Human Rights Violation Hearings — Alexandra — 1996-10-28

IRENE TUKIE MARCH: No, no, no that is not David.  That is David's son.  That is Philip.  When the father disappeared Philip was seven years old and they were friends with the father.  They used to go to gym together, go to the soccer matches, go up and down with the father.  Obviously when it is pay day every child expects something nice from the father.  He knew he used to get everything nice from the father.  But it
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went on, when he asked me what happened to my father, where is my father.  I did not tell my grandchild the truth.  I told him lies, I told him that his father went to Cape Town to go and teach people how to do the job he is doing.  But as time went on and years goes by he grew up asking me is he not corresponding with you, why don't he write letters, why can't he send me something.  When I asked him come on don't be silly, your grandfather sometimes gives you something, ten bob, 20 bob, something like that,  it went on, still I could not tell this little boy.  If it was not the right thing I will apologise.  As years goes by he kept on asking me where is my father.  When he turned 18 one day from school he came with a newspaper and then he asked me did you buy a paper today, I said ja I bought a paper and he asked me did you see something important there, especially for you.  Then I said to him no I didn't see anything for me.  He said ja and he gave me the paper, he showed me a column where it was written missing people.  And his father's name was the first name.  So he asked me did you see this and I said no I didn't see that.  I asked him where did you get this and he said a friend of his gave him the paper, actually showed him the column.  Okay, then why all along you have been telling me that my father is in the Cape meantime you knew my father has been abducted by the police.  So I told him look here my boy you were still a small boy.  I did not like to disturb you at school, I did not want to inject hatred in you because I know if I told you these things possibly you wouldn't even be attending school.  You would maybe be a ruffian going about beating police for nothing.  Each and every person in police uniform you would be against.  So my intention was to tell you when you are 21
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years, then I would know that you are of age, then I would tell you.  This thing would disturb you, you wouldn't be in the class you are now.  So I am happy because you found it on your own.  Then he said to me so now how are you working this thing out.  So I told him look your father is not the only one, you can look at the column, how many people are missing there.  So I was waiting for you to be 21 years then you can sit down and let us talk.  You might give me a better idea what to do because what I tried was in vain.  Maybe you might give me a better clue to do that.  That is why I say if at all my decision was incorrect I will apologise.

MS MKHIZE: If I may just ask you how have you coped with these major losses in your life?  You mentioned that your family meet every year around about June 16th, which I think has been a form of support.  Besides that what is it that has kept you going up till now.

IRENE TUKIE MARCH: I must say I have got a very strong family.  I would like to thank my parents, though dead, they left us with a very big, big gift.  The gift, the richest they gave us is love.  We are five sisters, we have got no brother.  We have got no mother.  But every burden we try to be together and try and help each other.  And I have got wonderful neighbours.  Whenever I am in need they are there for me, even with God's grace He is also there to give you whatever you run short of, which is love, comfort and everything.

MS MKHIZE: Thank you very much for sharing with us one of the difficult stories of our Chairperson, Yasmin Sooka to take over.

YASMINE SOOKA: Thank you Mama for coming to tell us what
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happened to your family.  It is painful to lose three sons and still not to have certainty about why and how they actually died.  We have heard the fact that you have said that the Legal Resources Centre investigated and closed their file and we will probably try and access the records on the matter as well.  We share your pain and we hope that we will be able to get some kind of answer for you.  Is there anything that you would like to say before finishing?

IRENE TUKIE MARCH: I would like to say we thank God by giving us our president, Nelson Mandela, who maybe a lot of people might think that he is doing something he doesn't know, yet he knows bietjie bietjie.  We never knew one day we would be  seated here having people who are listening to our cries.  Even if we wanted to hide something it is very difficult, it is difficult to hide because here are people in front of you who are ready to comfort you.  We had a government which did not think that when somebody is bereaved he or she needs comfort.  So I say thanks to the old man Tata.  Number two I would like to give this message to our policemen.  Our policemen, especially the police of new South Africa, the old South Africa claims to have had securities.  A security person is somebody who is to secure your life but is that those securities took our lives, not unless security has lost its meanings really our new policemen please do the job, be proper securities, show a sample that you are new South Africa's securities, secure South Africa as a whole, black and white.  Thank you.

YASMINE SOOKA: Thank you, Mama.  Thank you for what you have said about the police because we are in a changing South Africa and I think part of transformation is to make sure that every different sector in our society play a different role.  Thank you for having come today.