Human Rights Violation Hearings — Welkom — 1996-10-10

MR DLAMINI: I want to identify myself with the sentiments which have been expressed here by my colleagues, directed first to Pauline Rantie, the mother of Solomon.  You have been double-tortured or double-traumatised - or let me put it this way, you have been treble-traumatised.  You yourself was in a way very much tortured by the South African Police of the old regime.  Being a woman, the kinds of acts we have heard which were directed to you by men is a disgrace.  Trauma came through the death of your son, who was nipped from the bud when you had all the hopes and your future invested in him ... (incomplete - end of Side B, Tape 4) ... could do that to people, especially women.  That is terrible.  Carrying guns, destroying everything, in collusion with the criminals, Three Million Gang.  Those were criminals.  You should have been protected from them by the police, but they colluded with the criminals and killed people in the community.  You are indeed a strong mother.  The very fact that you were prepared even to die before they killed your son, that shows strength.  A woman in the midst of criminals, because all those people who were surrounding you, including the police, at that particular point they were criminals, but you were prepared to die for your son.  That shows courage and strength.  There may be the history written about you in future, an example of a mother.  We have noted all these things here, and we shall try by all means to follow up these cases, try to get in touch with some of the people mentioned here - the Magistrates, the prosecutors, who themselves were colluding with the criminals, Magistrates and prosecutors.  And the investigation unit will do this, and some of the things you have requested for here, like counselling for the family - that one can be done immediately through the support group we have set here in this region.  The perpetrators will see that the investigating unit does try to get them, and we'll also make the recommendation, take your request about the change of the house.  We'll make a request to the Government.  We don't promise that it will be changed, but we will make request.  But we will support this request.  We want to thank you very much.

MR DLAMINI: Now, coming to Mzosane.  Mzosane, we want to commend you for being a good policeman, because the policemen are for the community.  In fact when they were saying that, "Are you a policeman or working for the community?" I think they did not know what they were saying, because the policemen should work for the community, they should protect the community, and that is what you were doing, and I want to commend you for that.  We shall also pass your request to the Government.  You are requesting here to be reinstated as soon as possible as a policeman, who was the right policemen vis a vis some of the policemen who call themselves policemen, who are still holding offices in the police force, which is very unfortunate that those people are the people - some of them have been promoted, and are holding position in the police force. So we shall also take it with you.  You come as a hero of a policeman, who lost his job because he was doing his work very well.  We have noted all your requests.  May God bless you all.  Thank you.

MR DLAMINI: Yes, Mama?

WITNESS:   There is something which I have omitted.  I would like to request this honourable Commission to conduct some further investigations with regards to JCI, which manufactured the weapons, as to why JCI made these weapons and gave them to these people?  Because I remember on the very same day that my son was killed Dewitty was telling the police at the charge office that they said he was mistaken by killing my son.  If he was going to be arrested he ought to be arrested with the members of the JCI, the Magistrates, as well as the Attorney-General.  I want to find out if the Commission could possibly find out about this chain reaction, what connections did they have, the Magistrate, the Attorney-General, JCI, as well as Dewitty?  Why did he have to make such an utterance?  What is the link between all these people?  Was JCI manufacturing these weapons to give them to the Three Million Gang?

MR DLAMINI: (Inaudible) ... has been noted.  I want to repeat again ... (incomplete)

MR DLAMINI: MACHINE SWITCHED OFF

MR DLAMINI: (Incomplete) ... is the direct result of my being unemployed.  It was difficult for me to get a testimonial because of the way I was dismissed.  My family is being split because we are experiencing so many problems due to the fact that I am not employed.

MR DLAMINI: (Inaudible)

WITNESS:   What I mean is it's difficult for my wife because she is the breadwinner.  She is paying accounts as well as my own accounts, and she is paying for the house.  I am not working and life is just unbearable for the two of us.

MR DLAMINI: (Inaudible) ... all that, all your problems.  We have noted them.  They are here in the what-do-you-call.  That is why I say that we have noted that you have asked that you want to be reinstated to your job because of the problems you are encountering.  That has been noted.

WITNESS:  I thank you.

JOYCE KAU AND LETITIA SIKALEDI: I am her sister.  I am Joyce's sister.

COMMISSIONER: Just accompanying her to sit next to her?

JOYCE KAU AND LETITIA SIKALEDI: I am the witness.  This matter started first at my house.

COMMISSIONER: Okay, what is your name?

JOYCE KAU AND LETITIA SIKALEDI: Letitia Sikaledi.

COMMISSIONER: Okay, for the sake of the record let us also write your name here.  Thank you very much.  Since you both of you are going to be telling the story I am going to ask you to take an oath that you are going to speak the truth and only the truth.

JOYCE KAU AND LETITIA SIKALEDI: (Sworn, State)

COMMISSIONER: Anyway, thank you for coming to tell your story.  You are coming from Kroonstad.  Kroonstad has done very well.

WITNESS:   Yes, we are from Kroonstad.

COMMISSIONER: Kroonstad, I must say so, that it has done very well, and there are many people from Kroonstad here who came and support us.  Now, there's going to be somebody who is going to lead you through when you tell the story, and the person who will be leading you is Mrs Virginia Gcabashe.

UNKNOWN: Good afternoon.  Are you well?  Yes, we want to thank you for being here to give your evidence today about the tragic incident which has happened, that you, Joyce, your husband died, and you, Letitia, felt that you must come and support you.  Are you staying at 4321 Constantia?  It's where you are staying right now?  You were born in October 1965?

WITNESS:   Yes, that's true.

UNKNOWN: You have come here about what we have heard that your husband was killed by the Three Million Gang.

WITNESS:  Yes.

UNKNOWN: We heard much about the Three Million Gang.  I am going to have three questions to ask you whilst we continue with your evidence.  The first thing is your husband was a Comrade?

WITNESS:   Yes.

UNKNOWN: Will you tell us when was he born?

WITNESS:   He was born in 1954.  He was born on the 26th of August 1954.

UNKNOWN: Was your husband a member of any political party?

WITNESS:   Yes, he was a member of the ANC.

UNKNOWN: Was he in the leadership position or was he just an ordinary member?

WITNESS:   Yes, he was just an ordinary member.

UNKNOWN: You said he was killed.  He was working at the Premier Milling?

WITNESS:   Yes.

UNKNOWN: May you tell us how he came into contact with the Three Million Gang the day when he was murdered.

WITNESS:   We were staying at Trebol(?), then we fled to my sister's house.

UNKNOWN: Who is this uncle?

WITNESS:   I don't know all that, because the sister I am sitting next to is the person we were staying in his house.