Human Rights Violation Hearings — Durban — 1996-08-28

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... of your family, have they been affected at all?  Your wife perhaps?

WITNESS:   What I will say is that yes, this did impact on them, especially the brother.

MR LAX: What is this brother?  This brother you're talking about, is he a younger brother?

WITNESS:   He has brothers, you see, and there are many of them.  They are five boys.

MR LAX: Sorry, if I could ... (intervention)

WITNESS:   Yes, they were affected, and ... (incomplete)

MR LAX: (Inaudible)

WITNESS:   What happened?  No, I did not understand your question.  No, no one was affected emotionally, psychologically affected.  He is the only one.

MR LAX: I hand back to the chairperson.

UNKNOWN: Sibonelo's father, we usually appreciate to get what the victim would like to say.  We will just like to hear one or two words from you, Sibonelo, because you are old enough, you can talk to us, even though you haven't taken the oath.  Just briefly, concisely tell us something.  What would you wish for the Truth Commission to do for you?

UNKNOWN: What I would like the Truth Commission to do for me ... (intervention)

UNKNOWN: Let's hold it right there.

UNKNOWN: (Sworn, States)   (Through Interpreter)

UNKNOWN: What are you saying, Sibonelo, now?

WITNESS:   I would like the Truth Commission first of all to arrest Gatsha, because he is the one - when all this was taking place his car was in front, leading.  They started shooting from the stadium, shooting people outside, and he was there addressing.  And as his car was leading the buses they still shot, they were still shooting around.

UNKNOWN: Okay, we see, Sibonelo.  What's your request, the second one that has to do with you as a person as you have got through all these traumatic experiences and so on?

WITNESS:  As my father has already explained I would like the Truth Commission - you know, as my father has explained I have this problem about my memory, and I forget, I keep forgetting.  I was injured on my head so severely, and also on my feet, especially my right foot.

UNKNOWN: Where is your mum, Sibonelo?  Where is your mother?  Usually mothers do come forward.  Where is your mother?

WITNESS:   My mum is at work.

UNKNOWN: Is she healthy and fine?

WITNESS:   Yes.

COMMISSIONER: Sibonelo, thank you for coming in today and telling us your story.  Your son was standing - Sibonelo, you were standing in the yard of your house watching a bus go past and you were shot from the window of a bus.  This sort of violence has been responsible for the death of thousands of people in this country.  Whether it is train violence in the Johannesburg and the East Rand, where people were thrown of trains;  whether it was a massacre in a shebeen, such as happened up in Donnybrook;  whether it was an attack on innocent children, like happened in Shoboshobani or Trust Feeds, it all comes down to the same thing.  These sort of things are very obviously politically inspired, and they are intended to scare and intimidate people, and we cannot allow this sort of thing to happen in our country, and we have to do everything possible to ensure that this sort of thing stops, and that we have a proper police force that will arrest the perpetrators of these sorts of incidents.  Because if it does carry on happening it really will destroy this province.  It will destroy us, and it will destroy what remains of our economy.
So we thank you both for coming and giving us this very vivid description of what happened on that day in 1992.  As Mr Lax has said, we cannot assist Sibonelo directly, but we can make recommendations to the Government as to how he should be assisted, and we will be making those recommendations.  Thank you very much.