Human Rights Violation Hearings — Soweto — 1996-07-26

SHAN NAPIER: Firstly, I was involved in politics in 1984.  My brother, Prakash Napier, he disagreed on that. He didn't like what I was doing.  At that stage I was in high school, I was in Std 8 in that period.  That was during the time of the Tricameral elections.  At that stage I was part of the Lenasia Youth League, I was a member of the Lenasia Youth League.  It was just after the 1984 elections, that my brother had actually got me out of it. He said he doesn't want me to be with the organisation again. He had his views on that. So obviously I listened to him and I just kept my distance.  But I was still in touch with most of my friends, SOWETO HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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because we were very close at that stage.
 It was round about 1985 that to my surprise, that all my friends who were involved with me during that stage in politics, became his friends. The wheel had turned. The people whom he had disliked, the people with whom I was, was with him.  My best friend became his friend. Well, I was glad that he was actually involved in politics at that stage. He was a member of the Lenasia Youth League, as far as I know, only at that stage.
 His great depthness into becoming a member of Umkhonto weSizwe I really don't know. It was a big shock to me.  I only knew him to be a member of the Youth League and nothing else further than that.
 There was a stage where he should leave home from time to time.  He used to go away for a period of at least two months, three months, and we used to always ask him where are you going to.  He used to tell us he is going down to Cape Town, there is - he is going to look after a business there for some of his friend's uncles, who would be going overseas. That is all that he told us.  We had no contact number, no way of getting in touch with him.  
 But from time to time he was - my brother-in-law used to do some work across the border. He used to do installations for a company which he used to work for.  At the border post he used to see my brother actually going across into Botswana.  Well, to me it seemed as if though he was going just maybe for a holiday, because we never really questioned where was he going or what was he actually doing.  We never sort of mind his business.  All that mattered was, we were close, very, very close.
 During the period of 1989 it was in February, Prakash 
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left home and said he was going down to Cape Town.  He said he would be back, he said he is just going to do some business, he is probably going to run a business there, to look after his friend's uncle's business.  That's what he told us.  He only later returned, the same year 1989, he came back in July.  It was towards the end of July.  
 During the time that he was gone we became very worried about him, because it wasn't like him to go that long without phoning home or letting us know how is he, his whereabouts, to say that no, I am fine, I am with a few friends, I am on holiday, or whatever the case was.
 When Prakash returned - sorry. I went to the police to see if I could probably report him missing, because we became very, very worried.  I took a photograph with to the police station as well.  I don't think I was successful. I can't recall being successful in actually opening up a case or a file for a missing person.  That is as far as I can remember that.
 We became curious.  We asked a few of Prakash's, of his closest friends, like do they perhaps know where he was or do you know what he was doing.  But all we were told is, no, he has gone down to Cape Town, he has gone for business.  That is all we were told.   We received a letter from Cape Town.  I don't even think it was in Prakash's handwriting, because I had known his handwriting, but it was a letter which came just so sudden, it had a stamp from Cape Town, saying that no, he is okay, he is fine and that he will be phoning us shortly.
 Many of his friends knew that we were looking for him.  So probably word got out that we were looking for him, we were worried about him. So someone tried to cover up 
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somewhere along the line.  Somebody used to phone home and say please hold on for a call from Cape Town and then all of a sudden you will be holding on on the telephone and it goes off.  We were kept in suspense.
 Prakash returned in July.  It was towards the end of July that he returned home. He just walked in and I was shocked.  I still said, it is nice to see you back, where were you.  He says no, he was in Cape Town.  I said, you know, we were really worried about you, we didn't really bother - we weren't interested to question you to say what were you doing; as far as we were only interested in was that he was back and we were happy.  Prakash made no mention of any activities or whatever he had done during that stage.
 At the time Ahmed Kathrada and Walter Sisulu and them were released, strangely enough, it seemed that Prakash had known about everything.  The day Ahmed Kathrada came out, Prakash even took myself and my friend, and he said no, come, I will take you and I will show where Kattis is, he even took us to meet Kattis.  That was the day Ahmed Kathrada got released.
 I think it was round about September and there was a rally at FNB Stadium and that was to welcome the seven political prisoners that were released at that stage.  Prakash left that Sunday morning to attend that gathering. I have seen the video footage about after his death, where he is actually walking side by side of Ahmed Kathrada, coming down. I had no knowledge of his acquaintance with him at that stage.
 In December 1989 I recall the Monday night, it was round about seven o'clock and Prakash was, he was at home. I took the vehicle from him. He had a Mazda with him at that SOWETO HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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stage. I said to him okay, just lend me the car, I just want to go somewhere and come back quickly.  I took the car and I had left, but I came back, it was about five past eight.  Prakash just took the keys from me and said it was late, he has got to go somewhere. I said okay, no problem. He just looked at the time and said it is late, he has got to go and he went.
 The following morning it was round about six o'clock, I normally listen to the radio, that part of the morning and I listened to the news on 702 and they said there was a bomb blast in Johannesburg. Something went through my mind like a shiver and down the spine that something was wrong. I watched the news on the television that morning, it was just - I think it was about seven o'clock.  They were showing the bomb blast which had taken place at Johannesburg Park Station.  But not realising who was involved.
 There was a knock on the door. I opened the door. Two of Prakash's friends came to the door and they said do we know where Prakash is.  So I said no, I don't know where he is.  But I could see in their eyes, I could see both friends, their eyes were red, you could see their eyes were red.  They said do I have the key of the place where he was staying at, and I said no, I don't have, only he has got it and I am sure he has got it with him, he must be at home.  I see they look at each other.  Well, they just walked away.
 I turned around and I told my sister something is wrong, something is definitely wrong, because these people would never come to our house that part of the morning to probably look for Prakash.
 Later that day I was at work when I got a telephone call at the company, my sister left a message for me, 
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to say that Prakash had died.  
 I think that is what I would like to say at this stage.

CHAIRPERSON: Could you tell us what you were able to learn after you had found out that he died?