Human Rights Violation Hearings — Durban — 1996-05-08

WITNESS:   It did affect the three children horrifically for about a year.  They asked me to leave the job, but unfortunately being a single parent you can't just try and leave a job that you're so together with.  And they hated every moment of me going back to the Parade Hotel.  They were terrified.  But they're good children, I brought them up the right way, and they understood.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Mrs Kerney, you have identified a list of people who were injured during that bomb blast.

WITNESS:   Yes.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Which suggests to me that you are in touch with them.

WITNESS:   Yes.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: On an ongoing basis.

WITNESS:   yes.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Would it be possible for you to provide us with a list of all of them?

WITNESS:   No problem.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: In case they don't come before the Commission.

WITNESS:  Yes. And we might want to follow up.   ---   Yes, certainly.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Find out how they are doing.

WITNESS:   Certainly.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you very much.  We are enormously grateful to you, and, as my colleague Advocate Ntsebeza has said, you are remarkable.  We have been meeting remarkable people.  One of the privileges of sitting here, and you are one of those, and we are enormously grateful for the suggestions that you have put forward, and we hope you don't give your mother a heart attack.

WITNESS:   We hope not.  Thank you.

DR BORAINE: Chairperson, the next witness is Ms Martha Raseko.  (Pause)  Mr Raseko, I understand that you are representing your mother.  Your name is Johannes.  You are very, very welcome, and I apologise for the mistake, which I must tell you was not of my doing.  You're going to give your evidence in what language?

MR RASEKO: Okay, I prefer to speak Zulu.

DR BORAINE: Fine.  Thank you very much.  So if you would make sure that the headphones are working before we start.  Can you hear me all right?

MR RASEKO: Yes.

DR BORAINE: And the translation?

MR RASEKO: Yes.

DR BORAINE: Thank you very much.  Then let me say again a very warm word of welcome to you.  First of all tell us, your mother was unable to come, or she felt that you would be able to represent her?

MR RASEKO: On Friday when she came back from work she felt sick and she went to the doctor, and she decided that I should become because she wouldn't be able to come.

DR BORAINE: Thank you very much.  Would you please take the love and good wishes of the Commission to your mother, and hope that she will be feeling better soon.  You're going to tell us about your brother then, Lefu.  Is that right?

MR RASEKO: Yes, that's right.

DR BORAINE: Thank you very much.  This was a brother who was brutally murdered in terms of your statement, but before you tell that story I would like you to stand to take the oath please.
/JOHANNES
JOHANNES RASEKO   (Sworn, States)

DR BORAINE: Thank you very much.  Please be seated.  Mr Raseko, Dr Ramashala, a fellow Commissioner, is going to lead you as you give evidence about the murder of your brother, Lefu.  Thank you.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Thank you, Mr Chairperson.  Good morning, Sir.  I am not saying sir because you are old, it's just a sign of respect.

WITNESS:   Yes, I agree with you.  In Sotho I am "nthathe"(?).

MAPULE RAMASHALA: We are just sorry that your mum couldn't come before the Commission to speak to us.  Please tell her that we are together with her.  I am going to mix languages, English and Sesotho.  I hope we will understand each other.  Can we go back and tell us a little bit about Lefu.  How was he?  What kind of a person was he?  How old was he?  Which organisation was he in?  Just give us a picture so that we can understand until he was killed by the A Team.

WITNESS:   He was 21 at that time.  He was still a student.  He was a member of UDF in Parys.  This was an organisation fighting against the police and the other organisation formed by the police called the A Team.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: What kind of a person was he?

WITNESS:   He was very quiet.  He wasn't an outspoken person.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: What we want to know is what was the story in Parys during that time?

WITNESS:   One house belonging to one of the A Team members was burnt, but during that time Lefu was not present.  He was in prison together with Lefu Nagedi.  They were in prison called Kwaarboom.  Now, when the house was burnt they were not present.  Two days after that they were released and they came back to Parys.  If I remember well it was a Friday, and he was supposed to move to Welkom on that same day because the family decided that he should go and rest.  He used to have nightmares because of the experience in the prison, and as family they said no, he should go to Welkom so that he can relax.  It was a Friday.  He was together with his friend, Lefu Nagedi, who has already passed away, and the other friend was Sizwe Mbalo ... (inaudible - end of Side A, Tape 6)  Were there witnesses when the house was burnt, or even when he was killed?   ---   Yes, the close witness was Nagedi, who passed away.  The other one was Sizwe Mbalo.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: (Inaudible)

WITNESS:   Yes, Sizwe Mbalo is still in Parys.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: If we want to speak to him can we get hold of him?

WITNESS:   Yes.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: How old was Lefu when he was killed?

WITNESS:   If I remember well he was 21 years old.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Do you know the people who killed him?

WITNESS:   As I have already mentioned it was a group of the A Team.  They were in large numbers.  But when they were supposed to appear in court they were only four.  They were four, and they were relatives.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Do you know their names?

WITNESS:   Yes, we know their names.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: In the statement you refer to Mr Mbali who was an investigating officer for the SAP.  Where is he?

WITNESS:   He is still available.  He is in Parys, but he is not working because of unfitness.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: If we want to speak to him can we get hold of him?

WITNESS:   Yes, you can.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Was there any inquest held with regard to Lefu's death?

WITNESS:   The case went to court two times, and my family would attend, and it was postponed.  But it was remanded the third time and we saw these people freely walking the streets.  They never even went to prison.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Did you get a death certificate?

WITNESS:   I think yes, but I don't know what the contents of that death certificate were.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Before I give other Commissioners the chance to ask questions, how - I heard you saying your mum is not feeling well.  Was she affected?

WITNESS:   Yes, she was very much affected.  One thing that I can tell you, how I heard about Lefu's death and how I feel now.  Two of the people who killed him joined the police force.  I also derived some means to join the police, and I joined with an aim of killing them.  But most unfortunately I never succeeded to join the police force.  I had an aim, I wanted to revenge.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Your aim before was to revenge, but how do you feel now?