Human Rights Violation Hearings — Pollsmoor — 1996-11-27

UNKNOWN: And they told us one of my sons have been shot.   And then they told my husband to go to Salt River and he came back,  he said that he identified him.  He was the one who was shot. 
After that, people used to come and pray for us at home, and the police would come and they would ask the people to go away - not to pray for us.  They gave us a date for the funeral and we didn't want to bury my son on that day,  but we were forced by the police to do that.  After that there was no peace at my home, we were suffering.  And they were looking for the other twin, and they use - they use to come to try and bribe the person, the people in the township, because they told the people in the township that my son was a terrorist and if someone could come and tell the police where he was, they would get money, they would receive money.
And my son was nowhere to be found, but apparently the police found him.   He was arrested here in Cape Town, but I am not sure about the place and then they transferred him to Malmesbury.  And then they took him to Victoria.  They were torturing him all this time.
After that my husband became sick - as they were looking for my son, they used to arrest my husband.   And they used to cover his face with the black plastic bags,  asking him where my twin was.   They were torturing him all the time.  And they were torturing his genitals.  And he became sick because of all this.  He couldn't even continue working.  So he was not working at this time.  One day when I looked at him, his ears were bleeding and he suffered a lot until he died.  He wanted my twin to be back, because this was affecting him, this  disappearance.
What I forgot, is that after we buried the other twin, the following day, a police van came and then the police took me with the van.  They took me to the police station and they asked me who were the leaders in the funeral.  Who were the people giving speeches there in the funeral.  And then I told them I did not know, because I was not looking at the people who were talking there, because I was still in pain, because my son had tied.
And then they said that my husband has told them everything.  So, I should tell them everything.  And they were lying, because my husband didn't say anything to them.   My husband died in 1987.   We were suffering all the time and the police were rude.  They were not respecting us, they were beating us, .  assaulting us all the time.  They used to take the whole family and arrest the whole family.  Even my son next to me was still very young at the time.  We were in pain and we were suffering a lot.

ADV NTSEBEZA: Let me ask you a few questions ma'am, are you ready?  You said that in 1986, because the police use to come to your house and assault you, looking for the twins, and your twins decided to leave the home, do you still remember when exactly was this?

UNKNOWN: I think it was around January, early January.   But they used to contact us, they used to come at night and contact us to tell us that they were well, but in February they disappeared.

ADV NTSEBEZA: So, it was about January and February in 1986 - where were you staying at that time?

UNKNOWN: We were staying in Mbekweni  in Paarl.

ADV NTSEBEZA: After their disappearance, you decided to come here to Cape Town.  Were you from Paarl?

UNKNOWN: Yes, I was from Paarl.

ADV NTSEBEZA: When did you come here in Cape Town?

UNKNOWN: It was in 1986.

ADV NTSEBEZA: After their disappearance?

UNKNOWN: Yes after their disappearance.

ADV NTSEBEZA: And then here in Cape Town, where did you stay?

UNKNOWN: I stayed with my sister here in Crossroads.  We stayed there.

ADV NTSEBEZA: Were you staying in Crossroads?

UNKNOWN: Yes I was staying with my sister in Crossroads.

ADV NTSEBEZA: And then you said there was this black policeman who told you that your son is dead, where was this?

UNKNOWN: It was in Paarl.  This policeman came to tell us this news in Paarl, it was on Tuesday.  He came and tell us that my son has been shot.

ADV NTSEBEZA: Were you in Paarl at the time?

UNKNOWN: Yes, I was in Paarl.

ADV NTSEBEZA: Do you know the name of this policeman?  The black man who came to you?

UNKNOWN: His name is Gala,  but I think he is on pension now.

ADV NTSEBEZA: He was known as Gala.   Was he a sergeant  or...[intervention]

UNKNOWN: He was an investigator, his name was Gala.

ADV NTSEBEZA: Did this policeman tell you what exactly happened?

UNKNOWN: No, he did not tell us anything.  He just told us that my son had been shot.  My husband was still at work at that time and he  - this policeman couldn't tell me and then he went to one of my family members to tell this matter and then they waited for my husband to come back from work and then we were both told at the same time - myself and my husband.

ADV NTSEBEZA: What I want to know, is that, was this policeman telling you because he knew the family or was he sent by the police to tell you?

UNKNOWN: He was sent by other policemen to tell us,  he didn't know us.

ADV NTSEBEZA: And then, what happened to the other twin?

UNKNOWN: He was released from prison when my husband was sick.

ADV NTSEBEZA: I was talking about Arthur.

UNKNOWN: Yes.

ADV NTSEBEZA: Is he working now?

UNKNOWN: Yes,  he is working in the military in Durban.

ADV NTSEBEZA: He came back in 1990 - Arthur him back in 1990

UNKNOWN: Yes, he came back in 1990, no, it was Mongazi who came back in 1990.  He was the one who disappeared and came back in 1990.

ADV NTSEBEZA: And then, what about Arthur, when was he released?

UNKNOWN: He was arrested and then he was released.  He was arrested here in Cape Town and transferred to Malmesbury and  Victor Venter and then at the time when my husband was very sick, I saw Arthur arriving at home.   And then I thanked him for coming back, because my husband was so sick and then he went to the bedroom to look for his father and his father cried a lot.

ADV NTSEBEZA: Shortly you have lost one of your twin - of your twins and the other one was arrested and your husband  was arrested and he was assaulted in the prison and your other son disappeared?

UNKNOWN: Yes.

ADV NTSEBEZA: Is that all you wanted to say, ma'am?

UNKNOWN: There is one thing I forgot.  When the police where looking for the other twin, I didn't - I don't know who told them where my home - where my home was,  because they used to come to kick the doors at my home, at my mother's home, because I did not tell them where my mother was staying, but they used to go to my mother's home looking for this twin and my mother was old at that time.  
They were assaulting her, kicking the doors and my twin bought another door, because the police kicked the door and it broke.  And he - my twin went to buy another door and then they arrested him, saying that he did not buy this door, he stole it.  And my mother tried to fight with the police to stop them from arresting my twin.
And at the time of all this, my son succeeded to run away, because my mother was trying to defend him and they assaulted my mother.  They kicked her and then he ended up undergoing an operation in the face.

ADV NTSEBEZA: I have a last question.  I think that at the time of this you knew that there were seven young men who were shot at the time.

UNKNOWN: Yes, at the time we have already buried my son.  They were looking for my other twin.

ADV NTSEBEZA: Where did you hear that your son was amongst the Guguletu 7?

UNKNOWN: We heard this after the funeral when we were told to go to Athlone.

ADV NTSEBEZA: Thank you ma'am.  Are there any other questions?

UNKNOWN: One other thing is that  I would like to thank the witnesses.  They have helped me a lot.  They came forward and they sacrificed their life to come and testify and I would like to thank them very much.