Human Rights Violation Hearings — Venda — 1996-10-03

KWINDA TSHINANE: Yes, I can do.  It was on Monday on the 10th, we were at school.  We went to the morning assembly.  After that assembly, going into the classes, the eldest were coming, telling us that we must leave the class rooms and we VENDA HEARING TRC/NORTH WEST
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must go to the trees and when we were going there, they told us that we must disperse.
 And they told us, no there is a problem here at school and they told us that we must go back home.  And we will meet again on the 11th, early in the morning, we must all be here.
 They told us that we must all be here at eight o'clock.  The next day it was Tuesday, the 11th of August, we went to 
(indistinct) secondary school, I was late and I found that they have already started talking and they were now going back through the gate.
 When we went to Tambaqera school, we entered there we found that the police were in the staff room and the teachers came out and they came to where we used to take our morning assembly and then these old boys came here and told the teachers that we have got a problem.
 The problem is with punishment, more specially corporal punishment.  Then the teachers agreed and said, we'll limit this.  And when we were now going out we found that there were police vans.
 In arriving there one policeman went out and the police asked what we are doing and then the students said we are doing nothing, but there is a problem with just hurting us.
 And the police gave us an order that after 15 minutes we must disperse and then we dispersed.
 We reached a certain house next to the school, when in arriving to the road, we found those police vans in which - those who are like scorpions and they like and those vans which are used by the trucks, but they are soldiers just as hippo's.
 We were surrounded by the soldiers, no one was taking 
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care of anyone.  We ran away, we went looking for a friend.  I ran, I jumped about three cars and the fourth one trapped me and the skirt was torn off and I was left with my underwear.
 In entering a certain house, I found certain people opening the house.  I never watched whether I was going to an important house or what, I just went under the three quarter bed.
 In arriving there, the police were behind me and the police threatened the old lady, telling the old lady to show them where the people who were running in this direction, were.
 And the old lady was trying to say no, I know nothing, but because she was threatened, she showed them.  And the other one came and said no, I found her and I asked that policeman please, don't drag me please, I am very tired.
 And please come my sister, today you will tell us what you were doing.  But I told them, but no, we were not fighting, we were just talking.
 Please you must go and check the school, we did not damage the school and he told me that you are spoiled, the school children.
 And then I went out, I was placed down there in the van and they forced me to let my hands down and they said, girl what is your name, I told them that I am Tshinane and they told me that today, they will show me.
 They were beating me as if I was found stealing.  I was heavily beaten and the one who lastly beat me and then my ear was injured.  And the police ran away and truly the police ran away and in fact the blood was running, oozing out and the gland to my eye was giving out blood and then I 
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collapsed.
 When I collapsed a certain Pastor, called Mr Cheza, the police car arrived there and they said, no leave them alone, they are interested in strikes and then a certain gentleman came and carried me and put me on the side of the road.
 My parents were called, who took me to the hospital.  I don't know how I went to the hospital, I only realised it the following day and I asked from one other nurse as to whether my eye was still going to function and the nurse said, well, no, I cannot explain now.  So she went away crying.
 When I asked the other person, they didn't tell me my eye was closed, I couldn't even see because I didn't have  a mirror.  When I asked the Doctor who had taken me for an operation, he then explained to me the one who was interpreting explained and said Daphne, it is painful whatever happened to you, you must just accept, because you are still a kid.
 She explained to me that my eye was damaged and I admitted that my future was ruined and if I were to stay in this country, I am no longer peaceful and people are not going to accept me.  That is when I stayed for two weeks, the third week Reverend Modina arrived and explained to me that this is a very important issued, we are going to deal with this matter with Ramaqwede and we cooperated very well with him.
 Saying that the Government should really help because it really damaged my eye.  Then we went with Mr Ramaqwede and on the last day with my father who is seated here, Modina said your case is going to terminate because they say people of Tsirizeni are really striking and it won't work VENDA HEARING TRC/NORTH WEST
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and they said you are not going to see.
 And I went home.  Within a few days CID people came on plain clothes.  They found me right at home and they asked me if I was Daphne and they told me look, if you are still taking his matter further, we are going to take serious steps and whatever your father has, we are going to damage and you are not going to enjoy.
 And I said, well I do accept as you are saying, I really did damage to the Government and this people left and I don't even know the people.
 I went to Modina, Modina said he didn't know the people and it ended there.  So I went to my Headmen and asked if at all I can get pension, because at the moment I don't have money.
 And at school I went back and it was difficult for me to concentrate since there used to be blood and the only little part which is left, cannot really concentrate on looking and I went to the offices, pensioners offices and the Doctor at  Tsirizeni said, you have to get pension.
 I had to come to Parliament because I was asked to come to the place where the pensioners go and I was told that the cheque had been released.  But the Doctor who was in the Parliament said, if one is one-eyed, one has to work, but I did explain that I want to see the Doctor so that he can explain to me whilst he was watching, because my future is ruined in such a manner that if I go to the motherhood, I will never stay in somebody's place because it will be regarded as something unacceptable because people won't accept me.
 So I took my father whilst crying, it was very difficult for me to accept because by then my eye was still 
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having a hole and somebody from a family gave me some money and I had a plastic eye which is artificial and as I am saying now, I cannot get used to this eye because quite often it has to be taken away, sometimes it falls down and at the moment is cracked.  The second thing it gives me a problem.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Be patient, relax please.  Please.

KWINDA TSHINANE: The eye gives me a lot of problems because each time I keep on taking it out, now it is cracked.  It cannot even get accepted, one can see I am one-eyed, I don't have money to buy anything.
 I am failing, please I plead with the Commission to help me.  I would like to get pension as I want to live like other people.
 That's all I can say.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Kwinda just relax.  We understand that ...

KWINDA TSHINANE: I am relaxed.

THOMAS MANTHATA: ... Before the people who share your hurt, your pain.  Perhaps it is not even necessary to go back.  In  the process of trying to address the issue of your eye, did they ever think about you having to readjust your whole life and be taken to a blind institute or an institute for the blind?

KWINDA TSHINANE: No, it never happened like that.