Special Hearings — Women's Hearings — 1997-07-28

JOYCE MARUBINI: No, we were not able to do that, because the policewomen were not there.  We were only held by Dr Mongeke and we were taken to Pulukwane Centre where our photos were taken and we believed that the matter would proceed further, since they've taken the photos.

MS MKHIZE: After you had been arrested, did you appear before a magistrate and did you - were you addressed by the magistrate and did you tell the magistrate about the assault?

JOYCE MARUBINI: Yes, we appeared before the magistrate and the case was remanded. We were taken to the doctor and the attorney came back and told us that we had to appear at a later date.

MS MKHIZE: If you remember quite well;  were you able to tell the magistrate about the treatment that was meted out to you during the time of your arrest and during the detention?

JOYCE MARUBINI: The magistrate did not ask us anything.  He just referred us to town.  He said we were supposed to go to a certain magistrate's court in town.  And he said he couldn't find us guilty, he couldn't deal with our matter.
 It was referred to a certain place in town.

MS MKHIZE: I shall refer you back now to the Chairperson.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.  Joyce.

MS SEROKE: You said you started a youth congress.  When did this youth congress start?

JOYCE MARUBINI: It had just started on that particular year.  We were in the early stages of the youth congress.  We organised this with men.  It wasn't only women.  When we formed it, we're both men and women.

MS SEROKE: Now what were your main objectives within the youth congress?

JOYCE MARUBINI: When we formed this congress, the children did no want to go to school.  They were rebelling against Bantu education.

MS SEROKE: So you - what were you going to help with, or in which way were you going to help the children?

JOYCE MARUBINI: We decided to form this so that we could be able to approach the educators or the teachers with regard to our dissatisfaction with Bantu education.

MS SEROKE: Now you say you were the organiser of the youth congress;  the other men who were members of this congress, how did they treat you, or how did they regard women within that group?

JOYCE MARUBINI: Well, there was a working relationship.  We didn't have any problems with the males.  They respected us and they listened to us when we aired our views.

MS SEROKE: At the time of your arrest, were you married?

JOYCE MARUBINI: No, I wasn't.

MS SEROKE: Do you have a husband now?

JOYCE MARUBINI: Yes, I do.

MS SEROKE: When you said this policeman, according to your statement you said you were stripped down to your under-garments.  As a woman being assaulted or beaten by a man in a state of half nakedness, how did you feel?

JOYCE MARUBINI: I felt very dehumanised. I felt very helpless and the injuries we sustained,  some have permanent scars.

MS SEROKE: When they assaulted you, was it necessary in your own opinion that you be undressed during the assault?

JOYCE MARUBINI: I did not see a need for that.

MS SEROKE: Did you ever ask as to why you were undressed?

JOYCE MARUBINI: Yes, they said they wanted to show us as to where Mandela is and they would tell us as to where he stays and which area he stays, because Mandela is Xhosa.

MS SEROKE: Now, as you are married, were you able to relate this to your husband or tell your husband of the treatment that you received at the hands of the police?

JOYCE MARUBINI: Yes, I was able to talk to my husband and it doesn't make him feel any good.  At times when he sees policemen, he gets very angry.  He's got this habit; anger against police, he has got this deep-founded hatred for the police.

MS SEROKE: We thank you very much, Joyce.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you, Joyce.  I am just going to ask you a few questions.  You said that although there were 22 women there, only six of you were arrested.  Were the six of you kept together?

JOYCE MARUBINI: The ones that were arrested were 22, but we were more than 22 in that hall, but the arrested ones were 22.

CHAIRPERSON: And were the women kept together?

JOYCE MARUBINI: Yes, that is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: So all of you were in fact stripped naked and sjambokked.  Were all six - were all the women in fact beaten by the police.

JOYCE MARUBINI: Yes, that is correct.  We were all assaulted.  All the women who were there were assaulted.

CHAIRPERSON: And you also mentioned in your evidence that later on there was a certain doctor who helped you and in fact photographs were taken of what had been done.  After this matter;  did anything happen; Were the police charged in this matter for the assault?

JOYCE MARUBINI: No, they were not charged, because we were not even able to go to doctors for treatment, because they used to keep watch on us.

CHAIRPERSON: And so nothing in fact actually happened after this matter?

JOYCE MARUBINI: That is correct.  Ever since our lawyer told us that he would come back and tell us as to what was going to be done thereafter, but he never came back to us.

CHAIRPERSON: Do you receive any treatment for your arm now?  You mentioned that your arm doesn't work properly.

JOYCE MARUBINI: Yes, I do receive treatment. I do go to a doctor.

CHAIRPERSON: And inside, mentally, how do you feel about the experience that you've gone through?

JOYCE MARUBINI: I don't feel very well. I'm highly stressed.  Whenever I think about what happened to me, I feel very angry at being so helpless and not having been able to defend myself or do something about it.
 I'm angry at the attorney who didn't do anything and who didn't come and give us a report-back and my doctor diagnosed me as suffering from meningitis.  I was once admitted for four years, suffering from meningitis.

CHAIRPERSON: I see. Thank you. Thank you very much for sharing you story with us. We certainly, we do have the name of the attorney and we'll try and find out what actually happened on your matter.
 But we're very glad that you've come to share your story with us.  We will make certain recommendations to Government and we hope that these sort of beatings don't take place again.  But it's very - we need to know all of these things that happened, even in the far regions which this province serves and we're very glad that we've had you here today.  Thank you very much for coming.
 Thank you.  We will now break for lunch and we'll resume at quarter past two.