Human Rights Violation Hearings — Klerksdorp — 1996-09-26

MR POTGIETER: And the treatment that you are getting, the medical treatment, is that from the hospital here in Klerksdorp?

SELLO PAULOS MOTHUSI: Yes, it is at the hospital.

MR POTGIETER: Thank you.  I will just hear if my colleagues have any questions for you.

PROF MEIRING: Mr Mothusi, a question I would like to ask, is you say that on that day when you were shot, your friends and colleagues took you to the home of a committee member and there you were treated by somebody.  Is that correct?

SELLO PAULOS MOTHUSI: Yes, that's correct.

PROF MEIRING: Do you remember the name of the committee member?

SELLO PAULOS MOTHUSI: It is Mrs Jane Manzani.

PROF MEIRING: Thank you.  And then a question about your current health.  You said that you are unemployed.  Is it impossible for you to work or would you like to work if only you can find work?

SELLO PAULOS MOTHUSI: Yes, I would appreciate to work, but I don't work like any normal human being.  At times when you work you have to be fast, but I cannot lift up heavy objects.  My body is painful at all times.  Sometimes they would call the person in charge, the supervisor and the supervisor will be
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shouting at me.

PROF MEIRING: Thank you.  We will make a note of that.  My last question is, when you left school, what standard did you complete?

SELLO PAULOS MOTHUSI: I can't remember very well, but I left school in Std 2.

PROF MEIRING: Std 2. Thank you very much.

DR RANDERA: Sello, I just want to clarify what was happening that day.  In asking these questions, I don't want to take away the fact that you were shot.  You said in yor statement that you had gone to go and buy something, and that there was an open area, that there were some comrades standing there and then the Hippos drove past and started shooting at random.  First of all, was there anybody else injured on that day besides yourself, in that shooting incident?  Were any of the other comrades injured?

SELLO PAULOS MOTHUSI: I was injured and thereafter other comrades were injured late in the evening.

DR RANDERA: About, in that one incident, I am not talking about later in the evening, were you the only person injured?

SELLO PAULOS MOTHUSI: Yes, I was the only one injured.

DR RANDERA: Now you have also said and many other people have said, at that time there was a lot of tension in Kanana.
(END TAPE - SIDE A).
 ... going on, by the comrades against, at the Hippos?

SELLO PAULOS MOTHUSI: No, they were not stoning the Hippos, they were caucusing at their taxi rank.  And that is when the police arrived and they started shooting and the group dispersed.

DR RANDERA: But you knew this group as comrades?  How do
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you know they were comrades?

SELLO PAULOS MOTHUSI: They were wearing UDF T-shirts, yellow in colour, written "Release Mandela Campaign".

DR RANDERA: So again my question, I just want to, so that we can be clear on it, you are saying there was nothing that was taking place against the police.  People were not throwing stones, people were not burning houses, people were not burning cars and the police just drove past in their Hippo and started shooting at people?

SELLO PAULOS MOTHUSI: It doesn't mean there was no stone-throwing.  People were just burning tyres and the police were called in to come and resolve the situation.

DR RANDERA: Thank you very much.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you, Mr Mothusi, thank you for coming.  Thank you for sharing your experience with us.  One can see that it is still a very painful memory for you to talk about, and we appreciate the fact that you were prepared to come and tell your story in public. It is not very easy, in fact it can be quite intimidating.  Especially if you must speak about things that touch your emotions.  But we appreciate that you have come.
 We have heard a lot about this particular day in Kanana, the shooting, the injuries, the loss of life, that happened.  We have noted what you have said about your medical condition. The fact that you have a limited working capacity, it seems, diminished working capacity at this stage.  We have noted what you have said about laying a charge with the police and not having heard anything further about that.  We have noted that you have been in touch with Mrs Sewo, from the para-legal services and we shall see what can be gleaned from the information at her disposal or at 
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their disposal, to see to what extent we can be of assistance to you.  But once again, thank you for coming.

SELLO PAULOS MOTHUSI: I thank you too, Sir.
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