Human Rights Violation Hearings — Mabopane — 1997-05-08

MR MODIMOENG: Thank you ma'am, thank you Mr Chairperson. I'm David M. Modimoeng. I'm 43 years old. I have four children, the first one is Jacob and Elizabeth, the third one is Miriam, the last one is Gladys. To this meeting I came with Gladys, who is eleven years old now, and Miriam was born in 1977.
 What happened on 28 May 1986, I was from work as a unionist, at that time until I started new work , to become the mayor of Brits on the 7th of last month. I was working unusual times, when I remember well on 27 May 1986, I left a company called Bosch in Brits, which is a German Multi-national company. 
 As I had a problem with that company, together with the shop stewards, we came to a point where there was disagreements. At about twelve midnight, because it was at night, we usually take the shop stewards if there is no transport, and take them to their various places.
 What was surprising that night, Robert Bosch company, denied that I should deliver the shop stewards. If I remember well, one of the shop stewards, who was staying far was a place called Tsebe, somewhere next to Mabopane. You'd remember that when I left Brits to their respective homes, up to Tsebe, it will be around 4 o'clock or 5 o' clock in the morning. 
 Not thinking anything, the management asked that the shop stewards should sleep, should put up in the firm. I went home. When I arrived home, I had my supper. After a short while, I slept. Round about 2 o'clock, on the 28th in the morning, usually I thought there was no problem despite the threats which were there, because before this day, some of the activist's houses were petrol bombed eg Jacob (?'s) house, Cyril (?), they were at the same place in Oukasie, in Brits. They were petrol bombed.
 This came to my mind, that  if I sleep at that time, because we were at the threat of being forced removed, as I knew that I'm an activist, what would be possible, or easier is that when I sleep, I will take the corrugated iron and put them on the windows. That's the way we used to live. As usual it was that way on the 28th, I put corrugated irons on the windows and from there upwards I put wood.
 When it came that I should sleep, I didn't think anything. At 2 o'clock, I didn't even hear this corrugated iron falling. The handgrenade was thrown inside the house, that is where I was sleeping with, it was myself and my wife, and Gladys who was eight months old, and Miriam. The two older ones were not inside the house.
 When my wife woke me up, then I asked what is happening. Then he said they have thrown the bomb inside, which means they took the corrugated iron and through the petrol bomb through the window. It didn't fell right on the centre of the room, but it fell next to the window. It came to me. 
 Whether to extinguish or maybe to reduce it's strength, or what would be, is that I should throw a blanket on top of that bomb, and try to stand on top of that bomb, so that when it explodes it should not get that strength to bend everything which was inside together with my family. That didn't help me at all, because I approximately, I was said about two feet to that unit. I heard a loud bang then I screamed, because I didn't know what was happening. That blanket didn't help, the bomb exploded, (?) it's explosion.
 The person who said to me they've thrown the bomb, by that time she was quiet, I thought maybe she fainted, but that was the end of her, which is Joyce Modimoeng.
 During that confusion, when I thought what was happening, and where I am, when I looked at the roof, there was no corrugated irons, there was no roof. The three sides of the house fell on the ground. What came to my mind, is that I must take these children before their mother and take them outside. I was able to take the two children outside. I don't remember who took them from me. I sat next to the bed and shook her to wake up. She didn't reply. At that time I was not aware that the shrapnel from that bomb, the went to my feet and my feet, my leg is damaged. I'm not able to dress on shorts, because the leg is damaged. 
 When I moved from the bed  to try to stand up, I was not able to. Then I began to be aware that something has happened to my feet. I was helped by the kitchen table, because this shrapnel could have hit me from waist upwards, but hit me from the waist downwards. That shows that the shrapnel penetrated on the kitchen table then  I was not able to wake up and people were assembling and they picked me up. They took my wife and she was not speaking then. We asked a certain good samaritan to help us. We took my car, we drove towards the hospital.
 When we were supposed to move to the hospital, we saw a police van. (indistinct), because in that short spell of time, I did not ask the police to come. I said to the policeman - fuck you - because before that these two visits me and they would intimidate me because we were denying to go to (?), because we're afraid we'd be under Boputhatswana.
 That's how it happened. Then we arrived at the hospital. The doctor certified my wife dead. Then I was admitted in the hospital for medical treatment. I think I stayed in the hospital for 13 days and my wife was in the mortuary. There that time the state of emergency was declared, and then I was supposed to bury my wife. At that time, when I was recovering, the couldn't bury my wife because I was still in the hospital, but the doctor had to release me even if I was not recovered, that they should bury my wife. It came to a point where we were able to bury my wife before we bury. It was on the 12th June, if I remember well. At that night when the state of emergency was declared, before twelve o'clock.
  We had a very strong union, which is Metal Allied Union, shop stewards arrived to the night vigil. They came before time then they stopped the security police, the security police stopped the night vigil, then they said they only want people who were on their list, because the emotions were high at that time, and they were just about out of control.
 I asked all the people to keep quiet, to look for their people. They took, the security police took, those people which appeared on their list, then they went. That was not all. When we were supposed to go to the graveyard, they came with an order that not more than 200 people should attend a funeral, and the funeral was on Thursday. People who helped us, the intention of the state was to lay a charge against me. People who were there were over 6000 and according to them there were only needed 200, so they came with horses, motor bikes and vans.
 I want to thank Legal Resource Centre, because Mr Bartlett was there. Then we were able to go to the cemetery to bury, until we dispersed. Which I want this commission to know, there were many instances where the security police, because I was the leader of the campaign that people should not be removed from Oukasie to Thlabele.
 On the day when my house was petrol bombed, the telephones in our area were not working. I want to know as whether Telkom did have an information that they should switch off all communication and I want to know again at that time how did it come, because I am not aware of the day we had people who were patrolling and who were helping the workers. They were patrolling at night while we were asleep because we knew that they were going to arrest the activists. I want to know how the - were arrested, who were patrolling at night.
 I want to know again on that day, a police guy came, the registration number is JNJ, it was the car that was used by the captain of security branch who is Captain (?).
What I'm saying is a hearsay, a rumour, on the 27th, Captain (?) was not using that car but Captain Letswalo was driving that car, who is my cousin, and constable Pretorius, Frankie Pretorius. I know that these people used to come to this area, what I didn't understand was that next to my house, which was next to the fence, they were able to pass through to make a turn next door. I couldn't (?) no car was used in that direction because it was a cul-de-sac. 
 I did come that, the night before my house was petrol bombed, used that road. That's what I want to know. The other thing that I want to know, when they came to bomb my house, who sent them? I would say lastly, I have Gladys Modimoeng whose mother has since died when she was eight months old, and my mother helped me to take care of her. I want the commission to investigate those issues. Thank you.