Human Rights Violation Hearings — Worcester — 1996-06-24

MS KHUTWANE: Yes I can hear you.

WENDY ORR: [indistinct] it has been a long time and its not easy when you are anxious about telling your own story, thank you very much for your patience.  And now its going to be your turn, would you stand to take the oath please.
YVONNE KHUTWANE Duly sworn states

WENDY ORR: Thank you, you may sit down.  Ms Pumla Gobodo is going to help you to tell your story to us this afternoon.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: You can take off the earphones, because we are going to communicate in the same language.  You won't need the earphones.  Could you please come forward and bring the mike forward to you.  Thank you very much mamma.
 We would like you to start by explaining why were you prosecuted and tortured by the police, could you please give us a short briefing about what happened.

MS KHUTWANE: I would like to say, before I am going to give details about what happened, I am a bit forgetful but I will try to remember as much as possible.  I may not say the exact and accurate dates, but I will try to give estimations there might be some who could understand when was it.
 We were coming from the funeral we burying Galata Goniwe and the others, it was in the morning when we came back from Cradock.  The - there were uprisings and there was instability in our location.  We would see the cars, police cars going up and down the streets, but we were not much bothered about what was going on.
 The same evening when we came back we were informed that there would be a meeting at the community hall in Zwelethemba.  It was a parents meeting, the secondary school, I was the committee member representing the parents, I was one of the parents who attended this meeting.  I also had children who were attending school, at the same school.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Are you trying to clarify how do you get involved into politics.

MS KHUTWANE: I started in 1960 to be involved in the ANC struggle, I was still a young girl.  We worked underground, and it was very difficult for us even to hold meetings.  I became prominent specifically when the Municipality offices were establishing community councillors, as you see this lady next to me on my left, we were the people who didn't like that.  I was one of the people who were - who had a car.  I had a Dyna lorry and I was hired to go around campaigning and publicising the meeting.
 This was not liked by the community councillors, it was also said that I - we should also consciences   people and inform them that the councillors were not accepted among the communities.  That was the first time when I was arrested, I was together with Abel  [indistinct] and Vallie Moosa was our lawyer.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Which year was that when you were arrested for your announcements.

MS KHUTWANE: It was in 1984.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Were you arrested in 1984?

MS KHUTWANE: Yes.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Can you please [indistinct] and inform us about the way in which you were handled.

MS KHUTWANE: No we were not detained  the only thing is that the detectives use to come and visit our place and they would ask where I was.  I would also be given orders to go to the CID offices to give statement.  I did go and I gave the statement as they wanted it.
 In my statement I realised that there was some information which I gave about Mr [indistinct] which meant that I was exposing his activities.   Mr Vallie Moosa withdrew the case and requested that it should be postponed.  It is then that I was affected severely to the extend that even today, I cannot explain how did it come about that I should seem as have betrayed my friend.    But fortunately [indistinct] won the case, he was acquitted.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: In other words you are giving a statement in which you were degraded by the police, could you please just explain that.

MS KHUTWANE: If I can come closer to the gist of this whole story, I can state that when we came out of the meeting, I drove to town using my car and the youth was celebrating and juvelating ???

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Where were you from?

MS KHUTWANE: We were coming from the meeting out of the hall and then I drove to town.  So I wanted to buy some milk - when I got there, I met Chris Cowan, he requested that I should give him a lift and then I did.  When we went back to the location and the township we saw that there was a convoy of the police vans and you could see there was a thick smoke which was coming from the township.  There was a lot of noise, and I couldn't tolerate what was happening.  So I went past the crowd of the people, I could identify Mr Voster, who was a taxi driver.  
 When I was about to go past him, I found that on the spot where there is a board with the name Zwelethemba, there was one white man, I cannot say whether he was an kommandant or what type of a rank was he holding.  He asked me where I was heading for, I stated that I was going back to the township because I am a resident here.  He asked me why I am going past because can't I see that there is a police blockade here.  So we communicated and exchanged words.
 He said can't you see that the kaffers are burning the place.  And then if you get in and then you get injured, you shouldn't blame us for the injuries that you are going to sustain.  So I went away but I drove far away from the spot where the smoke was coming from.  When I got there, I  found my children.  And then we slept for that night - very early in the morning there was a telephone call - it was very cold this morning because it was winter time.  
 I was informed that I was wanted telephonically, I communicated with this person who identified himself as Freddie [indistinct]  He said I am suppose to attend the court hearings.  I wanted to know why should I be there - he said because I had laid a charge against one of the boys who stole my battery.  So they informed me that we - we are going to go and attend the court hearings in connection with my batteries which we usually stolen by the children and the one boys.
 So when I came - I got there, I that there was nobody around.  So my youngest boy was together with me, because he was witness to this theft which had taken place.  So we stayed there because even the accused was also available.  Whilst we were still sitting, Freddie came along and he informed me that I am suppose to get inside.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Is Freddie the policeman?