Human Rights Violation Hearings — East London — 1997-06-13

MIKE BASOPU: Unfortunately, to go to a doctor to a, you had to go through a prison warder.  We were supposed to have access to doctors in terms of the regulation.  I requested that I see Dr Morrow who had sent me there.  However, to see the doctor from Frere Hospital was impossible.  This man refused.  He said I must take this treatment or I must go back to my cell.  Two or three days elapsed, I realised that I did not only have genital warts.  I reported the matter.  I said that I wanted to see a doctor.  Eventually I was taken to a doctor.  I could not even walk by then.  They had organised a wheelchair for me, because my genitals were totally injured.
 The doctor said it is the chemical that was hurting me so much.  He bandaged me.  It was like I had just been circumcised.  I had to be take to Frere Hospital, not because I had been previously ill, but because the chemical had hurt me so much.  I was on a wheelchair.  The discussion between the policeman and the doctors led to a conclusion that I should not be admitted to the hospital, I must go back to the cell, because the week-end was approaching and it was going to be busy in the hospital.  They were going to give me a treatment to take back to the cell.

JUNE CRICHTON: Are you finished as far as that particular part of your testimony is concerned?

MIKE BASOPU: I want to know, when you are hurt and when you are injured in that matter you want to get all the information as to what is happening.  I was not able to get such information.  They gave me just normal treatment for any sore, but I was aware that the damage was much more serious than that.  Under normal circumstances I would have gone to a specialist.  Before I talk about my request I would like to say that the circumstances I was under and many people were subjected to was very painful.  However, we must remember that even if you were released from detention under such circumstances you would not give up, you would continue with the struggle for liberation.  I think a lot of other people did that as well, because eventually we are here today because of our sacrifices in the past.  It was painful.
 Requests to the Commission.  First of all I think the Commission has done a great, good work already, because so much has been exposed that would not have otherwise been exposed.  Our understanding of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is that there be reconciliation so that we can reach democracy as a country reconciled.  I think the first step that should be taken I would like to know why this man behaved in such a way when he had been given the responsibility to look after people and their health.  Why did he act like an animal?  Secondly, when you are giving medication there are steps put before you.  How many times you should take the treatment a day and so forth.  Did that gentleman get such instructions?  What were his intentions?  Why did he treat myself and others in such a manner?  
 We suspect that the prison warders and the others were given specific instructions from some source that we were the core of the leadership organisation and we should be treated in the way that he treated us.  I am positive that it is, it was not only myself, but other Comrades as well.  Secondly, I think the relationship between doctors and security forces at the time should be investigated, because our understanding of a doctor, there are certain ethical issues that you should follow, that you have no choice about, serving the society, not liaising and be in cahoots with the police.  I would like to find out what this doctor is doing, how he is behaving presently.  We are in power now.  We would like a democratic country.

JUNE CRICHTON: Mr Basopu, I am going to interrupt you because of the time.  We have in front of us all of your requests.  We have heard your requests about the need for investigation and, particularly, your request about doctors and their complicity with security forces and police and that, in fact, is going to be a matter of a medical hearing that the TRC will be having.  I see there is one other thing that I would just like to mention here that you have listed as being a request and that is that streets, streets in the community townships be named after those who have fallen and I would just like to commend you for that particular request.  Is there anything very specific you want to say that will not take a lot of time now or are you completing, have you completed your testimony?

MIKE BASOPU: Thank you.  I have another important issue around the health issue.  I do not know how badly the treatment I got affected me.  If the Commission could help me with such a medical investigation.  I would like to know the full damage that was caused by this chemical so that I know where I stand with my health.

JUNE CRICHTON: Thank you very much Mr Basopu.  I am going to hand you back to the Chairperson and my colleagues.  Thank you Mr Chairperson.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Basopu, thank you for coming before the Commission.  You have done a very courageous thing to come and trust to us with a, an experience that is very personal to you.  An experience that talks of the centre of your being as a man and you have come and opened up to us so that we can begin to get a glimpse of the atrocities that have been committed to people.  I must say that it is a very courageous act and I thank you for that kind of courage.  I remember you, as I said during the break, as a trade union who was very active in our region and as a person who, I do not know whether you are a believer, but you should be thanking God, because it is a miracle that people like you survived and are here today.  We pay tribute to you, now that we have a chance to do so, for the leadership that you showed during that period and that leadership that stood the test of time, because those were very, very difficult moments.
 We have heard your requests to us to try and investigate this.  We will try our level best.  If we succeed it will be good, but if we fail you will know that it, because it is such a complex thing and, indeed, it could be that your life has been ruined completely in the course of the struggle.  We salute you.