Human Rights Violation Hearings — Cape Town — 1997-06-09

RUTH KEBISELA: So we had these tyres around our necks and there is a paraffin tin and there is one old man who apparently was sympathetic. He said people, we are going to fight with Khayelitsha, because these people are not from Guguletu. They say they are going to Khayelitsha.  So if you kill these kids, there are problems with Khayelitsha people. So they were debating against one another. Then another one agreed with this man and said no, if these kids are really going to Khayelitsha, let's take them to jail instead.  And they argued for a long time and then there was a Hippo which passed. It was written B6.  Whilst these old gentlemen were doing this to us, there was this B6 Hippo with some boers in it.  They took us. They said they are taking us to prison. We thought they were taking us to some cells in Pollsmoor.  They put us into this very, very big shack in Crossroads.  This big shack where we were put in, the three of us, we found inside it, it is well-prepared.  It looks very nicely.  They said go and sit there in the cells, there is a surprise that is going to happen to us.  They opened big, it is a big shack, but it is partitioned into different rooms.  So we were put into our own room and then they said someone is going to come and get you, we are still going to kill you, we are still going to kill you. Someone is going to fetch you to kill you. So we sat there wondering what to do. Wondering where the others were, our three friends, our three male friends. Even this one was, the third one that had also disappeared.  After a while we heard some groaning in the next room, someone is groaning, someone is groaning.  It so happened that it was the third one, the one who ran away.  Apparently he ran away and then they caught up with him and then they hurt him on his head and then they put him into this room, bleeding like that.  Then we shouted who are you and said who are you.  Then he said I am Momone. Then we felt relieved. So we thought maybe the others are there.  He said I am dying from pain.  We said what happened.  He said no, these old men have hurt me with an axe on my head. Then we cried.  Then he said please don't scream, these old men will come and then he asked - we asked where is Lukhanyiso and Vuyani. He said no, I don't know, I haven't seen them.  He said no, let's keep quiet and we will see what happens the next day.
 Somewhere towards dawn the door was opened.  Then we were called by our names, one by one. Then we were taken for a hearing in court.  They said you are going to a court hearing.  Thambakaya was called. He was the first to be called out.  (Indistinct) and I were still locked in the cell.  Thambakaya was taken out.  Whilst we were waiting we heard Thambakaya screaming and he was being beaten. She was screaming. It was clear that she was being beaten. She was oh, yoi, yoi.  And then they came, called me, number two, they called me, number two.  So I went.  When I got in there, one gentleman is a magistrate and there is a policeman,  there is a prosecutor, there is a detectives, amongst these old gentlemen. So I was taken on a lifted platform.  I was made to stand on this platform, like a witness box. They say have you been sent by Guguletu comrades. I said no, we don't know, we are going to Khayelitsha. Oh, you are still telling the same lies, and then they started hitting us. They would kick you or prick you with a sharp instrument, clap you with an open hand. You look at this one, this one is pricking you, this one is hitting you with an axe, couldn't speak. They said okay, we will see you tomorrow morning.  Okay, next one. So they put me back to the cell, called Nombiweto, who was number three.  She was also being interrogated. The same questions, the same experience. She was being hit.  Then she was brought back.  Then Momo, the boy next door was called. So we shouted at him and told that we were coming from that place that was called the court. So we said don't say anything different from what we said, and Momo said ja, I did hear what you said, I will stick to it.  So they call him, bleeding like that, and they interrogated him. He said the same thing that we said.  He didn't say anything different, and then they brought him back. 
 So we sat in the cell.  It was towards dawn now. Then they would come in one by one and then they would just hit with whatever they had in their hands.  Clap you with an open hand, leave you, another one comes, and then do what he would like and leave and we stayed there at dawn.  They said are there any people that you know at Crossroads.  Then we said yes, there is someone we know at Crossroads, yes. They said who. We said Didji's father.  Then they said oh so-and-so, the one who is a Venda here. So we said yes.  They said if we call this man, if he comes and he says he doesn't know you, we will kill you.  We prayed that this man, if he could only remember us, if he had forgotten us we would be killed.  So he came in. Then we looked at him and we called at him, and said Didji's father. He said oh, is it you? We said yes.  He said where were you going.  So we explained we were going to Khayelitsha and here we are being killed.  So we are under arrest, that's what we were told, and we were told that we will either die here or pay a bail of R50,00 and we don't have money, we have nothing.  We can't get out of here, couldn't you please help us.  Didji's father said does Didji know your homes?  We said yes. And then they said Didji should be fetched and Didji came.  He talked to us, he said is it you. He said what happened. We said no we were on our way to Khayelitsha and then we - now we don't see Lukhanyiso, we don't see Vuyani and we are not all here.  We said so please help us. He said okay, where do I start.  So he said I will go to explain this news and I will also go and report to the comrades.  So he left and then he came back again with the moneys from our homes, apparently, to release us.  So we left. We were released by these old gentlemen.  They said we could fend for ourselves. So we walked and we were crying, because before we were released there was one old man who came and he said yes, you girls, is that you I met yesterday. We said yes. He said what's your clan name?  I gave him my clan name. He went to Thombakaya and asked for her clan name. Thombakaya answered.  The next one said, so we told him our clans. So he said aren't you the one who got married in the Transkei to someone, and Thombakaya said yes, but it was not true, but that was her sister, but she thought that would save her.  She said yes, that's me.  He said no, I know your husband.  He said where is your husband? He is still in the Transkei. He said don't cry. She said some of us are not here, but whilst you are going home, others are not here, we don't know where the other two are. This old man said don't bother, don't cry, just thank God that you are safe, the other ones, the other two, they have been sorted out, they have been hacked to death, I was there. I said oh, is that true?  He said yes.  He said let's go to Nyanga East. We decided to go to Nyanga East and tell to the comrades and we cried.  We said please, comrades, come with us, we don't know how we are going to explain this to our parents.  We are scared because these kids were with us, please go and speak for us to their parents.  Because we don't know what has happened to their sons.  The comrades took us - the comrades from Nyanga East took us. So we said please help us, take us to the parents of our comrades. Then the comrades took us with their friend, who was Tshonge and explained to Tshonge, explained to them that Vuyani and Lukhanyiso have been hacked to death.  We don't know how to explain this to Mr Finye. Vuyani's mother, we didn't know what to say about her son, please come with us and speak for us.  So indeed they took us to our friends' parents.  Then they explained to the parents that we were going to Khayelitsha and this is what happened to us.  Fine.  Then we were taken to our homes and then we stayed at our homes.  When we thought our friends have died, what are we going to do, what are we going to do.  Whilst we were staying, whilst we were still with our parents, the time for the funeral came.  That was a Saturday.  Then on the day of the funeral ... (intervention).