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

WITNESS:   I was the president elected by the youth after the incident of that time.  There were some youths who were arrested for arson, and I was helping them, I was the co-ordinator to get them the legal representative.  Now the youth elected me to be the leader.  It was the UDF at that time.  And the police started harassing me, not only myself, but my mother too.  That is at home.  I had an incident that took place in 1987, where the police started with the assault which resulted in this mark that I have here.  That was after I mobilised for those who were sentenced in 1986.  And in 1987 I went back to school, and when I went back to school the youth was very active in politics.  And just after Good Friday - Good Friday we had an altercation with a police called Moghele.  Now, this altercation was just a township altercation between himself and myself, but because of the political situation he turned this into politics.  I am now going to tell you about the 1987 incident.  It was after a meeting that was held at the school, and after that meeting it was heard that we had a meeting, and this meeting was illegal.  And after this meeting I think it was to 12 when they arrived.  They took me at home and they told my mother that they want to know exactly the details of the story of the organisation I was in.  And they took me to a police station.  The police from Bloemfontein were called in.  We used to know them as SBs.  They were driving a Skyline vehicle and a kombi.  That is where I was interrogated.  They were asking me about my knowledge in politics.  It was usual that when you are arrested you will negate everything they ask you.  After the police left, the police from Bloemfontein, Moghele was given an order to take me back home.  It was about past three in the morning.  That is where Moghele conducted his own interrogation.  He told me about the township issues and he told me about political issues.  Because I was not afraid of him, that is when he hit me, I hit back and I was injured.  That is where he called in some of the policemen who were there.  They handcuffed my hands behind my back and he was now in charge.  He said they should leave the room, the two of us should be left behind.  He was telling me about the issues of the township, and he told me that I was not going to further my studies at all.  I was doing standard eight in that year.  And he - you know, his wife was a teacher at that time, and he said, "If my wife is going to encounter any problem about you you must know that your name is going to be Bury Me."  And then he hit me with the butt of the gun.  This carried on in that year.  I was picked now and then by the police, but in that year I was arrested twice, the longest 14 days for the state of emergency.  And in 1988 this state of emergency continued.  I was now used to the state of emergency because it was happening so often.  In 1988 in April the schools were just about to close for holiday when we had a bit meeting and some of the members were there.  I remember one of the members who was there, who was the co-ordinator for the meeting, was the brother to the sister who just spoke here today, that is Lifa, who was shot in that year.  If I remember very well he was shot early, and then it was in - early in March, and we buried him in April.  I don't remember very well his shooting.  Yes, he was an active member in the Youth Congress.  He was the co-ordinator.  He was one of those people who were helping me to co-ordinate.  Yes, he had his silliness like any other boy, but the way we understood the matter on the Thursday when he was picked up he informed us that he was leaving, but he was present at the meeting, and he thanked us for taking the struggle forward.  And the next morning when we heard that he was shot - we can't remember very well the date, but it was after he explained to us.  I went to school.  I was at school, but school was not normal to me, and to others who were active, who were taking part.  Now, when we were busy with preparations of the burial the Congress from the SACC in Bloemfontein were helping us.  They gave us donations and some few things that we were in need of, because at his family - he was from a very poor family.  I am now going to talk about the night vigil.  Before the night vigil I was taken by the police for about three hours.  They wanted to understand what was going to happen, because they knew exactly what I was to the youth in general at Lephoi.  That is in Bethulie.  After those hours they released me.  It was round about past six, and we used to call it "thibelo," night vigil in Sesotho.  We started just after 9 o'clock, and the police troubled us a lot, and the house ordered me to go out and talk to the police, to tell them what we expect of them.  I was scared because my life was also at risk with the police, but the mother to the deceased promised to accompany me, so that if anything happens she would come and inform the comrades.  We went to the police to talk to them.  That was just before we had our meal at the night vigil, and we explained to the policemen and they told us that it was their right to stay there and watch, because next-door neighbours to Lifa's family was a policeman.  Now, they thought that we were going to attack the policeman staying next door to Lifa's home.  We left it there and we went back to the house and I explained to everybody gathered there, then they understood, and the vigil went on very well until the morning.  But things took a nasty turn when we were about to start with the funeral.  As co-ordinators we were already at the funeral at 9 o'clock.  The minister of religion arrived, but he was now a changed man.  He told us that he was not going to conduct the funeral of the deceased.  It was Reverend Bechani who was supposed to conduct the funeral.  He gave the authority to the senior man in his church to conduct it.  I think the man was Mr Raliyuko.  The funeral moved to the cemetery, and this reverend asked the senior member of the church to conduct the funeral.  We were chanting slogans, we were singing our songs, and the reverend decided to leave, and he left.  We didn't know what to do, and the people didn't want to take part to help with the burial.  Because of the leadership that I had the people ordered me to carry on with the ceremony.  I don't know whether I did the right thing, but we buried him.  When we went back there was a conflict between the police and ourselves.  As we were proceeding to the house we tried to avoid the policemen.  They drove off.  Then the second time the group of people, the mourners, did not accept it.  They said, "Is it a sin just to walk," and the war broke between the police and the group.  We were hitting with stones and they were hitting back with tear gas.  We managed as the youth to keep it calm.  We arrived at home, we wanted to wash our hands, and a Hippo arrived.  I think it was just one Hippo.  This one was always at home.  Two Hippos arrived.  I ran away because of the shooting that was happening.  Then the sister was telling the truth when she said earlier on we ate the food the next day, because we had to run for our lives.  I want to conclude now.  In 1988 I was arrested.  I was suspected of possession of arms.  That was after June.  I was just coming from the holidays at my brother's home in Soweto.  I spent 90 days in the cells.  That was under the state of emergency.  In those 90 days I was interrogated heavily.  I have policemen that I would like to mention.  I think I mentioned them in my statement.  The first one is Warrant-Officer Strampe, because he was in charge at that time.  He was the ... (intervention)