Human Rights Violation Hearings — Benoni — 1997-02-05

UNKNOWN: Yes.   On the 1st of May 1986, it was Workers' Day.   At night people were taken out of their houses to march around, to sing around.
 In the morning they were taken to the stadium and there was a meeting.   Thereafter we heard that there was a burnt policeman and took it for granted.  We did not consider it in depth.
 At night police came to our house, looking for my brother, Boy Bizo.   They knocked at night and I asked, who are you?   They said, you kaffir bitch, do not ask us, what our names are.  Open the door.  The police outside said we will throw the teargas.
 And they finally gained entrance and they looked for him and they got hold of him and they took him with.  They started assaulting him right in between the dining room and the kitchen.  He was so shocked that they would just hit him and throw him up on the ceiling and immediately after that he was blind, he could not see and bleeding profusely.   He could not walk.
 The police I would never forget in my life is Kruger, David Kruger and Mr Stole.    Stole threw thetear gas in the kitchen.  
 There are trees along the fence outside.  They took my brother with.
 The following day we went to charge.  And they said they do not know any person by that name.  We got home.  I looked for Master.  I found him.   I told Master that we cannot locate Boy.    
 Anyway, we went back.  They harassed us.  The police would come and knock and then insisted that we should open the door, we completely refused and I told him you can do whatever you want to do, we are not going to let you gain entry into our house.   
 I was not asleep and some of the people in the house were sleeping and they gained entrance.  I was in my night dress.  They tried to strip off my night dress and I was struggling for them not to get anything that they wanted.  They left.
 And there was a sister by the name of Sister Kate.  She came and asked what have you done?   What is happening?  They said they will help by all means possible and they got and Attorney from the ANC office by the name of -  in Johannesburg.
 After two months or so -    The police, the boers harassed us during that period.   They will often come home and harass us.
 They came this particular day, a Saturday.  They took my groceries and just after buying that.  They took tea and every item of the groceries with them.
 Before they dragged him with the Hippo I went to the police station to go and see him.  I saw a group of people looking and one boy came to me and said, do not come close.  And I said no, I am here to see my brother and I have some food for him.   Little did I know that the poor boy was helping me, because whatever was taking place in that group of people that I could not see clearly, was my brother and they had tied him on his waist and they were assaulting him on the Hippo and they will lift him up and threw him down on his head and will crack his head down and torture him in that manner.
 I was taken to the taxi and they told me to go back home.
 He disappeared for some time and yet, we discovered after some time that he was dragged by the Hippo and they left him next to a bottle store.  
 Every morning we used to go and sign at the police station, before we go to work and late in the afternoon we will go back to the police station and sign.  That was routine.   
 Until we discovered and located him.  We managed to bail him and ANC was of help.   
 We would go to the court of law and we will see other people coming in and out, but we never saw my brother and 
I had to ask, where is my brother.  They said that my brother was held like a baby, like this.   That he could not walk.  That is the reason why he was held in that manner.  He could not even talk and we ask if we could bail him.  They refused.
 However, the lawyers, the attorneys intervened and thus we managed to bail my brother.   
 But he could not walk.   He could not even talk at the time.
 Dr Nana who was not so far away from the police station examined him.   He did say that he was affected mentally.   He had amnesia suddenly after all those tortures.  He will lose his memory.
 We kept going to the court up until we got to Pretoria, the court of law.   At that point we were lost.  We did not know what to do and which direction to go.

MS SEROKE: Thank you madam.  You have given us more details than your daughter.
 Now I would like to know Bizo or Boy Lucas, was he a member of any political organisation.

UNKNOWN: He was not.   He started joining the political organisation after he was assaulted and after he was injured.   Therefore, he decided maybe he should just try political things.

MS SEROKE: You do say that on that day there was a rally, people celebrating Workers' Day.   The police that was killed, when you asked your brother about that policeman, did he furnish any information?

UNKNOWN: No, he did not know much about the policeman, because while he was still watching he was called by one guy and he left that scene of murder.

MS SEROKE: In other words, he was just watching as the policeman was being killed, not that he took part?

UNKNOWN: No, he did not take any part.

MS SEROKE: Now, when you were looking for Ayob, was there a case that was conducted as to why he was arrested when you also got an Attorney.

UNKNOWN: They said they were looking for a gun, a police gun and they thought he was the one who took the gun.   If I remember very well, he kept pointing many places.   So he was also one of the 21 people who was pointed.

MS SEROKE: So he was amongst 21 people they caught.
 About Master, tell us about Master.   Who was Master.

UNKNOWN: Master was the Mayor and was our neighbour.

MS SEROKE: After you got the bail, how far did the case go?

UNKNOWN: It ended in 1990 in Pretoria.

MS SEROKE: At the Supreme Court?

UNKNOWN: Yes.

MS SEROKE: How did the case end?   What was the final verdict?   Was he discharged, or was he found guilty?

UNKNOWN: They said the case was over.  However, as a person now who was sick they said he will have to work at places like creches and garden the police station and do community services, because he was severely affected by the epileptic fits.   And they suggested that he should stop working.
 Only one spoke the truth and said, this person is sole responsible.  He will go and work and dedicate all his services in the community.

MS SEROKE: Did you ever open any case, because you know
Stole.  You know David Kruger.  Did you ever open any case with regard to these policemen?

UNKNOWN: No, we did not.

MS SEROKE: Is Stole still alive?

UNKNOWN: Stole came from Springs and I do not know if he is still alive.

MS SEROKE: Do you know David Kruger?

UNKNOWN: I do not know about him, because he liked disguising a lot.   You will find that he is still alive somewhere around, but I have not seen him.
 The case in Pretoria we used to attend it with Kruger.

MS SEROKE: Where did Bizo die?

UNKNOWN: He died of fits.  He left home at midnight.   He fell at night, right next to my uncle's place.  It was raining that evening and my uncle discovered him and he called us and we found out that he was killed.  He got killed from these epileptic fits.   The doctor who was giving him treatment was Dr Kaswana.

MS SEROKE: When did Lucas die?

UNKNOWN: In 1993, the 11th of November and this took place in 1986 and he died in 1993.

MS SEROKE: Thank you. I will hand you over to the Chairman.

MR LEWIN: If I could just ask if there are other Commissioners who have questions.   Tom?

THOMAS MANTHATA: Was Lucas working.

UNKNOWN: Lucas just got retrenched in May, but he was employed however.

THOMAS MANTHATA: And he participated in May Day celebrations?  Is this what you are saying?

UNKNOWN: That was the beginning of Workers' Day and we used to call it, Wake up when you are Asleep in Wattville.  Today we call it Workers' Day and that was the beginning of Workers' Day, that very year.