Human Rights Violation Hearings — Krugersdorp — 1996-11-13

DR K NAIK: Well, Tachonail Naik is actually my brother and Denash Naik is my cousin. They were actually put under pressure to be State witnesses.  I actually have a cutting here which I think I must read out, so that that kind of thing - there was a lot of pressure from the community not to actually give evidence.  I was also told when I was released that I should be you know, asked to give evidence.  At the end of of course, it says
"Earlier Mr Justice Snyman said that evidence by Mr Denash Naik and Mr T Naik and (indistinct) was satisfactory and discharged them from liability to prosecution. These witnesses had been warned as accomplices when the trial began."
They were actually put under the same pressure as other witnesses. I mean, these were not the only State witnesses, there were other witnesses. I actually assumed that the same pressure they had put on me to be a State witness - they didn't use me. But subsequently they put pressure on these people to be State witnesses.  But they were actually, had to do under trying circumstances.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.  You also mentioned just now that -I can't remember whether it was in relation to the court proceedings, but Timor was held out of the window and your deduction was that he may well have been thrown out of the window.  Did that hapen to you as well?

DR K NAIK: Well, look, they have said to me, they said you know, we are not quite satisfied, you are not actually telling the truth.  I mean, I was actually somebody that was close to Timor in the sense that I was his senior.  Whenever
KRUGERSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
15 DR NAIK
I actually went to the University I actually took him, because he wanted to go to Johannesburg. So I was actually associated with him. How deeply he was involved, I mean, I actually had no idea. He was also aware that I was actually a family person and I was actually not looking after my immediate family, but I had my brothers and sisters and so forth.
 When they were questioning me, they said listen, we are not satisfied. I couldn't have put it past them to actually hang me outside. I mean, they were quite serious about it.  When I had come out, in my mind, of course I had made that deduction, you know, that there is nothing that they could have done which was beyond, you know, human imagination. I mean, they were a law unto themselves. They could have done it, I mean, and they are going to do that to me, and they opened the window. They were actually sort of trying to cajole me.  Luckily they didn't do that, and I am still alive.

CHAIRPERSON: Dr Naik, when you came out of prison and took up your teaching position again, you referred to fellow teachers who were put there, and you also say they were responsible for taking rumours into the community. Now who are these people that you are referring to? Can you put names to these people or what ...

DR K NAIK: I cannot mention names, it is not easy. In the same way I wasn't sure whether I wanted to come before the TRC. I have debated, you know. We were briefed earlier and it was said that, you know, we would be protected in terms of mentioning names.  But if I mention names that could cause a lot of problems for me, and my family.  Why I say this is, some of my colleagues that had taught with me for
KRUGERSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
16 DR NAIK
a long time, had come and confided in me, and said you know, these individuals are saying to us watch out. One of my colleague, whom we used to Mr Tom Naidoo, he was subsequently in Natal, he was waiting for this promotion to come.  When he got transferred he came to see me and said look, you know, had you got the promotion, I would have been convinced that you were working for security branch. On these bases and he then mentioned who had actually said these things. So I am actually quite, it is not perception, it is something that I am actually quite convinced that this was said by one or two individuals.
 Thank God that he came to see me and he said to me that look, I am actually quite convinced you weren't. But I said why did you doubt me? I mean, we were colleagues together. He said no, but had you actually got promotion as vice-principal at Roodepoort, we would have then actually made a deduction that you were working for them.
 Now I have actually also documentary evidence here with me that shows me that I was actually overlooked for the position. Sometimes the teachers,  I mean, I used to be on the panel of examiners that went to examine practical work. And the chief there actually always referred to me as "tronkvoeltjie". I mean, you could see that you were being tortured. I mean, you had to live with it. Luckily, I had some break where I went to the college and subsequently I got a job at university and that was actually a catharrsis for me.  That was actually, being at Wits I think you know, was a healing process.  But nevertheless, in your subconscious mind what had happened is not something that you are going to be able to wipe out.
 So I must also thank you for giving me this opportunity KRUGERSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
17 DR NAIK
of saying things in public. I mean, that was actually in my mind, but it was not shared by people, and people didn't believe you.  I have got documentary evidence.

CHAIRPERSON: Dr Naik, two more questions. You said earlier on that how difficult it was to go back to the community, live in that community. In fact, a neighbour of yours assaulted you at one stage.

DR K NAIK: Sorry, not assaulted, abused me verbally.

CHAIRPERSON: Verbally assaulted you, okay.

DR K NAIK: Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: How long did it take before things cooled down or do those suspicions still remain to this day?

DR K NAIK: Well, I don't think so, because I mean as far as Azadwill is concerned, I think I have to the extent of about 90% restored my credibility.  The people who, as I said, I didn't want to mention names, eventually got found out, you know by their own actions.  They were the people that were doing the things. I won't say more than that.

CHAIRPERSON: Dr Naik, my last question is related to present-day South Africa. You are a person eminent in your field of work. You have vividly described what happened to you. You had a young family at the time.  Your children - I know one of your daughters. I don't know if she is now qualified as a doctor, but I know she spent some time with me.

DR K NAIK: Busy writing.

CHAIRPERSON: Why are you still staying in South Africa?

DR K NAIK: I mean, when I was actually in the cells, my ow deduction was in terms of the torture, in terms of these people torturing. They said you wouldn't go to the border. I would say I would go to the border, if I felt justified in KRUGERSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
18 DR NAIK
going to the border to defend my country.  In terms of that I thought the solution to South Africa is going to be a bloody revolution. I mean I couldn't see anything else. I couldn't even see what had happened in 1994. I mean, you couldn't imagine it. I kept those cuttings.  What was the purpose?  Maybe it was reminding me of things. I had discussed with my colleague that I need to write a book and put my sort of side of things.  But never had I imagined that we will actually get democracy in this country by peaceful means.  To me this is a miracle. I mean, what President Mandela had achieved in terms of his negotiations. I mean, you can see that he had actually a pacifist policy. I mean, there is still hope. I mean, there is hope for this country. 
 I mean if I compare what has happened now with the other side, the diagonally opposite theme of bloody revolution, surely, I mean, there is hope for this country.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you, Dr Naik. I have no other questions. Is there anything you wish to say as last words?