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

WENDY ORR: I just want to make sure that I understand exactly what was going on here, the police thought you were dying or nearly dead.  And they called the doctor and the doctor said you must make it look as if he has suffocated on this porridge - put porridge in his mouth on nose, so that it looks as if that's the cause of death, is that correct?

MR DYANTYI: Yes it was like that, their first mistake was that they thought I was dead, that's why they were making all this tricks and take all this decisions they were sure that I was dead.  Because the situation I was in, it was as if I was dead.  Even this attempt that were doing it was only God who was on my side, and I survived through his will.  But it - today its not a nice experience, everyone is trying to run away from death, but even through this injections, I couldn't accept them - out of his statement because I didn't want to die.
 I know the work of the Security Officers deeds, I wanted to utter and say no I don't want to die, but as I said before, I was just out of the world, I couldn't understand what was happening  although I was conscious I was unable to speak and express myself, so they took me and put me to the van again and then I bumped my head along against the wall of the van then they took me back to the cells.
 I do not remember whether I was taken to hospital or where I was taken to, I don't even know whether I was injected, but I lost consciousness.  So the following day,  I was in the basement, but I was still in the cell.  During the night I woke up, I was very cold, I was just naked and I was still having these contractions.  When I woke up from the cells, there was somebody who was in the cells, I thought that I would be able to speak and explain what happened to me so that somebody can investigate what was happening.   So when I woke up I thought I was going to be able to speak but  I couldn't speak anymore.
 In the morning I was taken again by Van Loggerenberg's team and himself and then this person asked where are you taking this person to - they responded by saying they would take me to the doctor.  I was taken to dr Mofsin's surgery and then he examined me.  I was bleeding and especially on the wrist where I was handcuffed.  I could realise that there were some people around me, and my comrades were informed about what was happening about me.  Lizo and others  and Harry  Sibeko and Ligilili  were informed so they make contact with the lawyers,  Zurina Abduraman and David Standton at [indistinct] David Standton.  Those were the lawyers who assisted me and then they came to the police station and visited me there.  The police said I was not there,   the only thing that they said, they informed me that they  will - the lawyers said they will never rest until they find me.  
 They asked me the questions and I couldn't respond to the lawyers because at last I was ultimately taken back to see them.  I couldn't  understand and communicate very well with them.  They requested that I - there should be a court hearing otherwise they stated that they would like me to be released.  I was afraid that if I was taken home in the condition in which  I was, my family would be very shocked, so I was trying to protect my family and refused that I should be taken to my family in the same condition in which I was.
 At a later stage I was ordered to go to court, so I  was charged and they said they found AK47 at my place.  They said there were two that they found, but there was no Exhibit which was brought about.  When I went to the Supreme Court it was said that now I had committed arson, 29 of us were accused of that, it was said I  could be bailed for - then I was ordered to be released on bail, there were also restrictions and I had to go and sign and report at the police station three times a day.  So the other time I - I continued doing this, reporting to the police until I had to go to the Supreme Court.  [indistinct] Desai and advocate [indistinct] are the people who were defending me - he is now the Judge.  It continued for three weeks and we acquitted.
 They continued harassing me even though I was no longer detained.  In 1986 they detained me again during the State of Emergency I was released in 1987, I was very ill at the time.  They released me because I was very ill.  There were three comrade [indistinct] who died in a car accident, Trevor Manuel and myself were detained, I was taken to Somerset Hospital, Trevor the Minister of Finance today, was taken to Paarl Hospital and we were all ill at the time.  I was swollen - my neck was swollen and then it was discovered that we were poisoned.  I was totally dependant, I couldn't do anything, so I was bedridden for quite a long time.  They could see that I might die in jail and then we were taken to the hospital.
 My first operation was on the neck, it was the Somerset Hospital, I was transferred to Groote Schuur and that is where I underwent many tests, I was there for head scan, for radio therapy and the third one it was for the bone marrow transplant.  The other operation that I underwent was on the stomach, that was the big operation, I struggled a lot and I - even though I was discharged, I was still not feeling  very well.
 And then I was taken to the station so that I can be transported to my place.  I felt that I was afraid and I requested that I should be taken to Cowley House.  I was just  dropped there and that is where we could meet the people who were visiting the relatives at Robben Island.  I gave my particulars to one of the caretakers and Ms Dullah Omar came, she was together with the reverend of the Council of Churches and I think it was Winnie Mandela and Ms  Mqay who came and escorted me [indistinct] a husband to Hilda and then they escorted me to Worcester because they could see that I was in a terrible condition.  Then they left me there.
 I underwent treatment at Groote Schuur or I would go to Woodstock.  I see one of my  friends here, and it's dr Lesley London, he is working for [indistinct] which is the union here, he is  the one who assisted me very much for medical attention, I can see him there he is  with his wife, they have come here to support me.  I am very glad that they are here to give me the support that I felt that I really wanted it.  They have relieved me and they have reduced the pain.  The persecution, the torture and the emotional abuse is very difficult to heal, when you undergo any traumatic situation it doesn't take a very short time for you to heal or recover from the trauma that you experienced.  It's much better to be abused physically than to have psychological and emotional abuse.
 When we came back with Lizo  it was discovered that I could not be arrested anymore because when I was arrested the other time we burnt the prison so when we burnt the - we were still continuing with the struggle because the way - it was the way that we demanding attention through  the arson that we did in the cells.  We knew that  every time at Zwelethemba people were organised because of the role played by the Civic.  That is how we contributed to the struggle, it was the first time that I could see the people giving much support.

WENDY ORR: Thank you very much for sharing this very-very painful story with us, we know it's been very-very difficult for you and we appreciate your courage in coming here today.  I have one more question for you and then I will ask the Chair to take over.
 If you could meet this doctor today, dr Van Heerden who advised the police well to make it look as if you had suffocated, what would you say to him?