very pleased if you could tell one of our people so that we can contact the individual to find out really what other information is available to us.  Thank you.  No further questions.

DR RANDERA: Mr Lewin.

MR LEWIN: Mrs Faku, could I just take you back to what you said about the situation in the township at the time and where you mention that there were a lot of police running around the township.  Were there other people being killed?  Were there instances either of police being killed or of Councillors being killed at the time, that you know of?

UNKNOWN: I don't remember but things were bad in the township.  There were a lot of police and soldiers patrolling the township.

MR LEWIN: We're just trying to get to the background as to why there was that police presence there.  Why had they come into the township?

UNKNOWN: The people were furthering the struggle in the township.

MR LEWIN: In what sort of way though?

UNKNOWN: I was always at work so I wouldn't know exactly what they were doing during the day.

MR LEWIN: But you say they were furthering the struggle.  Can you give us any example of what was actually happening?

UNKNOWN: I personally don't know anything as I said.  I was always at work even when my child was shot I was work.  I only heard about her when I was coming back from work.

MR LEWIN: Did the children talk at all about what they were doing?

UNKNOWN: About what do you mean?

MR LEWIN: About what they were involved in, in terms of quote, "the struggle".

UNKNOWN: I didn't hear anything because as I said, things were bad in the township.  I said police were coming and going in the township so I didn't know what was happening.

MR LEWIN: Thank you, Mrs Faku.

DR RANDERA: Miss Mkhize?

MS MKHIZE: Just to take you back, you said your daughter left a one year old daughter behind.  Can you tell us more about this daughter.  How old is she?  Is she attending school?

UNKNOWN: She's attending school.  She's the little daughter behind me.  She's doing Standard Five but I have some problems because I only get one hundred rand a month and there are so many needs that I have to fulfill considering the future.  However, I cannot afford because at the moment I'm not working and my husband passed away as well because he was affected by the death of his daughter in 1986.  I'm not working at the moment so I have difficulties.  My granddaughter really likes schooling but unfortunately I cannot help her.

MS MKHIZE: Is she the one at the back between the two ladies?

UNKNOWN: Yes, her name is Florence.

MS MKHIZE: Is she still at school?  What kind of a school is she at?  Is it a public school in the township or is it a private school in town?

UNKNOWN: No, she's at Vuma in the township.  She would have like to have gone to town and study there but unfortunately we couldn't afford it because the situation is not that good as I'm not working.

MS MKHIZE: Thank you.

DR RANDERA: Mrs Faku, is there anything else you wish to say?

UNKNOWN: I would like to ask the Commission if it would be possible to help my granddaughter.

DR RANDERA: ..... can be deciding on a policy for reparation and of course you will before then from us but to-day I just want to empathize with you on the loss of  your daughter who was  only seventeen years and I can see how upset your granddaughter is behind you, to have lost her mother at such a young age.  She was one year of age at the time.  I hope that by her coming here to-day she has learnt something about her mother and what was happening here in our country at the time.  We will come back to you in terms of whatever reparation is going to be possible for you, for the loss of your child.  Thank you very much.