Amnesty Hearings — Vanderbijlpark — 1999-05-18

MS F MOLETE: The light that I'm talking about, that is between QwaQwa and Mohokari, there is a light there.  As you move down the tar road towards Slovo, as you go down there is also another light just next to the curve, there is a long light there next to a shop.

CHAIRPERSON: Okay.  Before you tell us about the lights, the question that you were asked was: "When the window was broken, did the cardboard also break"?

MS F MOLETE: Yes, it fell down.

MR BERGER: There were a number of men who entered into  your shack, that you've told the Committee about, can you describe any of them?

MS F MOLETE: When they entered they started a fight ...(intervention)

MR BERGER: Yes, but before we get to that, were they black men or white men?

MS F MOLETE: They were black people, black men.

MR BERGER: And how were they dressed, do you remember?

MS F MOLETE: The only thing that I remember is that they had white headbands.

MR BERGER: And what did they do?

MS F MOLETE: They assaulted me.  As they were assaulting me I fell down and they started kicking me.  Some of them were even jumping onto me.  While I was screaming, because I was still undressed that time, I didn't even put on my panty, the kicked me in my private parts and the other one said: "That is where Mandela's dogs come from".
	They assaulted me, even jumped on me, they kicked me, they were also using sticks and fists.  While I was still trying to crawl the other one hit me with his fist.  They assaulted me, jumping on me, the other one would throw me to another person.  They were also hitting me with sticks.  I was still undressed because I was about to put on my nightdress.

MR BERGER: Is there anything else you want to tell the Committee about what they did to you?

MS F MOLETE: While I was still screaming for help the other one lifted me up and then he threw me on the ground again.  I tried to crawl.  While I was trying to crawl he hit me again with his fists, then I fell back.  As I was falling back he kicked me because I was undressed.  They also stabbed in my private parts.  When I went outside, that's when I saw one of them with a gun.  I went back into the house.  While they were continuing assaulting me I fell down and pretended to be dead.

MR BERGER: Please continue.

MS F MOLETE: When I saw this one with the gun I went back into the house.  When I went back into the house the other one said: "Take out your guns".  We said: "We don't have guns", then he said: "Put on the lights and take out your guns", then we said: "We don't have matches".
	I screamed and shouted: "Phule", the other one said: "The dog is dead".

MR BERGER: In what language did he say: "The dog is dead"?

MS F MOLETE: He was speaking in Zulu.

MR BERGER: And then?

MS F MOLETE: I tried to run away but I was unable to do so because I was bleeding profusely.  When I crossed the tarred road I heard the gunshot, about three times and then I fell down.
	When I fell down I tried to crawl down because I wanted to get help from Mr Sampson, so that I could get the phone there.  They ran down Bakwena Street.  These people, while I was crawling on the street, trying to stand up, but I was unable to do so, because I couldn't manage to run.

MR BERGER: The people who had attacked you were now moving down Bakwena Street?

MS F MOLETE: That is correct.

MR BERGER: What did you see?

MS F MOLETE: They went down that street and Mr Sampson came out, then he asked me whether we are not dead, then I said to him: "We have been saved by God, we just want you to call the ambulance".  I didn't know where Mita and her mother were.  Then I said we should go to the dumping place.

MR LAX: Thank you, you can carry on.

MR BERGER: You were saying that you didn't know where Mita and her mother were.

MS F MOLETE: That's correct, because that time I was just trying to save myself because we were facing death.

MR BERGER: You say that you suggested that you should to the dumping ground.

MS F MOLETE: Yes, I made that suggestion because I knew at that place we will be able to hide ourselves.

MR BERGER: So what happened then?

MS F MOLETE: While I was there shouting, then I met another boy by the name of Sonnyboy, then I asked him whether he saw what was happening and then he asked me: "Why are you bleeding and you have your petticoat"?  As we were looking back we saw the police and then I asked myself, we are dying but the police are here.

MR BERGER: Now where ...(intervention

MR LAX: Sorry, could you just repeat what Sonnyboy and you said to each other, please?

MS F MOLETE: When I met Sonnyboy at the dumping ground he asked me why I'm running with petticoats and bleeding, then I said to him: "I cannot even run because I was still falling at that time".  As I looked back ...

MR BERGER: As you looked back?

MS F MOLETE: That's when now I saw the police vehicle.

MR BERGER: What sort of a vehicle was it?

MS F MOLETE: Because I was too far, but it's a big one.

MR BERGER: And where did you see it, where was the vehicle?

MS F MOLETE: I think it was entering ...
...(end of tape)
... Mohokari Street, one of the two.

MR BERGER: And where were the attackers at that time, the time when you saw the big vehicle?

MS F MOLETE: The last time I saw then they were moving down Bakwena Street, towards Cape Gate.

MR BERGER: Can you estimate how long after you saw the attackers moving down Bakwena Street, how long was it until you saw the big vehicle near Mohokari Street?

MS F MOLETE: When I asked Mr Sampson to help me with his phoned, they were already running down Bakwena Street.  When I left to the dumping ground I could not look back then because I was not feeling well that time, because I was already felling pains from the wounds.

MR BERGER: How long did you spend at the dumping ground?

MS F MOLETE: We sent somebody to go and look back, that is Sonnyboy.  When he came back he said to us: "There are ambulances that are taking people", and then we went down.

MR BERGER: You went ...(intervention)

MR LAX: Sorry, Mr Berger.  You asked a question earlier: "About how long after you saw the attackers did you see this vehicle?"  I haven't heard an answer yet.  Maybe there was something that I didn't hear, but ...

MR BERGER: No, I was trying it from a different angle.

MR LAX: Okay.

MR BERGER: Can you estimate, Ms Molete, how long it was from the time that you saw the attackers going down Bakwena Street, until you saw the police vehicle in Mohokari Street or ...(indistinct)?

MS F MOLETE: While they were running down - after that I spoke to Sampson and then from there I went through the passage on my way to the dumping ground.  So I'm unable to estimate the time because on my way to the dumping ground I was not running because I was already weak at that time and I was also afraid that they will come or they will see me and come and kill me.

MR BERGER: Did you see any white men at anytime during the attack?

MS F MOLETE: While they were still assaulting me I tried to go outside.  At that moment the person who was looking at me looked like a white person, a hefty kind of a person.  He was tall and well-built.

MR BERGER: Was that at the time when you had gone out of the shack?

MS F MOLETE: While I saw this man it was the time I was still being assaulted because I am a short person by nature, I was able to round(sic) down their arms, so when I tried to escape I saw this man who had a gun with him, then I came back, I went back into the house.

MR BERGER: This man with the gun, this is the man you say you thought was a white man?

MS F MOLETE: Yes, he's a white man.

MR BERGER: What was he wearing?

MS F MOLETE: He wore a balaclava which hid his face and he wore these clothes used either by soldiers or police.

MR BERGER: What sort of clothes?

MS F MOLETE: These ugly clothes they normally say that they are used by soldiers.  Well I will remember the name.  I forgot the name.