Human Rights Violation Hearings — Messina — 1997-04-08

DR RANDERA: Meriam, good morning.

MRS MULEYA: Morning.

DR RANDERA: Can you hear me clearly?

MRS MULEYA: Yes.

DR RANDERA: Can you please take the oath.  Miss Joyce Seroke is going to help you and then Mr Tom Manthata is going to help you in, as you tell your story.  Thank you very much.

MS SEROKE: Meriam, will you please stand up.  Do you swear that what you, story you're going to tell is the truth, and nothing else but the truth, so help me God.  Would you raise your right hand.

MRS MULEYA: (sworn states)

THOMAS MANTHATA: Good morning.

MRS MULEYA: Good morning.

THOMAS MANTHATA: You are going to tell us about Betty.  Is Betty  your mother or sister?

MRS MULEYA: It's my mother.

THOMAS MANTHATA: What are you doing now Betty, Meriam?

MRS MULEYA: Nothing.

THOMAS MANTHATA: You are not working?

MRS MULEYA: No, I'm not working.

THOMAS MANTHATA: How many are you at home?

MRS MULEYA: We are seven.

THOMAS MANTHATA: How many are working at home?

MRS MULEYA: Six are working.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Are you still at school?   I mean at home, is there anyone who's still  at school?

MRS MULEYA: That's correct.

MR: MANTHATA:     When your mother got injured was, was she working?

MRS MULEYA: She was sleeping in a, in a room.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Can you please tell us, how did it happen?

MRS MULEYA: My mother was sleeping in a room so people were going to the stadium.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Okay.  Shall we, we go back a bit.

MRS MULEYA: It wasn't much.   De Klerk was coming for the campaign here in Messina.  After there was a gentleman, the late Auret who was passing by, next to my, our village and he saw our village with fire and we were running to the stadium and that there were an old lady sleeping there.  When we were told what was happening we don't know what happened and then he entered and then he took it up and said it's a tear gas and making a flame and other was in dining room and other in the kitchen.  The one which hurt her too much is that one in the bedroom, because the, the door of our house faced the stadium so when they threw the teargasses, the teargasses, two teargasses went, went into their bedroom and the other one to the kitchen.  That boy went in and take it out and said it's the teargas and don't be afraid.  Sit down.  The people who took the teargas away, we did not know them, they are the White policemen and they did not say either sorry or anything, because they realized that they made a mistake and saw that the teargas went into our room and that they did not tell us anything.  We were unable to ask anybody that who threw that teargas into our house.  We were not away because I was at my other place left with my mother.  Others  were at the stadium.  When we asked they say there were Whites policemen.  There were no Black police.  They were White policemen who were throwing the teargasses.  That is why we don't know who is that.  Even to-day I do not know the actual person who have done that and my mother died because of that.  Every month, every month April month she used to, to have some teargas infections every month.  We don't know whom to blame and so I'm asking that who have done that.  Who have seen and who knows the police who have done all those things who were throwing teargasses.

THOMAS MANTHATA: The interpreters are confused but they, the Peddie, the Sotho
I should have asked you in English now that I cannot speak Venda fluidly, fluently so I'm sorry.  Yes, my question was.  You did not, do you say you saw the people who threw the teargas into the house?

MRS MULEYA: I've said then, I did not see them.  They were White policemen who were escorting and I, I did not know them and I cannot say who throw the teargas.

THOMAS MANTHATA: And when I say, did you see them, I don't necessarily say, do you know them.  I just find you have answered, they were White policemen.  This is what you are saying.  And were they throwing the teargas as they were going to the stadium or they were throwing it from the stadium?

MRS MULEYA: No, they were getting out of the stadium and they were going.  They were going.

THOMAS MANTHATA: You say you were not at the stadium?

MRS MULEYA: Yes, I was not there.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Could you tell us what could have been happening in the stadium? What was taking place in the street?

MRS MULEYA: There were so many people flocking to the stadium.  Going to see De Klerk's campaign.

THOMAS MANTHATA: And were the people going to the stadium marching in an orderly manner?

MRS MULEYA: They were marching in an orderly manner.

THOMAS MANTHATA: There were no demonstrators?

MRS MULEYA: Not that I know.

THOMAS MANTHATA: What would you say the reason was to throw a teargas if it was orderly?

MRS MULEYA: I'm asking.  I don't know why.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Was it thereafter, was it realized that it was your family only that was affected or could other families nearby have been affected by the bomb?  By the teargas?

MRS MULEYA: It's my family only.  Not all the families were affected.

THOMAS MANTHATA: I see.  Was your mother ever taken to the doctor?

MRS MULEYA: Yes.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Did the doctor tell you what the problem was?

MRS MULEYA: She might have.  The doctor might have told my elder brothers, me, no.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Were there ever letters written by the doctor regarding the diagnosis taken by him?

MRS MULEYA: Yes.   Yes, there were letters.

THOMAS MANTHATA: And, having discovered or have been, having been told that it was, it has affected your mother that much, were there ever steps made to take the instance to the police?

MRS MULEYA: No. No. No action taken.

THOMAS MANTHATA: And you say, for how long has your mother been in that state of ill health?

MRS MULEYA: About six years.

THOMAS MANTHATA: By the way so she, she is since late.

MRS MULEYA: Yes.   She's late.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Okay, no further questions Meriam.  I hand over to the Chairperson.  Thank you.

DR RANDERA: Joyce?

MS SEROKE: Meriam, I just want to clarify the fact about your mother.  In your statement you say she is paralyzed on the left side of her body and just now when you were talking to Manthata you said, she has since passed away.  Is she still alive or has she passed away?

MRS MULEYA: She passed away last month.

MS SEROKE: That was before you made the statement.  I mean after you had made the statement.

MRS MULEYA: After.

MS SEROKE: We're very sorry about that.  You did say there was no case that ensued after this incident.

MRS MULEYA: Yes.

MS SEROKE: Why did you not report the matter to the police?

MRS MULEYA: I don't know why.   If, if you reported this kinds of cases, they will arrest you.

MS SEROKE: Thank you.

DR RANDERA: Dr Ally?

RUSSELL ALLY: Meriam, what happened to your mother is obviously a great tragedy and we, we sympathize with you but there's just some things in your statement that I need to, to ask you about which, which will help us in, in our work cause when Mr Manthata asked you about this march.  Is it, it was during  a march to, to protest against De Klerk who was coming to campaign in the area that the teargas cannisters were thrown and landed in, in your house.  In the family house.  When Mr Manthata asked you about the march you said that it was a peaceful march yet in your statement when you described those events and I'm going to read what is in your statement and I want you to just tell us which is the more acurate account.  You say in your statement, Mr De Klerk was in Messina to canvass for the 1994 elections.  All the black political organizations in Messina protested, throwing stones and the police responded with teargas to disperse the masses.  So what actually was happening on that day?