Human Rights Violation Hearings — Karoo — 1996-10-07

MARY BURTON: Our next witness is Lesley Kelemi and we ask him to come to the stage.
Good morning Mr Kelemi.

MR KELEMI: Good morning Ms Burton.

MARY BURTON: You are going to speak to us in Xhosa I believe.

MR KELEMI: In Xhosa.

MARY BURTON: So will you like to put on the head phones.  Can you - can you hear me all right?

MR KELEMI: Yes I can understand.

MARY BURTON: Would you stand to take the oath.
MR KELEMI  Duly sworn states

MARY BURTON: Thank you.  Your testimony is going to be facilitated by Ms Joyce Seroke.  So I will hand over to her.

MS SEROKE: Good morning Lesley.  We are glad that you have the opportunity to tell us your story that happened in 1987.   Please tell us in a few words and go back to that year and tell us what happened.

MR KELEMI: It was in July 1987, my neighbour had asked me, her name is Lindi, to go get paraffin.  When I got out of the gate  I came across policemen.  They were standing next to a bus.  The second house from my home, that  is where I was going.  When I was coming back I got shot by the police,  I then fell,   I got unconscious.   
When I regained consciousness,  I was in Bloemfontein.  I stayed in the hospital for four months.  The fifth month I had to be taken back to Kimberley.  From Kimberley to De Aar.   When they shot me they thought they were shooting my cousin's brother,  because they were looking for him.  His name is Monde Makhadula.  
When I got home, he fetched me -  I did not know why the police fetched me.  They took me to a Court of Law.  They said they found me guilty of having burnt down a clinic.  I told them I do not know anything about this.  The court case lasted a few days.  I did not have an attorney. 
The witness I had was not called to the stage.  That witness was my mother.  She was mentally disturbed.  When I asked them  - when I asked them if my witness could talk, they just gave me a five year suspended sentence.  I wanted to know why I was found guilty, but I was not told.  I still do not know who has shot me.  I want to know who shot me.
I was just a laughing matter.  People were just laughing at me.  At school I cannot participate as much as I would like to.  I fail all the time.  I repeat every standard five times.
Could the Truth Commission please find those people, because they have destroyed me.  That is all I have to say.

MS SEROKE: Thank you Lesley.  I just have a few questions.  In 1987, how old were you?  What were you doing at the time?

MR KELEMI: I was fifteen years of age.

MS SEROKE: Were you studying?

MR KELEMI: Yes, I was.

MS SEROKE: What standard were you doing?

MR KELEMI: I was in standard five when I got injured - it was standard five.

MS SEROKE: What was the situation at your village at the time?

MR KELEMI: It was calm, it was calm.

MS SEROKE: Was there stone throwing?

MR KELEMI: No, there was not,  it was just calm.

MS SEROKE: Were you a member of any political organisation at that time?

MR KELEMI: No, I was just a school child.

MS SEROKE: Apparently there was an organisation called Monwabisi Student Organisation.  Were you a member?

MR KELEMI: No, I was not a member.

MS SEROKE: So you say you did not see the police that shot you.

MR KELEMI: No, I did not see him.  Even at court they did not show him.

MS SEROKE: What are you doing now?

MR KELEMI: I am studying.  I am in standard ten.

MS SEROKE: How does your one eye treat you, the one that is functional?

MR KELEMI: My eye gets tired very quickly.  It is sore now and again.  I sleep very quickly because my eye gets very tired.

MS SEROKE: So you were shot straight in the eye.

MR KELEMI: Yes, I was.

MS SEROKE: After you were released from hospital, you say that you investigated who shot you.  How did you go about investigating?

MR KELEMI: After I was shot, I was unconscious, I then asked the people that were there, that picked me up, I asked them the name of the policeman.  They did not know.

MS SEROKE: We have heard your request to the Truth Commission.  I am going to hand over to our Chairman here, Chairperson.

ADV POTGIETER: Good day - Mr Kelemi, what do you do at the moment.

MR KELEMI: I am studying.

ADV POTGIETER: What are you studying?

MR KELEMI: I am in standard ten.  The name of my school is Monwabisi.

ADV POTGIETER: Thank you.  And then just one other thing.  Who took you to the hospital after you were shot?   Did you find out afterwards who took you?

MR KELEMI: It is the police.

ADV POTGIETER: And at the hospital were you under police guard or what happened to your there?

MR KELEMI: Yes, my whole bed was surrounded by police.

ADV POTGIETER: And when you were discharged from hospital, what happened to you.  Were you taken into custody?

MR KELEMI: I was escorted by them.  They wanted to take me into jail, but my parents refused.

ADV POTGIETER: And when did they actually charge you with this public violence charge.  Was it after you were discharged from hospital or what happened?

MR KELEMI: Yes, it was after I had left hospital.

ADV POTGIETER: Was it immediately or only after a while or what?

MR KELEMI: It was a while after I had left hospital.

ADV POTGIETER: [indistinct]  go to lay a charge at the police station for the shooting.

MR KELEMI: No, they were not able to because they did not know who shot me.

ADV POTGIETER: Thank you Mr Kelemi.

MARY BURTON: Mr Kelemi thank you very much for coming to tell us.  We see that you have suffered a serious loss with the loss of your eye and that is has continued to affect you, even until now.  
We - we see no reason why people should laugh at you or mock at you and we hope that you will be taken seriously as you try to achieve your - and pass your standard ten exams this year.  We wish you success in your studies and we will see whether perhaps some counselling could help you with your concentration and your tiredness from your studying.  We are very grateful to you for coming today.  Thank you very much.

MR KELEMI: Thank you.