Human Rights Violation Hearings — Uitenhage — 1996-08-26

MPOMPI MELFRED DLOKOLO: Jimmy Klaas was a Uitenhage here in, he was a resident here in Uitenhage, but he used to help the policemen to kill us. He was a businessman. All over he had businesses and he wanted to be the only business. He was a very wealthy man and he said to me "Why did you burn my shop", then I said "I didn't, you don't even know me", and then he said "No, I know who you are, you are Mpompi" - and someone confirmed.
 I could hear some cars driving in, these people had come to see this person and when Gerber came, he said "So this is the Mpompi", then another foreigner from Port Elizabeth came - Faleni knows a lot about this - and he could give more information about this. He came and there were three whites with me and they were saying they were going to have a braai and I knew they were referring to me, so I asked for water - I knew this charge office very well, then I went to some place but they kicked me and they asked me "Don't you know where the tap is?"
 I wanted to make use of my things so that they should not assault me, but as I was doing that, I was clapped by Faleni, I reversed.
REVD. XUNDU: Were you in Humansdorp?

MPOMPI MELFRED DLOKOLO: No, I wasn't in Humansdorp. I was still here and I had been arrested at 5.00pm and from the police station where they were beating me they took me to a certain river and they dipped me in there. There are some roads there, when I got there, they asked me to alight from the Kombi - there were six cars there.
 I have seen some of those men who were there at the time. They are now no longer dressed in their uniform - I don't even care for them.
REVD. XUNDU: What happened?

MPOMPI MELFRED DLOKOLO: They were there, yes, and they are here even now.
REVD. XUNDU: Do you know their names?

MPOMPI MELFRED DLOKOLO: I don't know their names, but they lived here. What happened is that, I can't understand the policemen who are here, don't do anything here, but policemen from other places come and do several things here and then it goes on like that and then if there is a parade and you want to identify the person who has assaulted you, you can't find the person and you are made a fool of.
 They asked me to undress and I said "No, I am not going to undress because it is chilly" and I had been so much exposed to cold after playing in the match. There were some of them sitting and Faleni who grew up before me, and he was one of the policemen, he is now a Lft. he was promoted because of what he did to me. He is still a policemen here in Uitenhage, he is working for the special branch. He lives in Dwessie. 
 When I was released I saw him and he did not realise it was me.
REVD. XUNDU: So, what happened?

MPOMPI MELFRED DLOKOLO: They assaulted me. I did not undress. They tore the clothes into pieces. They put me into a white sack and they tied the top, there was a rope that they used, so they would use this rope with a hook.
 They said to me I was going to get into this sack and I said to them "No, you are not going to put me into any water, cold as it is", so they asked me "Who were your comrades?" There was a list of names and I was the first on this list followed by Tobula Busako and next was Lulamile Tonsi, there were others like, Makiki, there must have been someone who had given these names to them, because these people did not know us. 
 I told them I was not going to get into the sack, then they pushed me in by force. I took an advantage that they had handcuffed me then I decided to dive into the water and they kept me under water for some time, but I had breathed in sufficiently, then they kicked me vigorously. I was not crying, they again then dipped me into the water, I again managed but water managed to get in through the mouth and my stomach was full of water and they stamped on my stomach and water came out of my mouth and I was crying. 
 I kept on pleading with Faleni, that "Oh, you as black as you are, why do you torture me like that?" and Faleni said - Faleni again dipped me into the water for the third time and they kept me under water for some time and I stayed there. I gave in, I was kicking in this sack and I was uncomfortable. I was trying to send a message that I couldn't breathe any longer, so they took me out and they took me out of the sack and put me outside.
 I looked at where they were standing, but I was not intending to run away because there were many of them. They took out a gas stove and they had a braai as they had indicated earlier. I asked that I wanted to relieve myself and that was a mistake, they asked me to lie on this sack and they pressed me on the stomach and then water came out through all the openings - they braaied and they asked me to dress up, so what happened is that they gave me a blanket that they had got from somewhere and they covered me and put me in the back seat of the car. 
 There were many cars driving in still - and we were driving towards town, driving to Uitenhage. It was dark, at about 8.00pm. I thought we were coming here only to find that they were on the Durban road. I could not even see anyone that I could talk to. I thought they were now going to kill me.
 We drove past Nboshleli location towards Rocklands and facing Jeffreys Bay. When we got to Jeffreys there was an old white man who was going to take care of me, because what they were doing is they were transferring people from one place to the other.
 I still remember some people from Knysna, I would meet in Orange Free State. Whilst I was still in the van a Kombi drove and all the other cars followed. We were getting to Humansdorp and when we got to that destination, again we met another white old man who directed us to a cell and there had been a white man who had committed suicide and I could see his hair and I could not sleep. I even had to talk aloud because of fear and say "I am not responsible for your death" - I could not sleep until morning, because I was scared. This old man asked whether I was not hungry, so he bought food for me.
REVD. XUNDU: Now, let's agree you were there for a week and then they came for you?

MPOMPI MELFRED DLOKOLO: Yes.
REVD. XUNDU: What happened thereafter?

MPOMPI MELFRED DLOKOLO: They again took me and tortured me that other side. There is a farm not far from Humansdorp - as you go down there are also some bushes and then we go round those bushes and Faleni said I should go and collect wood. I said "No, I am not going to".
REVD. XUNDU: Is Faleni the only person who you knew?

MPOMPI MELFRED DLOKOLO: Yes, Faleni was the only black amongst whites. One of these white policemen was from Port Elizabeth.
 These were the two people who were torturing me. Faleni was asked to accompany me to go and collect wood so that they could make a braai, because we were heading for Uitenhage. Then I refused, I said there is grass, there is no wood. I didn't even plead, I just refused, so they made their braai next to the Kombi, then I had my thing, I was holding it fast and I was sure they were not going to do anything to me. So, we went to the police station, that is where I was going to take an oath, before Kayamier who could see - Kayamier was a Judge in Humansdorp and the could see that I was bleeding.
REVD. XUNDU: Is it not Kanemeyer, or is it Kayamier? I know him very well, so you went there to take an oath?

MPOMPI MELFRED DLOKOLO: Yes. Then I said "No, I am not going to take any oath, because I know nothing", so they said rather than you being kept in custody there are people who are going to give evidence against you, you remember that all the people in the location were arrested. I remembered that, but I was not one of those, because I had this protection that I had.
 The people who were arrested on a Tuesday . . . 
REVD. XUNDU: So you took an oath ultimately?

MPOMPI MELFRED DLOKOLO: No, I did not.
REVD. XUNDU: What happened?