Human Rights Violation Hearings — Pretoria — 1996-08-15

CHAIRPERSON: How many children do you have except the one who died?

PIET MOTHUPI: I have two boys and one daughter.

CHAIRPERSON: Except the one who died, who is Daniel?
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PIET MOTHUPI: Yes, that is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: No further questions.  I am going to direct further questions from my fellow committee members on this thing.

RUSSELL ALLY: Good morning Mr Mothupi.

PIET MOTHUPI: Good morning to you Sir.

RUSSELL ALLY: The court inquest was held in Pretoria and you said that in the court inquest the decision of the court was that the shooting of my son was justified as a public violence case.  Do you know what was happening in Atteridgeville on that day that the court decided that it was a public violence case?  Can you just tell us a little bit?  Sorry, did you not hear me?  I do not think the translation is coming through.  Let me repeat the question.  You can hear me now?

PIET MOTHUPI: Yes, I can hear you.

RUSSELL ALLY: At the court inquest it was said that the shooting of your son was justified as a public violence case.  Do you know what was happening in Atteridgeville?

PIET MOTHUPI: Yes, that is what they explained.  They explained that there is a civil violence that occurred which resulted in my son's shooting.

RUSSELL ALLY: Do you know if anything was happening in Atteridgeville on that day?  Was there any confrontation between police and students, so called riots?  Was anything happening on that day that you are aware of?

PIET MOTHUPI: At that time they were using, policemen were using teargas because students used old vehicles to block the roads.  Some prevented people from going to work.  It was during those violent times.

RUSSELL ALLY: And your son, I know he was only 13 years at the
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time, but was your son in any way involved in any of this political activity?

PIET MOTHUPI: No, he did not have any contribution.

RUSSELL ALLY: Thank you Sir.

PROF MEIRING: Mr Mothupi, your son has died.  During those difficult years many children were killed in the crossfire,  sometimes by the police.  What advice do you have for the Truth Commission.  What can we do to help the parents of those children who died, to ease the pain.

PIET MOTHUPI: I would be lying if I would attempt to say anything.  I do not know what to say.  I get very emotional with respect to this issue.  I do not know what to say at all.

PROF MEIRING: Thank you Mr Mothupi.

MR LEWIN: Thank you Mr Chairman.  Mr Mothupi, in your statement you talked about the fact that the policeman was alone in the car when your son was shot and you also say that he used, the policeman, that is used his own pistol, not his service pistol.  Could you tell us some more about that and how you got this information please?

PIET MOTHUPI: Yes I will.  According to this man's explanation in court, he said he came across these boys, they had already placed tyres blocking the roads.  He was supposed to go to work at the Atteridgeville Police Station. He tried to scare these boys.  He thought maybe they are going to stone his car.  Then he pulled out his trigger and pointed it out through the window.  That is when he started shooting because they asked him at court why did you shoot at these children instead of turning back.  Then he explained that the place was small, he could not turn back.  They did ask him as to that in court.  He decided just to
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shoot at them so that he could pass away, pass through that blockade.  Then that is what happened.

MR LEWIN: Sorry, could I just get this clear.  In court at the inquest he actually admitted to the shooting?

PIET MOTHUPI: Yes, he did say that he used his pistol to shoot at those children whilst driving his car.  As he saw them he started loading his gun.  Then they asked him why, how could you load your gun whilst you are driving.  He said he loaded the gun, he managed to.  Then that is when he started shooting.  That is why they asked him how could you load your gun whilst driving.  That is what I heard when they interrogated him.

MR LEWIN: You were at the court, what was his attitude?  How did he seem to feel about the fact that, how did he feel about the fact that he had killed somebody, a child?

PIET MOTHUPI: According to his explanation he said he had 20 years service in the police.  As I saw him he wanted to go to the hall.  He was almost an older person.

MR LEWIN: Sorry, I do not quite understand.  That was translated as he wanted to go the hall.  He wanted to retire.

PIET MOTHUPI: He was nearing pension.  He was almost towards receiving his pension.  He was very old.  At any time he would go to pension as I saw him.

MR LEWIN: Could I ask, this is possibly a difficult question.  How did you feel about him then and how do you feel about him now, about ten years later?

PIET MOTHUPI: I got hurt because my son has died.  What else can I do.  I have lost my son.  There is nothing that I can do.

MR LEWIN: Thank you Mr Mothupi.
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CHAIRPERSON: Mr Mothupi, we thank you for your presence and telling us your story and then for you having explained your sorrow to us.  This affects the whole family.  You have given us an example.  We will try to make follow-ups and find the name of this person who shot your son and see what we can do for what he has done.  You have already mentioned that you have lost your son, there is nothing that you can do.  It is true from where we come from you are not the only one who has lost a son, but we understand that you personally feel the pain.  However, we will try to help you in any way we can.  Although it will take us some time we will be in contact with you timeously.  We sympathise with you for the pain you have suffered.  We thank you and please pass our condolences to the family at large.
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