Human Rights Violation Hearings — Tembisa — 1996-11-26

MR LEWIN: Mrs Maluleke thank you very much.  If I could just ask one or two questions to clarify your story and about your son.  Patrick was 21 was he when he was shot?

MBAMBASE MARTHA MALULEKE: Yes it is correct.
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MR LEWIN: You have explained to us the circumstances of his leaving and why you were surprised, did you ever get any indication from him or from any of the other people who came back to talk to you of what operation they might have been involved in?

MBAMBASE MARTHA MALULEKE: I didn't receive anything from people who were with him, what they were involved in.  I found everything from him when he was in Lesotho on the telephone.

MR LEWIN: I mean the incident where they stopped at the farm at Grousdal or Groustad could it be Granskop perhaps, is that the farm?  Why did you think the farmer acted in the way that he did and the police or army or whoever it was who came acted as they did?

MBAMBASE MARTHA MALULEKE: I do not know.  The policemen were called by the farmer where they had arrived.

MR LEWIN: This was now late in 1990 when negotiations had begun, do you think that these young people were involved in any activities that you knew of?

MBAMBASE MARTHA MALULEKE: I do not know.  This that I am saying was explained by people who were arrested with him and those who were with them at that time.

MR LEWIN: And could you tell us was there an inquest?

MBAMBASE MARTHA MALULEKE: You can explain to me what you mean by that.

MR LEWIN: Sorry, after his death was there an enquiry as to how he was killed?

MBAMBASE MARTHA MALULEKE: There was no inquest.  There was no enquiries after his death.  We were left confused not knowing what to do.  What I saw were policemen who came to my house looking for my son, and then I explained to them that this person is not here he has since passed away not knowing the reason why they looked for him.  Even these policemen stormed the house TEMBISA HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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with guns, they broke down the door, then they broke down two doors, the kitchen door and the dining room, even the bedroom door, they started beating up the children in the house saying they are looking for Patrick.  They didn't find him.  I stood up to talk to one of these White policemen, this Black policeman didn't even want to hear a thing from my mouth.  l talked to this one White policeman and asked him what is it that you are looking for?  They said they are looking for Patrick.  When I asked what he did he said I cannot say that I must just hand  over Patrick to them.  I showed him Patrick's death certificate and I said to him you must go and dig up his grave, because now the one I know is dead.  I don't know this thing of people being searched for when they have since died.  He lost hope of finding Patrick.  I told him he must look at the death certificate it will tell you when he died.  
 He said this is not the right Patrick we are looking for.  When he ordered the others to leave I said to him you broke down my doors, you came in here armed and you started assaulting my children can I get your names.  They said we are not going to do that, what is it that you want to do with our names?  I said you have damaged my property in the house.  They refused and left.  I followed them.  They asked me where are you going?  I said I am following you to the police station.  They said you are not going to the police station.  I took the registration numbers of the vehicles they were driving in and then in the morning I went to Rabasoto Police Station trying to investigate about these policemen who stormed my house yesterday.  The last time I saw the policemen trying to check what was damaged in the house was when they did try to jot down what was damaged in 
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the house and then they said we are still doing some investigations.  We will come and contact you.  Even today no policeman has ever come to report to me on what progress they have achieved.  Then I left there.  I haven't made any enquiries about his death.

MR LEWIN: Thank you.  If I could just ask one more question, Patrick was 21, was he your eldest son?

MBAMBASE MARTHA MALULEKE: Yes he was the first son.

MR LEWIN: And you do mention having was it three other children?

MBAMBASE MARTHA MALULEKE: Patrick is the first born.  All of my children were nine, Patrick after he had died I have eight who are left now.

MR LEWIN: Thank you very much.

YASMINE SOOKA: Mrs Maluleke thank you for coming to tell us your story.  You have really suffered an enormous loss.  The circumstances after your son's death have not left you feeling any confidence in anybody because nobody really stood by you through this loss.  We have heard some of the details.  We have also taken note of the fact that you mentioned that there were lawyers who did represent the family from the side of the PAC and we will try and investigate what actually happened and what the circumstances were that surrounded your son's death.  We are sorry that you have had to go through this experience and in fact are reminded again of the enormous cost that freedom has taken in this country.  The cost of hundreds and thousands of young lives, of people who never came back to enjoy this freedom.  We are all here and we are enjoying that because of the sacrifice of people like your son.  Thank you for sharing your story with us today.  Thank you
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for coming.  Is there anything that you would like to add before you finish?

MBAMBASE MARTHA MALULEKE: People of God what I would request from you is maybe there can be a day in life where I could meet people who killed my son.  Maybe I would be relieved.  Even these PAC people are nowhere to be met.  I am not a PAC member.  I want them to tell us what they did with my child who was maybe to abduct children and undergo military training for PAC, and then when they die they are not accountable to them.  That is why I am hurt about this organisation called the PAC. I am an ANC member.  I know that even what might come ANC knows me.  They will support me wholeheartedly with everything.  The ANC people will never fold their arms and sit back.  PAC has embarrassed me.

YASMINE SOOKA: Thank you, we have heard you and we are sorry that you have had to have that kind of experience.  Thank you for coming.