Human Rights Violation Hearings — Bloemfontein — UNKNOWN

WITNESS: I couldn't write my exams. I have to startby saying I was taken to Botshabelo Hospital, and I was transferred to PhilonomiHospital, where I was operated. And when I was released I went back home andwe laid a charge, and we were told that we will go to a parade to identify them,but that didn't take place. Because, you know, I would go to school becauseI was so fond of schooling. I couldn't write anything. My friend used to takenotes for me. The CIDs would come and they would tell us, "Let's go becausethe people are now there. Let's go and identify them," but every time we wouldbe at the police station we would be told to go back home because the peopleare not there. If I remember well it was in '91 when we were called, and thenwe tried to identify the policemen we thought assaulted us, but this other one,Mazibuko, we managed to identify. But we told them that Chaka was there andthey said, "Okay, that's fine. We know of Chaka."

DR MAGWAZA: Which police station did you report your case?

WITNESS: It was atBotshabelo Police Station.

DR MAGWAZA: (Inaudible) ... the name of the person who was dealing withthe case?

WITNESS: It was Mr Mathobisa. He was transferred to Bloemfontein. You also mentioned something about the fact that you had alawyer who was acting on your behalf, but you said he was a bit reluctant. Whatdo you mean? --- My father came with a lawyer, I think it was Cooper & Son,and together with my father we went to that firm, and then they referred usto a Mr Venter. We gave him the statement and I gave them everything, the particulars,and he said to me - he said everything that the police say to me I should takeit to them, but I couldn't because I didn't have money to be coming to Bloemfonteinevery time, and I wanted to continue with my studies.

DR MAGWAZA: Those lawyers, are they still around?

WITNESS: I can't remember.

DR MAGWAZA: Well, regarding your treatment you mentioned that you had yourhand operated, and that that interfered with your schooling. Did you stop schoolingafter the operation?

WITNESS: In 1990 I was doing standard nine. The year after thatMr Sajake, who was the school principal and the school committee, decided thatI should go to standard 10 because they knew my performance. And they decidedthat I should go to the next standard. I tried to keep up, but I couldn't, becauseeven my methods of studies have changed, I couldn't concentrate any more, becauseI would feel terrible headaches and I would be attacked by the veins(?).

DR MAGWAZA: Do you still feel that way now? Do you still have those headaches?--- Yes. Every time when I get disturbed the headaches come back.

DR MAGWAZA: Do you have any hospital records about your operation? ---Yes. Philonomi Hospital have my records. You also mentioned that when you were detained in the policestation you had to go home to take your medication. What medication, what wasit all about?

WITNESS: The way we were being assaulted I wasn't in a position tobear the assault any more. Even animals are not punished that way. A friendof mine was also there. At this moment he's in Welkom. You know, we wanted aplan, you know, so that they can stop the assault for a time being.

DR MAGWAZA: Tell me, Jonas, what do you do now?

WITNESS: I am not staying athome now, I have my own house, and I am an upholsterer. I have a person thatI stay with, and we have a child, and I am not working. That is the kind ofwork that I am doing.

DR MAGWAZA: Okay, thank you very much, Jonas. That's quite a very difficultsituation you are in.

DR MAGWAZA: Shadrack, if you could just tell me moreabout yourself. I have heard most of the story from Jonas, then I will justask you a few questions.

WITNESS: Shall I start from the beginning?

DR MAGWAZA: (Inaudible) ... you are, your age, your family, and also yourpolitical affiliation if there is any.

WITNESS: I am the son to Mrs Disebo Rataba,Madisebo Rataba. My father passed away. We are 10 at home. I am the eighth child.I am one of the persons who also got injured, or who got involved with whathappened to Mr Molehe. As he has already indicated I was belonging to the ANC,and I was a supporter thereof. I was in this gospel group when the two gentlemencame, and they wanted a girl, because she was going out with one of those twogentlemen. And we refused because we had - we had a rule. We didn't allow anybody - we didn't allow a girl or a boy to attend to hisprivate matters during the practice. Now, these two boys arrived and they werearmed. They were in a fighting spirit. And then we chased them until we werebetween the W Section and J Section, and we caught them just in the middle.We actually caught the innocent guy, because he was invited by his friend tocome and fight us. We left with this gentleman to the J Section. There's a placecalled Simporoneng. There's a factory called Rubex there, and a Hippo approachedus. And the police didn't ask anything. They just picked us up, they said, "Comrades,"and they pushed us into the Hippo. That's where we felt the pain. That's wherewe felt the pain, because they didn't want to listen to our story. I rememberthere was a cool drink bottle, and they used that to hit us on our backs. Theycontinued assaulting us. That was a group doing a night shift. When we arrivedat Section H there was a new shift coming in. This outgoing team told them,"A group of Comrades belonging to Satan is here." It was after eight, I rememberwell. We left. From H we went to Botshabelo Police Station, and they had alreadystarted assaulting us. They first got out of the Hippo and they formed sortof a guard of honour, and when we got out of the Hippo we had to pass througheach one of them, and we didn't know where they were taking us to, we just sawourselves in an office. When we were in that office they said we should raiseour hands, we don't have to look them in the face. It was cold, it was in June.I remember very well they pulled us with our ankles and we could - then we fell.And every time you use your hands to protect yourself they would say, "Comeon, start afresh."  And when they do this the second time, you know, the cementwas so cold. They ran, they trampled on us with their boots, and they would- and they said we were clean, they wanted to make us dirty. They used broomsticks.The first one broke, the second one broke, and they were busy trampling on us.If you tried to turn your head to take a look at them they would use their bootso that you can face down. When the second broomstick broke they took a plank,because the policeman used his two hands to handle this, and they would giveus a hiding.

DR MAGWAZA: (Inaudible) ... no, I think you went through a very horrendous.If you could just tell us exactly, with all this brutality what - did you haveany physical injuries? What happened?

WITNESS: This thing affected me and it stillaffects me, and my body is sore at all times. Especially in winter I could feelpains. When it's summer I get tired. When I wake up in the morning I am alreadytired and I cannot think, because my mother doesn't have money to take me fortreatment, and I thought now I am disabled.

DR MAGWAZA: You have never had any treatment at all?

WITNESS: No, not treatment,no treatment at all.

DR MAGWAZA: (Inaudible) ... identify these people who did this to you?--- I know two of them, Chaka and Mazibuko. These were the two gentlemen whomwe identified.

DR MAGWAZA: You also - you also had a charge against them in the same wayas Jonas?

WITNESS: Yes, we laid charges against them.

DR MAGWAZA: You had the same lawyer?

WITNESS: This one's father sought a lawyerfor him, but we didn't find any lawyer.

DR MAGWAZA: (Inaudible) ... now? You are still very, very young.

WITNESS: Iwent back to school, because I left school earlier on and my parents said, "Please go back to school."

DR MAGWAZA: (Inaudible) ... to school? What standard of education? ---Standard 10.