Human Rights Violation Hearings — Klerksdorp — 1996-09-26

MR MATHIBA: Yes, it is true.

DR RANDERA: Now you yourself, you were not working on the farm. Right?

MR MATHIBA: Yes, I was not working on that farm, but the person who was working on that farm is Margaret and the brother.  They grew up on that farm.

DR RANDERA: Margaret is the mother of the child who has disappeared?

MR MATHIBA: That's true.

DR RANDERA: We will take a full statement from Margaret afterwards. Now I also heard you say that Margaret went with Mr Drom to the hospital.

MR MATHIBA: Yes, that's true.

DR RANDERA: Margaret was there.  What was the name of this child?  Let us give this child a name, because we keep talking about the child, what is the name of the child?

MR MATHIBA: He is Johannes.

DR RANDERA: Sorry, Johannes, right.  Margaret was there when Johannes was taken to Sebong Hospital.

MR MATHIBA: Yes, she was there.

DR RANDERA: And as I understand from the statement, Johannes had got injured by the plough. Is that right?

MR MATHIBA: Yes, that's true. He was work, he was injured
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by the plough.

DR RANDERA: Do you know what the injuries were?

MR MATHIBA: No, nobody knows, because he was the one who was saying that, then he was wrapped so that Margaret couldn't see exactly what kind of injury was that.

DR RANDERA: How long did Margaret stay with Johannes at Sepong Hospital?

MR MATHIBA: She just went regularly to check.  Margaret was just going to check him in the hospital.  She was not able to go later because she was working on the farm.

DR RANDERA: (Speaker's mike not on).

MR MATHIBA: Every day she was working, she said.

DR RANDERA: Okay, after how many days did she discover that Johannes was not in the hospital any longer?

MR MATHIBA: What she told me, she said that when she went to the hospital, she couldn't see him.  She told me that they were hampering that she should see him, and I couldn't find the reason why she was impinged to see her, because she is the person who can tell exactly why she was impinged to see him.

DR RANDERA: Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Mathiba, we have listened to the evidence that you gave and you have told us earlier that all that you really did was to come and tell the Commission in your statemet what you heard from the mother of Johannes.  She is here now. She is in fact sitting right next to you.  So it appears to make much more sense for us to hear directly from her what happened, when last she saw Johannes so that we have a clear picture and so that we know how to go ahead with this matter.   So I am going to ask Dr Randera to swear Margaret in and then we will listen to her evidence.  Okay?
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MRS MATHIBA: Yes, Sir.

DR RANDERA: Mrs Mathiba, will you please stand.

MARGARET MATHIBA: (Duly sworn, states).

DR RANDERA: Mrs Mathiba, we are allowing you to speak now on the understanding that after you have spoken, you will give a statement to our statement-takers. Is that okay?

MRS MATHIBA: Yes, Sir.

DR RANDERA: Mrs Mathiba, tell us first of all where are you working now?

MRS MATHIBA: I am working at Randfontein this present moment.

DR RANDERA: How many children do you have?

MRS MATHIBA: I have two children.

DR RANDERA: Is that two children, including Johannes or excluding Johannes?

MRS MATHIBA: Can you repeat your question, Sir?

DR RANDERA: Do the two children that you are talking about, are they with Johannes or without Johannes?

MRS MATHIBA: No, Johannes is their brother.

DR RANDERA: Okay.  Now let us go back to May 1974 on the farm Doornkop.  You were there at the time.

MRS MATHIBA: Yes, I was present when he was injured. He was in the field working when he was injured.  They were busy with the tractor and he fell from the tractor. I was already at home and my mother came in from the farm and she said to me listen here, Johannes is injured, and during that time he was already taken by Jan Drom. He took him to Tigane at the doctor and I ran after them to wait for me.  When I told him to wait, to stop the car so that I could go with them, he did stop the car.  When I looked at this child in the van, he was so injured and he had a bit of soil on his face. He
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as still talking, but his two legs were not working at all, they were motionless.  We arrived at Tigane and the doctor came to the van to look at the child.  He said to Jan Drom take him to the hospital.  We immediately drove off to the hospital. When we arrived at the hospital he was put on a stretcher. I was following them.  Jan Drom was together with us.  They took his particulars and I took his shoes off and we went to see the bed where he was going to lie.  The two of us signed. Because I didn't know how to sign, I just wrote my name.  Jan Drom signed.  We came back then.
 I didn't even take two days to go and visit him.  The next day I went back to the hospital to pay him a visit. On my arrival it came to my understanding that he was not yet attended to.  Then I stayed three days at home.  Another child on the farm also got ill. Jan Drom himself took the child to the hospital. When he was taking this child to the hospital I said I am driving with you.  On my arrival in the hospital I said to them listen here, I am not here to accompany them, I want to see Johannes.  That is where I realised that something was wrong.  Because we went to see Johannes and he was already attended, because he had something on his neck.  We stood by his bedside and the nurses didn't allow me to look at his feet. 
 After a week I went back to the hospital to visit him. I was told that he was not in the hospital. I wanted them to give me an answer as to where he was.  They said no, he had been sent, he has been transferred to Baraghwanath. I asked them when, because I was here; why did you transfer him to Baraghwanath without informing the family. They didn't have an answer. I said to them call the hospital, enquire from the hospital about his health.  When they were supposed to 
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give Baraghwanath a call they didn't.  I went back home. Their grandfather died in that week.  The child was still in hospital, according to the information that we were given.  Our grandfather passed away on another farm, he was staying there.  We went to mourn.  As we were mourning a messenger came and said he was sent by Jan Drom to tell us that the child has passed away, and he was already buried.  The question that I asked, was the minister of religion was event sent at home.  When we moved from the grandfather's place, we went home. On our arrival the minister of religion was there to bring condolences from Jan Drom. I personally enquired from the minister, minister, you are here to give us condolences, who buried the child.

DR RANDERA: I am going to stop you there.  You have clarified to us and the fuller statement now will be taken by our statement-takers as to what happened to Johannes.  I am going to stop there.  Thank you very much, Chairperson.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you, Dr Randera.  Are there any questions? Thank you.  Mr and Mrs Mathiba, thank you for coming.  We have received some clarification about your matter. We will take the full statement from Mrs Mathiba and we will then follow up and look into the matter and we will then be in touch with you about what we are able to find out.  Thank you for coming. Thank you.
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