Human Rights Violation Hearings — George — 1996-06-18

MS SEROKE: Thank you  very much Mr Raymond, I'll just give to my colleagues if there is any question.

MARY BURTON: Now as you mentioned in your written statement that Soyisile had a child, where and how is that child today?

MR DOUSE: The child is  by her mother in Bhongolethu.  Her mother is working at Holiday Inn, but it's not a wife, it was Soyisile's girl friend.

CHAIRPERSON: Dr Ramashala.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: At the time of his death, what was Soyisile doing, was he working, was he in school?

MR DOUSE: He was working.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: [indistinct] Soyisile's child, how is  she doing?

MR DOUSE: No he is doing very well and he is at school.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: What grade?

MR DOUSE: I beg yours?

MAPULE RAMASHALA: What grade is he in?

MR DOUSE: In a lower standard, in a primary school.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Mary  Burton.

MARY BURTON: You mentioned also in your statement that there was a court case, do you know what happened in that court case?

MR DOUSE: Oh! up to this moment, I don't know what was the charge of that man who killed my brother, because he killed so many people in the township - now up to this moment I just wan to know, what is David - let met put it this way, I don't know David's case - what happened to him, what was his - whether he was charged and what the sentence was - because he has three murder cases.
 Now  I don't know hom many has he - was sentenced to.  I would like to know what he was sentenced too for killing my brother.

MARY BURTON: We will try and follow up the - whether there was a court case and what the outcome was and what the sentence was, so that we can inform you of that.

MR DOUSE: Good.

CHAIRPERSON: My apologies, Russell Ally.

RUSSELL ALLY: I'd just like to get some idea of  what was happening in the - in the townships.  The police were apparently driven out of the - out of the townships - out of Bhongolethu not so, is that why the kitskonstabels came?   Were the police first forced out of the townships in the struggles that were taking place in the 1980's.

MR DOUSE: Yes I can say so.

RUSSELL ALLY: How did that happen -  [indistinct] what happened to those policeman who  were - who were driven out of the townships?

MR DOUSE: Those police were taken by white people and gave them accommodation in town and they kept them at the police station in the garages there.   Thereafter they were accommodated amongst the Coloureds - I am talking about the police who - who were driven out of the township.

RUSSELL ALLY: Were there any of the policeman killed?

MR DOUSE: It - I am not clear.

RUSSELL ALLY: Were any of those policeman - were any policeman killed before they were taken out of the township.

MR DOUSE: No not a single police was killed in - no - no let me get a clear qualification now -  this - I don't think so.

RUSSELL ALLY: And the kitskonstabels where did they come from, where were they brought from - from somewhere else or  were some of  them from the township itself.

MR DOUSE: Some of them - they were from - this place is like Transkei and Ciskei and some of them they were in the township like Salman - two  brothers of  Salman and - and Ben - I don't know what is her surname, but there is a Southern Sotho, but I am just out of her - out of his surname now.

RUSSELL ALLY: And the police have they since, have they since come back - the police who were forced out of the township, have they since come back into the township.

MR DOUSE: Ja, some of them they stay there, now they've got their place what you call - Rykmans - not Rykmanshoogte, they call it  like that, and this kitskonstabels what municipality do for them, '87 they built for them houses - some few houses down there in the new township where I am staying.

RUSSELL ALLY: Thank you.

MR DOUSE: Thank you very much.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you - thank you  sir, as Mary Burton has already said, we will try and follow up of - follow up what happened.  We are not saying we will get the truth but we will investigate so that we are in a position to tell you - we thank you for coming and for revealing the pain that you went through in your township, thank you.

MARY BURTON: Thank you - thank you very much Mr Douse.