Human Rights Violation Hearings — Krugersdorp — 1996-11-11

MRS MAPHOSA: My child has suffered so much.  He still endures some pain.  He was taking by my uncle and was taken to the Humanside Hospital in Phalaborwa where they could check his head because that is where he sustained a lot of injuries.  I was told that he has been taken to the hospital on Friday.

RUSSELL ALLY: Is that where he is now, in Phalaborwa Hospital?  Are you speaking of this Friday?

MRS MAPHOSA: That is correct.

RUSSELL ALLY: Would he have come with you otherwise?  Were you going to bring him with you?

MRS MAPHOSA: That is correct, I would have brought him with.  He was injured, now he is sick.  He is sickly because of this attack.

RUSSELL ALLY: Mrs Maphosa, you were present when Spankie was giving his testimony, when he was giving an account of what happened to members of his family.  You heard what he said because you do mention in your statement that he was one of those involved in the abduction and the beating and the
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torture.  Spankie Lesotho, Boy Lesotho, Toko Lesotho and some other names that you mentioned.  Now, these names, in your testimony now, you said that these names came from Vincent.  Is that correct?  Is Vincent the one who gave these names to you?

MRS MAPHOSA: That is correct.

RUSSELL ALLY: And Vincent is absolutely sure that these are the people.

MRS MAPHOSA: He is very positive because we attended court in Pretoria together with the first police and I do not know where the case ended, but we were told that the matter had been dismissed.  We went with the very same Spankie.  Spankie was around when we went to Potchefstroom as well as his brothers.  He was present.

RUSSELL ALLY: So, as far as Vincent is concerned, he has no doubt that he is speaking about the right Lesotho, Spankie Lesotho.  He is not confusing him with any other brother, Toko?

MRS MAPHOSA: He knows him fairly well, very well.  He is very positive.  Spankie, Toko and Boy Lesotho, they are all brothers.  Even when we went to court in Potchefstroom.  We went to court two times, 1993 as well as 1994 and the three of them were present.

RUSSELL ALLY: Now, in your statement, you say that your son was a member of the Gadaffi group.  Is that correct?

MRS MAPHOSA: That is correct.

RUSSELL ALLY: Now we have heard many stories about what the Gadaffi group was allegedly involved in and some of their activities.  Also involved abductions of people, beating of people, even sometimes, we have heard cases, killing of people.  Do you want to say anything about that?  Do you know KRUGERSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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anything about that?

MRS MAPHOSA: I know absolutely nothing with regard to those allegations.

RUSSELL ALLY: In your statement there is also something that I would like you to please just try and clarify because it is a bit confusing and maybe it is because of the way the statement was taken.  There is a section here that says I was not allowed to bury my child, Solomon Emlangeni, but instead he was buried by the Emlangeni family, the perpetrator's family.  What does that statement actually mean and did you make that statement?

MRS MAPHOSA: I am not the one who submitted that statement. It was submitted by Solomon Emlangeni's mother.

RUSSELL ALLY: I see, but it somehow or other it has come into your statement as well.  I am sorry, that is our fault.  It seems as if somehow the statements got mixed up.  So, but maybe you can just speak to this point quickly.  Solomon Emlangeni who was actually, he was killed and he was a friend of Vincents.

MRS MAPHOSA: Yes, he was.

RUSSELL ALLY: And the other Emlangenis who actually buried him, they were family?  What was the link, the family connection?

MRS MAPHOSA: These Emlangenis are from Solomon's fathers family.  They are related with Solomon's father, the deceased one.

RUSSELL ALLY: So, it is relatives of Solomon who you say were actually involved in killing Solomon?

MRS MAPHOSA: That is correct.

RUSSELL ALLY: Mrs Maphosa, since these events, these very sad, tragic events, has there been any contact amongst the families, any attempt to talk about these issues because if
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you remember, we have also had other witnesses here who have testified about a meeting that was organised in 1991 where there was an attempt to try and make peace and to get people talking.  First, about that meeting.  Do you know about that meeting and were you or any of your friends involved in that meeting?

MRS MAPHOSA: After Vincent had been injured I took him to Pretoria because at the time he was very ill.  So when all those things took place I was not present.

RUSSELL ALLY: But you are aware of them, have you heard about those meetings?

MRS MAPHOSA: That is correct, I do.

RUSSELL ALLY: And if you yourself had an opportunity to speak to any of the people about what happened during this time in 1990.

MRS MAPHOSA: Presently, I want them to come forward.  I want them to tell me why they injured my son.  Maybe he did something.  I want them to tell me.

RUSSELL ALLY: Have you ever spoken to Spankie Lesotho about what happened to your son?

MRS MAPHOSA: No, we have never.

RUSSELL ALLY: You have never spoken, but you would like to have an opportunity to speak about these things and to try and understand why these things happened to your son?  Is that what you were saying to the Commission?

MRS MAPHOSA: That is correct.  I would desire that opportunity.

RUSSELL ALLY: Thank you very much Mrs Maphosa.  I am going to give you back to our Chairperson.

CHAIRPERSON: Ms Seroke.

MS SEROKE: Mrs Maphosa, you said presently Vincent is not
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well, he is at the hospital.  What is wrong with him?

MRS MAPHOSA: He was injured on the head and now he has got epileptic seizures that he did not have before.  It only happened after the incident of the assault because at the time he was still a student when he got assaulted.  He had passed his standard ten in 1994.  Even this year he went to the Technikon to try and continue his education, but he got very ill.  That is from February this year.

MS SEROKE: You said you knew that he was a member of the Gadaffi gang?

MRS MAPHOSA: I was told by him when he got injured, that is when he was assaulted.

MS SEROKE: After hearing that there was a group called Gadaffi as well as the Mazimzim, what was your response?  Have you ever spoken to him with regard to that and told him to stop involving himself in such actions?

MRS MAPHOSA: At that stage, I did not know how to put it to him because just when you are sitting, you would hear other Gadaffis, they have killed someone, hear that the Mazimzim have killed someone.

RUSSELL ALLY: Now, you would not even know what to say to a person.

MRS MAPHOSA: I tried to restrain him, but it did not yield any results.

MS SEROKE: What are you doing at the moment?

MRS MAPHOSA: I am at home, I am selling.

MS SEROKE: Do you have a husband?

MRS MAPHOSA: No, I am not married.

MS SEROKE: Now, is Vincent taking treatment?

MRS MAPHOSA: Yes, he does.  In Phalaborwa he was taken by my uncle to a certain doctor, a specialist.
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MS SEROKE: What do you think we can possible do for you as the Truth Commission besides wanting to meet his attackers so that they can explain to you as to what the problem was.  As you have already them speaking, testifying.  How do you perceive this that they say there is some peace?  Do you think there is real peace?  Are you satisfied that there is peace?

MRS MAPHOSA: Yes, I think so.  There is peace.  It is not like before.

MS SEROKE: But would you like to meet these people who attacked your son?