Human Rights Violation Hearings — Louis Trichardt — 1997-04-09

TSHIBILI SIOBO: As I was still at the hospital, the doctors were checking me.  They told me that the baby, the child was not in trouble.  It is only me.  They told me that I was going to experience Caesarian birth, because my hips were also affected.  They said to me that I had to go to court.  I think I spent about two to three weeks going up and down to court and I asked Masile Mabidi as to whether I was not in the case books.  Mabidi said I was not in the case books.  And I was wondering why such an issue was that way, because I was referred to the court.  As it was like that, I was referred back to work.
 When I arrived at work, Mr Rogers said to me, Elisa, look it was just a mistake.  We are so thankful that you are back.  We were not sure whether you would be able to be coming back.  I just said to them, only God's hand was able to help me.  
 From there those other women said to me, we were taken for statement taking and we are just waiting for you because the case is on.  What was so surprising was that they were waiting for me to come back from the hospital.  I told them that I was not sure, because I was not around.  Well, I think this is all about my injury.
 However, I would like to add on what I have written on my statement.  According to the statement I said I was injured at work and I tolerated just to make sure that my children could get something.  When I went back to work, Sedane said me when I greeted him, I said good morning and he said good afternoon.  It was so surprising because he said it is afternoon.  Because, you are coming here to work after the other people had come.  But it was so surprising, because most of us were getting to work there and he said, please do not speak shit to me and then I just left it there.  I thought maybe he is just a White man, he is just joking.  
 When I went to my work place, they give us showers and there was a big hall.  I do not know exactly how we used to refer to it.  There was a measurement stick for marking and the White man said to me, you and Lydia are designated to this area.  I said, well that is no problem, we are going to do as designated.  As we were digging and he was checking, he said to me, Elisa, and I said, ja Baas?  You see, you are working, do you think you are working.  And I said, yes I am working.  He said don't you think you are working shit here.  I asked him as to why he is referring to my kind of job as shit and all these other activities, and he kept on making an innuendo about faeces and shit.  He just dragged the rake that I was using and grabbed me on the chest.  He knew, he was quite aware by then that I was injured.  I said some scars there.  After he had done that, he just shook me and then beat me and I tried to duck.  As I was trying to duck, although there was, he grabbed the spade again, I ducked again.  As I was ducking and he left.  He said, this woman, each time I tell her, give her instruction to work, I do not know what is wrong with her, because she does not work.  That I did not respond.  As he went to his car, I realised that I was in a pain.  Because I realised that I could not do anything, I could not resist.  Just then I had to run to the police station.  
 When I arrived at the police station -  well, let me just say, before I went to the police station next to Checkers, a van arrived.  These people realised that I was just limping.  They asked me as to what was wrong, because my dress were just torn apart and my breasts were out.  They asked me what was wrong?  I explained to them that I was assaulted at work, the golf course.  They said we must go together.  
 As we were arriving at the police station, we were introduced, we were received by one policeman that I can recognise, but I do not know his name.  After he had done that, he said we had to take statement.  After statement taking he wanted to know what happened.  I explained to him.  Then the police people said, this is the letter that you have to take to the doctor.  So I went straight to the ...  My chest was painful, because it was broken.  As I was still expecting.  As I arrived, that woman said to me, please bring that document or that letter.  I gave it to her.  She said, please lie down on the bed.  She asked me what went wrong.  I told her that I was assaulted.  I told them that it was at the golf course where this incident took place.  She said I was lying.  She said nobody beat me.  I was now adamant.  I said, are you saying that I was not beaten when you are able to see that my dress is torn apart and that my breasts are exposed.  She said, no, just go back to the police station.  So I left for the police station.  
 When I arrived at the police station they asked me about the doctor.  I was just explaining to them that the doctor said I must just go back.  So the policeman said it is so surprising because it is very evident that your dress is torn apart and the breasts are exposed.  So no-one knew what was happening.  I just said, well I, there was nothing I could do.  The policeman said to me I had to go the hospital.  I told them that I did not have money to go the hospital for consultation.  So they asked me what was supposed to be done.  I told them that I did not know what to do.  
 So I left for the golf course.  I was so determined to really tell him, to demonstrate to him that between myself and him either he or myself could be killed.  So unfortunately he was not around.  I just took my dress.  Well, you know very well that when you get to job, you change your clothes.  Then I did the same.  So I met my cousin.  I said to my cousin, look do not you perhaps have ten rand that you could give?  She asked me if I wanted to go somewhere.  She was so surprised why I had to go to work in that state.  I explained to her that this is just an addition.  I told her that a White man, this old White man did this to me, I said yes.  She gave me twenty rand.  I then left. 
 I had that letter with me.  I went back to the hospital.  On arriving at the hospital, I explained this to the nurses.  The nurses received me.  As they were receiving me nicely, they said to me, what really happened prior to your getting beaten?  I told them that I did not really give him any abuse....  It was just because I said good morning and he said good afternoon.  And I asked him why he said good afternoon when it was good morning.  He insisted on saying it was afternoon, because some other people had already clocked.  I further told him that no I clocked at the same time the other people do.
 Well, they examined me.  They said it was so difficult.  It is better for me to take the matter further to the police station.  I indicated that this letter was coming from the police station.  They asked me what was happening with the police people.  I explained to them that this is what I was - well in fact they gave some pills and rub.  I received an injection.   I left for home.  They also said that I must go via the police station on my way home.  The policeman said to me, the man who was responsible for my case, said that the White man did not beat me.  We told him that the woman came with her breasts exposed and there were some bruises on her chest.  The old White man said it was not true.  That was the end of it.

RUSSELL ALLY: Thank your very much for going through that with us.  I am sure it is not easy for you to relive all those experiences.  What I really would like to try and establish is, is whether you believe that what happened to you the first time, with the tractor, which is what gave rise to all the subsequent events?   Do you believe that this was actually deliberate, or was this an accident.