Human Rights Violation Hearings — Klerksdorp — 1996-09-26

PROF MEIRING: It doesn't matter at all.  Are the two children able to work at all or do they do nothing?

MATHABISO KHIBA: They are not working.  The other one had a stroke and the other one cannot walk and he is mentally disturbed.

PROF MEIRING: I am very sorry to hear that. Are you living in your own house?

MATHABISO KHIBA: Yes, that is my house, I bought it.

PROF MEIRING: And you live from your pension?

MATHABISO KHIBA: I depend on the pension, Sir.

PROF MEIRING: Please forgive me for asking, how large is the pension, how much money do you get every month?

MATHABISO KHIBA: It is R420,00.

PROF MEIRING: Thank you very much.  Those are the questions I wanted to ask.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.  Mrs Khiba, I note that you say that you are not feeling very well, so I will not keep you very much longer.  But perhaps, just to try and get a complete picture of what happened, the ID document that was taken by the police, was that returned to you?
KLERKSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
7 M KHIBA

MATHABISO KHIBA: The identity document was never brought back.

CHAIRPERSON: Now did the police tell you what they wanted to do with the ID document?

MATHABISO KHIBA: They never gave me an explanation.

CHAIRPERSON: Was the disappearance of your son ever put in the newspapers, was there any report about that in the newspaper?

MATHABISO KHIBA: No, Sir.

CHAIRPERSON: And then just a final question.  When did you realise, when did you realise that he was actually missing. Was it that same night or the following morning of a few days later or what?

MATHABISO KHIBA: The same morning when we woke up, we realised that he was missing.

CHAIRPERSON: And if he disappeared, it must have been in Kanana, he didn't leave Kanana to your knowledge.

MATHABISO KHIBA: I do not know.

CHAIRPERSON: Did you start enquiring around and looking for him the very morning that you realised that he was missing?

MATHABISO KHIBA: We started investigating the same morning.  We went all over the place.

CHAIRPERSON: And you couldn't get any idea of what happened or where he was or where he went to the previous evening?

MATHABISO KHIBA: We didn't get any trace until today.

CHAIRPERSON: When he left the house, he didn't take anything with him, he just left like somebody who was going somewhere quickly.

MATHABISO KHIBA: He left as if he was coming back, he didn't have anything with him.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.  Thank you, Mrs Khiba, thank you for your testimony.  We hear quite a number of cases
KLERKSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
8 M KHIBA
relating to disappearances.  It is the kind of case that presents a particular challenge to the Commission, because often it is very difficult to deal with a disappearance. Often it relates to an incident that happened some time back.  In your case your son has been missing for at least the past ten years.  That, of course, together with the scant information that one normally finds when we have to deal with cases of disappearance, puts a particular challenge to the Commission.
 However, because of the fact that the proceedings of this Commission is publicized very widely, there is always a prospect of some information being forthcoming.  Simply as a result of the fact that the proceedings itself is heard by many people, and a lot of people take note of it.
 We also understand the anguish that goes with a disappearance for the family. In your case, particularly, you didn't have a very easy life.  You are advanced in years.  So it must be very, very difficult for you even now, to deal with the uncertainty to know exactly what happened.  So we want to say to you that we do understand, and we feel with you.  We understand that anguish.
 We have noted what you have said, why you came here today, in an attempt to get assistance, in an attempt to try and find out what happened to your son. We have noted that. We will see what could be done about the matter, but as I have said earlier, it is normally a very difficult kind of case to deal with, because of the fact that there is normally very little information to go on.  But thank you once again for coming and good luck forward.  Thank you.
KLERKSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG