Human Rights Violation Hearings — Krugersdorp — 1996-11-11

CHAIRPERSON: I just want to come back to your arrest.  You were in prison for 11 months.  Were you charged at the time?

BEN TIGORAMBO MOGAPI: No, I was not charged.

CHAIRPERSON: When you were released, what was said to you?

BEN TIGORAMBO MOGAPI: The just pointed fingers at me, the very same policemen.  We were to report at six o' clock in the morning KRUGERSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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and six o' clock in the evening.

CHAIRPERSON: My last question is just related to when you were taken, you said I was transferred to Rustenberg Prison and then you were taken to some frontal shooting club in Rustenberg and it seems like the same people who tortured you in Wetevreden Prison were the same people who then tortured you in Rustenberg as well.

BEN TIGORAMBO MOGAPI: Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: So they came all the way from Carletonville to Rustenberg.

BEN TIGORAMBO MOGAPI: Yes, Sir.  They took us there in Potchefstroom and sent us there in Rustenberg.

CHAIRPERSON: Okay, no more questions.  Sorry, Joyce.

MS SEROKE: In your statement you say there is a policeman who stabbed you on your face.  In your statement you say there is a policeman who stabbed you on your face.  Nkosi, just to remind you.  You say Nkosi arrived and stabbed you on your face.

BEN TIGORAMBO MOGAPI: No, he did not stab me, he kicked me.

MS SEROKE: Okay, I just wanted to clear that.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Mogapi, thank you very much for coming.  Your story has been told so many times, but it does not make it less important by the youth of our country, because wherever we have been throughout our travels in the last six or seven months, many young people have come forward and said similar stories to yours.  The pain, undoubtedly, is still there with you.  We have heard what you have said about the policemen who were involved and that they are still present in some of our police stations.
 As we have done in previous hearings, we appeal to those policemen to come forward to come and tell their 
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stories or apply for amnesty and we hope we will be able to 
give some of the answers to the questions that you are raising.  Ms Seroke has also asked the question about medical care for yourself and we will see what we can do about that.  Thank you for coming.  Do you want to say anything else?

BEN TIGORAMBO MOGAPI: What I would like the Truth Commission to help me with is, I do not want these people to come and ask for apology.  They must come to me and they must go to the court so that they should realise what damage they have done to me.  At the moment I am like a dead person.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you Mr Mogapi.  I think this would be an appropriate time for us to stop for a tea break.  Before I do that can I just welcome a few other individuals who have arrived since my last welcome.  We have got Mr Ignatius Jacobs our MEC for Welfare.  Welcome.  Councillor Strike Ralogoma who is an Exco Chairperson of Western MSS.  Where is he?  Has he gone already?  Somewhere around.  Okay, sorry and Rose Waldron who is also from the Western MSS.  Welcome.  Thank you.  Can we just stand while the witnesses go out and then we can have a 15 minute tea break.  We will be back at ten past.
KRUGERSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG