Human Rights Violation Hearings — Ladybrand — 1997-06-24

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you very much.  Can you just give us the picture of your family, wife, mother - if you have got mother, father, children, etcetera, so that we can see the picture of your family?

WITNESS:   I had a wife.  She left me because of the problems which happened to me.  My mother is still alive.  She was born in 1914 and she has since died.  My father has since died, but my mother is still alive.

CHAIRPERSON: Do you have any children?

WITNESS:   I have two children.  They are under my care.  The other one was born in 1975, the other one was born in 1970.

CHAIRPERSON: Are they schooling?

WITNESS:   The other one has completed standard 10, the other one is married in Lesotho.

CHAIRPERSON: The one who has finished standard 10 is the one who is born in 1970?

WITNESS:   He is the one who was born in 1975.

CHAIRPERSON: And the one who is married is 1970?

WITNESS:   He is the one who was born in 1978.

CHAIRPERSON: This one who has passed standard 10, is it a girl or a boy?

WITNESS:   It's a boy.

CHAIRPERSON: What is he doing now?

WITNESS:   He is attending school in Strydom College of Education.

CHAIRPERSON: Oh, school of education.  Are you working?

WITNESS:   I am working at Asler.  It's a contractor.

CHAIRPERSON: So you are the one who is paying the fees for this child?

WITNESS:   That's true.

CHAIRPERSON: You have just said that your wife left you because of your problems.  Do you want to say more than that?  What problems are those?  You don't have to say it if you don't want.  I am just following - you say that your wife left you because of your problems.  You can tell us what problems were those.  If you don't want you are free not to say so.

WITNESS:   These are my problems.  They have amputated my penis with a plier.  That's the reason why my left me.

CHAIRPERSON: Maybe we should hear about what happened.  Can you tell us what happened in 1983?  In fact do you remember the month when this thing happened in 1983?

WITNESS:   I don't remember the month, but I remember what happened on that day.  Even the bullet inside my head causes problems and makes me to forget.  It has caused me amnesia.

CHAIRPERSON: Okay, just tell us what you remember.

WITNESS:   In 1983 I was from REP Mine in Boksburg.  When I have withdrawn R1 800,00 the bus has already gone.  I took a bus to Verkeerdevlei.  I alighted there at Stelspruit.  After I have alighted there I followed that bus.  There is a slope.  When the bus turned I was the descent looking at that bus.  A certain car came and switched off the lights, then a certain car came again.  They switched off the lights when they arrived at the first car.  When I arrived to these two cars I heard a gunshot.  I thought these people will ask me, because I didn't know them.  I jumped the fence and ran away, and my hat was left on the fence.  These men followed me.  They shot in front of me and then the stone splinters hit me on the face.  That's where I lied down, knowing that these people are going to kill me.  The other one arrested me and say, "Are you a communist?"  Then I said to him, "No, I don't even know what communism means."  He said to me, "Thambo has left to Lusaka, but Mandela is going to die in prison."  He said to me I should stand up, then he hit me with a gun.  Then he say as I am a terrorist I should tell them where I come from.  Then they picked me up.  The other one squeezed my hand.  My ... (inaudible) ... on the ground scattered.  They cut the fence and handcuffed my hands with wire.  (Pause)

CHAIRPERSON: Take your time.  Take your time.  I know it's very painful.

WITNESS:   I was not able to see because I was tied on my hands and thighs, and then three white people came.  After that they took me to a house and kicked me.  Then I made myself as if I am dead.  After some time a police car arrived.  This white policeman said - he was a warrant-officer, I was able to identify him as a warrant-officer.  Then he said,"This kaffir is pretending to be dead."  Then he said, "He'll wake up."  They brought cups with coffee or tea.  Then the other one said, "We have tied him up with a plier on the hands."  Then he said, "Bring the plier with me.  Then they opened my - they spread me across with my legs.  Then he squeezed my genitals with the plier.

CHAIRPERSON: Okay, take time, take time.  (Pause)

WITNESS:   I was taken to a farm called Dirk Patroos.  When I arrived at that farm it was dark and it was cloudy.  I was hit with the skulls.  Then he said, "At this farm many communists are sleeping under those trees."  That is the farm where I was kept for a long time, like three or - two to three weeks.  A certain old doctor came.  He gave me tablets, then he said I should take two.  These tablets made me to feel numb.  Then they still pursued that I am still a communist.  I produced a paper to show them that I belong to - I am working at the mine.  The warrant-officer teared off that paper, then he took my identity book.  They took me again to that farm.  When I arrived again at that farm they said I raped.  After they said I raped they said I should hold a rock.  The warrant-officer took photos.  My story will be long.  After he had taken these stones, some pictures, he took me and locked me up in the cells at Verkeerdevlei.  I was eating a raw porridge.  Then from there he made me to make a statement so that I should tell.  He informed me how I should formulate my statement.  He took me to Brandfort for a case, where I looked for a doctor.  The doctor said they should telephone Vicky in Verkeerdevlei to come and take me to the doctor.  Vicky arrived.  At dusk Vicky arrived and took me.  He then informed me that I think I am wise.  He detained me at the cell.  There was a certain lady who was having a bottle so that I should urinate in that bottle.  After the day of the trial I was taken to Bloemfontein, but before that in the same van where I was put they loaded a sheep, and this sheep was given to the prosecutor.  All the black people were taken out of the court, only the whites remained behind, and the Magistrate of the day told me that the police didn't bring me there because I was assaulted.  They came with a case that I broke into a house.  Vicky requested to go back with me to Brandfort, and after some time I was sentenced to five years at Grootvlei Prison.  I requested Captain Visser to help me because my body was swollen.  Captain Visser took me to a doctor in Bloemfontein.  That is at Pelonomi Hospital.  I could not eat, I was only vomiting blood, and I asked the doctor what the problem was with me, but the doctor never gave me a reply until today.  I was afraid to reveal this because I was promised to be killed.  They told me that I must never set my foot at that farm at Verkeerdevlei.  They said because it was Verkeerdevlei I was also "verkeerd," I was wrong.  I have a request to the Commission.  I want the money that belonged to my children to go back, and their clothes, and I want the end - or the head of my penis.  That's all I want.

CHAIRPERSON: Are there any people from the panel who want to ... (incomplete)

MR LAX: Thank you, Chairperson.  Mr Motheoane, this person you refer to as Vicky?

WITNESS:   The person referred to himself as Vicky.

MR LAX: Is that the warrant-officer?

WITNESS:   Yes, he was the warrant-officer.

MR LAX: And he was based at that time at Verkeerdevlei Police Station?

WITNESS:   Yes, that's correct.

MR LAX: Dirk Patroos, is that right?

WITNESS:   That is correct.

MR LAX: If we wanted you to take us to that farm would you be able to find your way there again?

WITNESS:   I want to go to that farm.  I want to take you personally to the farm.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... arrange that at some point.  Would you be able to, if it was necessary, identify those people who arrested you and who took you there?