Human Rights Violation Hearings — Witbank — 1977-06-05

DR RANDERA: Can I please call Richard Tembelikle Rumo.  Can I once more announce that there are statement takers in the foyer.  If there's anybody who wishes to make a statement, please go through to the foyer.  There are statement takers waiting.  Richard, good morning.  Welcome.

INTERPRETER: The speaker's mike is not on.  Richard's mike.

DR RANDERA: Richard, thank you for coming to-day.  You're taking us to Ogies.  My colleague next to me tells me that I have something about Ogies because whenever we talk about Mpumulanga I talk about Ogies, so I hope you're going to tell us a little more about this little town of yours which is  not far from here.  You're taking us to 1992 and you're going to be telling us about what happened to you.  Mr Hugh Lewin is going to be helping you with your story but before he does that, can you please stand to take the oath.  Miss Mkhize will help you with that.  Thank you.

MS MKHIZE: Do you swear that the evidence you are about to render to this Commission is the truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.

UNKNOWN: (sworn states)

DR RANDERA: Mr Rumo, I'd like to welcome you and thank you for coming.  Are  you comfortable?

UNKNOWN: I am conformable.

DR RANDERA: Can you explain who is with you?

UNKNOWN: This is my sister, Celina, on my left hand side.

DR RANDERA: We'd like to welcome her as well.  Thank you for coming.  Please feel relaxed.  You're going to tell us about what happened here within the Ogies branch of the ANC in 1992 and the way in which you were threatened as well as what happened to you.  If you could please feel relaxed and in your own time and your own words tell us what happened.  Thank you.

UNKNOWN: I will explain about what happened in Ogies in 1992.  I was the Chairperson of Ogies branch and after that I never had peace from the police or the soldiers who used to visit Ogies.  This even extended beyond Ogies, to Witbank because I was working here in Witbank.  They would follow me.  At times I would attend ANC meetings in Kriel or Matla but they would still follow me in their own way.  At times I would be leaving Matla to go back home and I'd come across a road block where I'd  be instructed to get out of the car.  Normally I would have company in my car and the police would cause chaos inside my car just so I would react in some way.  They'd tell me that they are searching.  I'd proceed to go home and they'd follow me.  At about two a.m. I'd hear strange knocks on my door and when I open the door they'd come inside and search for things that I knew nothing about.  They would take anything which had the ANC name on it.
 I want to talk about this particular day in Kriel.  There was an ANC meeting  and I was given the task to go and sort out things in Douglas because there would be a Comrade, Terror Lekota or Chris Hani who'd be addressing the workers in Douglas.  I agreed to go and make arrangements regarding the catering etc., so that everything runs smoothly.  I left my work place on Friday and I headed for that area.  There were two girls with me.  They were my sisters children.  I took them home before going to Douglas.  I left them at home and it so happened that they left their calculators in my car, as well as my music instrument.  I thought I'd leave everything at home and drove into darkness.  It was in May in winter.  
 Just as I was entering Douglas, at about five in the afternoon, at the corner by the mine, next to the hostel where I was going to make arrangements for the meeting, there was a car accident.   A school child was hit by a car and lying on the ground.  No one was attending to this school child so I thought I should make an effort to attend to the child.  There were three policemen standing by in a car nearby and I wondered what had happened there.  I was torn apart, I didn't know what to do, whether I should stop or rush to Douglas.  I decided to proceed in order to attend to my task.   I'd made all the arrangement and preparations for the Sunday meeting.   When I was going back I found out that, that accident that took place at about five, it was now around seven or eight, that child was still lying there cold as it was.  I took it upon myself to do something about it.  I stopped my car, got out and went to the school child.  I saw these police, I don't know what you call these gentlemen, police or security.  One of them had a gun and he asked me, with such venom, what I wanted.  I told him I was coming to attend to the school child and he told me that it's none of my business.  I told him for his information, that it was part of my business because I was a teacher and this was my responsibility.  He told me, we had an argument which ensued and now we had this ...(indistinct) that emanated out that.  
 We saw a group of people coming as well.  The other person went to stop the crowd which was approaching.  Right then the trucks approached and I decided it best to leave the scene but on the other hand I felt that I shouldn't go.  I insisted to wait and he called his colleague and they took me inside the car.  There were dogs inside the van, at the back of the van.   I was lost as to what was happening because I hadn't done anything.  They took me with them.  While I was still inside the car I saw the other person coming to fetch the body that was lying on the ground.  
 We realized that the school child had died already and we saw this White lady driving past.  She spoke to me in Afrikaans.  As I don't understand Afrikaans, I struggled to understand.  She said, this is week-end and we are picking up Black pigs.  I was amazed at what she said because it seemed to be a joke to them because they started laughing.  I asked from the car, why are you calling this child a Black pig?  He told me that he had gone to my car and discovered my ANC card which he brought back with him.  He told me to shut my mouth and I shouldn't say anything about this Mandela.  I realized that this argument was intensifying.  They were making jokes of the whole scene, especially regarding the girl that was lying there.  The other two security chaps discussed something.  Fortunately, only I knew how to start my car so they could not start my car.  They tried to start the car but the couldn't so they came back to me and asked what was wrong with my car.  They asked me to go and start the car, which I did.  My hands were tied behind me and they took me to the police station at Black Pine.  
 Unfortunately, when I got there, there was a boy who attended school in Delmas and I knew him.  By this time it was eleven at night and he asked me what I was doing there so I told him to ask the other guys who brought me there.  That gentleman told me that he wouldn't allow me to spend the night there and that he would make a point of keeping me company.  He tried to get a heater for me from the Charge Office so it could warm the place and I could stay there.  He gave me his jersey because it was cold.  I slept for a while and I woke up, he asked me what was in my car.  I told him what was in my car and he said that there was nothing left in my car and the White policemen were busy in my car, not knowing what they were doing.  
 I remembered a certain attorney by the name of Omar Zaire in Springs.  I had his telephone numbers with me and I decided to phone him and explain the whole matter to him.  He made arrangements to call Ogies and also come to me.   At about two in the morning he did come.  Not the lawyer but he made arrangements that my brother-in-law would come in the early hours of the morning.  He came and I told him to take everything in my car.  He went to my car and came back to tell me that there was absolutely nothing left in my car.  The police refused ... (interrupted)