Human Rights Violation Hearings — Venda — 1996-10-04

THOMAS MANTHATA: Thank you Rev Phaswana.  Would you say that SCA, during that time was she pure with you at Mapomolo?

NOANGANENI PETRUS PHASWANA: No, ... in 1975.

THOMAS MANTHATA: And at that time, what political activities in particular or what religious activities that had political significance were you engaged in, projects, yes?

NOANGANENI PETRUS PHASWANA: The Christian movement and also South African Student Organisation.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Right.  I have no further questions.  Your statement is such that to me it doesn't require any further
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questions, thank you Reverend.

RUSSELL ALLY: Thank you Reverend for that very vivid description.  Clearly the way that you recall it, one can see what an impact it must have made on you, because this was in 1982, almost 14 years now, but you can almost recall day by day, blow by blow, electric shock by electric shock the ordeal which I suppose was characteristic of the Venda Government then and what was happening.
 Because that was soon after independence which wasn't always widely supported.  And often the only way those Governments could stay in power, was through this brutal force and intimidation.
 But just before you leave, just to - I just want to ask you one or two questions.  One relates to the fact, the issue of any payment.  Were you ever paid anything by the then Venda Government for the injuries that you sustained?

NOANGANENI PETRUS PHASWANA: Released and talking about my torture and also lodging a civil suit against the jail, the then Venda regime paid me R3 000-00.

RUSSELL ALLY: Was that an out of court settlement that they paid you, that wasn't as a result of your civil case, it was settled outside of the court?

NOANGANENI PETRUS PHASWANA: It was an out of court settlement.

RUSSELL ALLY: And can you just tell us what after effects you still have of that torture that you were subjected to.  Are there any long term consequences?

NOANGANENI PETRUS PHASWANA: I still have five scars which are visible on my body.  The nightmares still come although they are no longer occur at the frequency they used to do immediately after my release.

RUSSELL ALLY: And your hearing sir, because you said that you
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were smacked and your ear drum was perforated?

NOANGANENI PETRUS PHASWANA: The hearing is slightly effected, especially the right ear.

RUSSELL ALLY: And just one final question.  These two people who were involved in your torture, did they, you did say in your statement that they did say to you the same thing will happen to you as happened to your friend, Mohofe.  Was that the only occasion or did they often say that to you, boast about what they had done to Mohofe and that the same would happen to you if you didn't cooperate?

NOANGANENI PETRUS PHASWANA: That was the only occasion which I recall about Mohofe, but the other incident, they referred to the death of Steve Biko, that I will also follow Steve Biko if I don't cooperate.

RUSSELL ALLY: Did they say this as if they knew something about Steve Biko or were they just using it as a way to intimidate you or did you get a sense that maybe they know something about the death of Steve Biko?

NOANGANENI PETRUS PHASWANA: The way they said it, I couldn't even detect any lie from what they were saying because they were saying it in jubilation and having experienced the torture in the hands of the same people, and having read about the (indistinct) if Biko, what they did to Biko is what they did to me, so I concluded that it was a pattern of the security police and how they deal with the so-called enemies of the State.

RUSSELL ALLY: And just for our record, will you read those names again into the evidence.  The names of the people you mentioned, who said this to you?  Who boasted about it?

NOANGANENI PETRUS PHASWANA: The people who boasted about the death of Sipiwa, was Mesewoa, the one who alluded to the death of
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Steve Biko is Managa.

RUSSELL ALLY: And just one final question.  Your detention and Mohofe's detention, was there any period that it coincided or nothing like that?

NOANGANENI PETRUS PHASWANA: Sipiwa was detained in November 1981 and I was detained in January 1982.

RUSSELL ALLY: Okay.  Thank you very much Rev Phaswana for that very vivid account and description, thank you.

NOANGANENI PETRUS PHASWANA: Thank you.