Human Rights Violation Hearings — Beaufort West — 1996-08-13

MARY BURTON: Thank you, thank you, well you have a roll model to try to follow in your - in your family and we give you our sympathy that you lost your father at such a very young age.  I would just like - before asking you anything else - if you - if there's anything else you want to say, to read to you something of what I - Research Department have told us about what was happening at the time.  
In 1984 the African Township of Beaufort West had a population of approximately 7,000 consisting of hundreds of chanteys and approximately 600 houses.  11 taps and 16 public toilets served the entire community.  On the 9th of December 1984 the black youth of Beaufort West called a mass meeting at which the  Zanokhanyo Youth Organisation - Zanokhanyo means come with  the light - was established.  And the driving force behind the Youth Organization was a dynamic organizer and dedicated political activist, Mandlenkosi Tshaka Kratshi.
On the 22nd of January, as we've heard,  Mr Kratshi who was also a member of the UDF in the Karoo, an executive member, was shot dead.  Following the shooting, residents  gathered at the local community hall to discuss the shooting.  Numerous community councillors  resigned
After police used tear gas to disperse the crowd outside a hall that evening, an attempt was made to fire a bomb at policeman's home.  The house was gutted, but the policeman and his family were taken safely to a secret address.  Unconfirmed reports alleged that the home attacked belonged to  one of the policemen involved in the shooting of  Mr Kratshi.  
On Wednesday a second house was gutted and there was a total boycott of classes on the 23rd of January at the Lower Primary School in the township.
All political gatherings in the Magisterial District of Beaufort West were banned for that weekend in terms of the Internal Security Act.  The funeral was held on the 1st of February and went ahead in a  ceremony marked by discipline and restraint.  The UDF and apparently the entire black community of Beaufort West decided to comply with all the provisions of an order by a Magistrate which prohibited freedom songs, banners and speeches and effectively restricted the crowd to fewer that 300.  
The people decided to plan the ceremony as a peaceful one and the word went out that most would have to stay indoors.  This was said by the Rev Paul Oliver of the AME Church.  The service  was a very emotional one and the township of Beaufort West was renamed KwaMandlenkosi in memory of Mr Kratshi.
You are Mr Kratshi junior, is there anything else that you would like to add to what you've said to us already?

MR KRATSHI: Yes, there is.  One other thing  I would like is that I'm suffering - there's no one to help me in this world.  No one is helping me the way my father was going to help me.  I'm suffering in many things and I live with my grandmother.  My mother lives in Cape Town, I am a thief, I have got cases for theft.  When I want anything I've got to suffer in order to get what ever I need.

MARY BURTON: We hear what you say Mr Kratshi and we will see what can be done to council you in the coming future.  We do believe that there are people that support you, comrades of your father's and in your community who will help you if you reach out a hand to them - their hands are there ready to help you.  
Ms Mangaliso is there something else that you would like to say to us.  I don't want to distress you any more, but I want to give you the chance if you do want to say something.

MS MANGALISO: Yes, there is ma'am.  It is true that Simphiwe - if perhaps the father was still alive he would be of great help to him because at the time I wasn't aware of this political struggles.  And then their father to Simphiwe - he used to politicize people and what hurt me mostly was that the late Tshaka was the only son to his mother.  His sister was a useless person, so after Tshaka was shot his mother was left all by herself and after some time the sister died to.  So the mother is all by herself.  We also suffered a great loss as the community.

MARY BURTON: Thank you Ms Mangaliso, are you able to give us an address for Mr Kratshi's mother so that we can investigate?

MS MANGALISO: I don't know her address because here in the location we don't know the addresses but I do know where she lives.

MARY BURTON: Thank you very much, we'll see what we can pursue.  I don't have any other questions, I don't know whether any of my colleagues do.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: My questions are for Simphiwe. You do not live at home right now?

MR KRATSHI: No.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: You have a - in trouble quite a bit?  And I think we hearing you saying that you don't have a roll model and that in a sense you are raising yourself - or you have raised yourself?

MR KRATSHI: It's like that ma'am.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: How far did you go in school?

MR KRATSHI: I'm now in Std 6.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Are you in school right now?

MR KRATSHI: Yes ma'am.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: If you were to - to think about what you want to become, what can you tell us?

MR KRATSHI: There are many wishes I have.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: [indistinct]

MR KRATSHI: I wish I could be an actor together with my friends - maybe  we could come out with something.  Secondly my other wish is to be educated.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: How do you do at school?

MR KRATSHI: My performance is very bad at school because I don't get any support - I sometimes have to go to school in - an empty stomach and I  don't have much interest.  In the morning I don't have food, then after school I also don't have food to eat.  Even what I learn at school I do not absorb well because I always think where am I going to get food.  My grandmother is a pensioner.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: How are - how are you and Macholo living - you're just living on Macholo's pension, is that...[intervention]

MR KRATSHI: Yes, it's like that.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: [indistinct]

MR KRATSHI: She's not enjoying good health at all.  She was not staying with us because she used to be with the Boers and she only came back here today to come and stay with us and she is not well.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: [indistinct]

MR KRATSHI: I'm 17 years old.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Thank you very much, any other questions?  Is there anything else you want to say? Ms Seroke.

MS SEROKE: Simphiwe you say the fact that there is not one helping you like a parent, has led you to do some wrong  things.  Could you just tell us of these wrong you do which have put you into trouble.

MR KRATSHI: Yes, I can explain because I also wish that I could have nice things and I don't get any support from my grandmother.  So this puts me into trouble because when I see beautiful things I have this wish and then I just go and take it and steel it without paying for it.

MS SEROKE: And then in that way you get into trouble?

MR KRATSHI: Yes.

MS SEROKE: Now if your father was there supporting you, putting you into the right track as he was an honorable person and respected person, it would mean you wouldn't be in that trouble you are in?

MR KRATSHI: Yes, it's like that.

MS SEROKE: Thank you.

ADV POTGIETER: Ms Mangaliso there was an inquest into the death of Mr Kratshi.  Did the police ever take a statement from you?