Human Rights Violation Hearings — East London — 1997-06-09

UNKNOWN: I can lift a chair with my two arms but if I try to lift the chair with my injured arm, I feel pain.

MR SANDI: You made some requests Mr Mahlanga, at the time you gave your statement.  Do you still remember your requests?

UNKNOWN: I don't whether I can remember them clearly but I would like to say that there were people who helped those who were shot but I never got any help. I don't know whether they did not see me as an injured person.  I heard that there were people who were helped but I was not one of those people.

MR SANDI: Would you like to be compensated?

UNKNOWN: Yes, if something like that can be done, I would like it to be done because it happened to those who were shot at that time.  I'm not saying that if it is not possible I would complain.  As a person I'm not expecting compensation but if something can be done, I would appreciate it.

MR SANDI: Thank you Mr Mhlanga.  I will now hand over to the Chairperson.  Thank you Mr Chairperson.

BONGANI FINCA: June Crichton?

JUNE CRICHTON: Mr Mhlanga, you heard Ciso Ngikelana speaking earlier about businesses and my question to you is very specific.  It's about the work that you were doing and where you were working.  You mentioned a workshop.  What kind of workshop was that?

UNKNOWN: I was working for Johnson and Johnson and it was my second year with them.  There was a coal boiler and we working in this section of coals.  We would take a trolley full of coal and throw it in a certain place.  This is when I found out that I had difficulty, although this might happen after an hour, as a person working  eight hours a day I would feel pain when I was trying to lift these coals.

JUNE CRICHTON: Mr Mhlanga I would like to ask you as well, what happened as far as your injury was concerned?  How did the firm handle that?  What was their response?

UNKNOWN: I don't have a complaint concerning the company which I was working for.  The sister that was there at the time said that my sick leave days are finished.  There was one lady who was a social worker, I don't know whether it was because she was Black but she tried to help me to get paid although my sick leave days were finished because I was still staying in the hospital.  I got my money, my employers paid me while I was staying at home.

JUNE CRICHTON: Did you resign or did they ask you to leave?

UNKNOWN: I did not resign but in 1984 there were certain people who were chosen, those who worked for the company for less than five years.  I was one of those people.

JUNE CRICHTON: Thank you, Mr Mhlanga.

UNKNOWN: Thank you.

JUNE CRICHTON: Could I speak to Miss Xofa now please.  Miss Xofa can you hear me?

UNKNOWN: Yes.

JUNE CRICHTON: I want to ask you the same question that I asked Mr Mhlanga.  Did you hear it in English or not?  The question was, what was the name of the firm or where were you working when this incident happened to you?

UNKNOWN: I worked for Johnson and Johnson.  We worked together.

JUNE CRICHTON: How was the matter dealt with, with yourself?

UNKNOWN: We lost our jobs.

JUNE CRICHTON: Was it after the same period of time?  The same as Mr Mhlanga, after a few years?

UNKNOWN: We lost our jobs together in 1984.

JUNE CRICHTON: How long had you worked there?

UNKNOWN: Four years.

JUNE CRICHTON: Thank you, Mr Chairman.

BONGANI FINCA: Mrs Eunice Xofa, you talked about an amount of One Thousand, Three Hundred that you had to pay for bail for having laid charges against the Government.  What was this money all about?

UNKNOWN: They said that we'd laid charges against the Government.  We got a document from Mr Clarke, an attorney, to inform us about this.

BONGANI FINCA: So he's the one who can inform us better on this money issue?

UNKNOWN: Yes.

BONGANI FINCA: Did your legal representatives do anything about this?

UNKNOWN: No.  They said they did not know what it was all about.

BONGANI FINCA: Did they stand against this as legal representatives?

UNKNOWN: No, because I was arrested at the end of it all.

BONGANI FINCA: Even with you, Mrs Tshangana, it's the same story.  You would pay your money at Mr Clarke's office?

UNKNOWN: Yes.

BONGANI FINCA: We'd have to question him about this matter.  Do you have receipts concerning this money?

UNKNOWN: I only received one.

BONGANI FINCA: And Miss Xofa?

UNKNOWN: Mr Fuseli has my receipts.  He was going to a meeting in Johannesburg.  I went to him to ask for them and he said he does not have them anymore but I do have a copy of a letter that I'd taken to Mr Clarke's office.

BONGANI FINCA: Could you furnish us with a copy of this letter.

UNKNOWN: Yes, it is with the Truth and Reconciliation Offices in town.

BONGANI FINCA: I thank the three of you.  You may step down.