Human Rights Violation Hearings — Zeerust — 1997-05-06

MRS MOITOI: (sworn states)

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.  Professor Meiring.
PROF. MEIRING: Mrs Moitoi, welcome again.  We are very happy to have you and we are privileged to listen to your story.  It again takes us back to April 1989, when you underwent a very harrowing experience.  Would you like to tell us in your own words, what happened on that day and afterwards.

MRS MOITOI: Thanking you for welcoming me.   I'm your child Johanna Moitoi.  Boputhatswana soldiers came forcing us to accept whatever they do and whatever they say.  They were not bringing peace or, with humility but they were fighting.  When they arrived at  my house they said to me, we are coming to take you.  They were about twelve in number but all of them were men.  When they arrived at home, I was with  my friend, my fiance.  He asked them what are they taking me for ?  Then they said, they said I will...  They did that, they assaulted me and burnt me on my hands.  I was burnt on both hands.  Let me show you my scars because this is a memory to me.   Then I just gave up and allowed then to burn me because I said whatever they want me to do, I will do, then we boarded the police van to a certain man called Mita Sigwilwa.  That's where they build  - tents there.
 We were taken by a police van to Motswele.  We were assaulted by them.  I was with Joyce Modise.  They didn't accept anything which we said, but they wanted us to accept anything they say.  They said to me, who's your Chief ?  I told them that I was given, been commissioned that Mr Sebogodi was my Chief.  Then they told me that he, he is no more a Chief, that the Chief is now Adrian Weelwa, but I did not accept that because everything which happens  in a community, that should be have been informed that our Chief is now Weelwa.  I was assaulted because my Chief is Mr Sebogodi.  Even now, the Chief is Papsi Sebogodi.  I didn't know anything, any information that Mr Weelwa is the Chief.  Being assaulted by the soldiers and the police was, was that the  -  say but belief, that I should believe what they say but I continued with my convictions.  
 I was taken to Motswele.  I arrived in a group of police and they, we were assaulted because we, they wanted us to say that Adrian Weelwa is our Chief and believe, accept that our land should be amalgamated to Boputhatswana.  I didn't know, I didn't know of any  importance that we should be amalgamated to Boputhatswana.  Feel that  their government was oppressive and assaulting people.  We couldn't accept Boputhatswana because we were beaten.  Whilst we were at Motswele my fiance came but he was told that  I'm going to stay in prison for five years, so he accepted that, then I accepted that also.  
 After, after a while, after eight o'clock, after  I was, it's been told that the -  why I was there, then I was taken back home by the police van.  I didn't appear in court and that's  what I said that, but I was assaulted.
PROF. MEIRING: Thank you very much for telling the story.  Can I just start at the beginning again.  Where were you working before, on the day, during the time when they arrested you?

MRS MOITOI: I was having a one year seven months child.  I was still at maternity leave.
PROF. MEIRING: But you, didn't you work with the local ........ (interrupted)  You said that, in your statement you said that you worked at the local authority and that the people wanted you to make a statement that the money was misused by the local authority.  Is that so ?

MRS MOITOI: They didn't understand what I was saying.  If we were at the village, we were asked to collect money to build an office where pensioners would receive their pension, but I was not receiving any re-imbursement.
PROF. MEIRING: So that was the reason why, that was what they wanted you to say.  In your statement you say that when you were arrested, you together with five other people were taken to a tent and horrible things were done to you then.  Would you like to tell us about that, or do you prefer not to tell us about that ?

MRS MOITOI: Being burnt while, whilst your looking, being burnt with fire whilst you were looking.
PROF. MEIRING: In the statement, in the written statement there's also mention of a device that was put between your legs, that you were shocked.  Would you like to tell about that, or is it not important to tell it here.

MRS MOITOI: It's too - I'm ashamed to talk about that.
PROF. MEIRING: It's on paper and we have it.  Thank you for that.  Another, another very terrible thing that happened was that your sister was so shocked when she heard about your arrest that she fell, she collapsed and she died of shock.  Would you like to tell about that ?

MRS MOITOI: That's my sister, that's my sister, that's Lydia Moitoi who has since died.
PROF. MEIRING: As the result of your being arrested.

MRS MOITOI: He died of, he died of a heart attack.  He didn't have this heart problem before.
PROF. MEIRING: Thank you Mrs Moitoi.  Only a few questions more.  You talked about your fiance.  After you were free to go did you marry ?

MRS MOITOI: We didn't marry, even now.
PROF. MEIRING: Children you have to take care of  ?

MRS MOITOI: Yes there are children whom I'm taking care of.
PROF. MEIRING: How many children ?

MRS MOITOI: Four children.
PROF. MEIRING: How old are they ?

MRS MOITOI: The firstborn is, was born in 1978.  He's doing standard eight.  The second born is doing standard seven.  He was born in 1979.  The third one is doing standard six, was born in 1982.  Of the one whom I was pregnant with, was born in 1987 and he's doing standard two.
PROF. MEIRING: You are working at the moment as a sales lady in Zeerust?

MRS MOITOI: Yes, I'm working  at a shop.
PROF. MEIRING: I just want to one ask one more question and then I'll pass onto my colleagues.   What happened to you, that you, being a lady was arrested and brutalised.  Did that happen very often ?  Were there many women who suffered from the Boputhatswana police ?  What happened to you was very bad, you're a lady, you're a woman and you were assaulted by the police.  Were there many other women that were assaulted similarly ?

MRS MOITOI: Yes, there were, there were many.
PROF. MEIRING: Thank you very much.   No more questions from my side.

RUSSELL ALLY: If I can ask one or two questions please.  Your statement says that you were accused of burning down houses.  Why would they make that kind of accusation against you ?

MRS MOITOI: They were just forcing you know, those kind of statements to me.  It was because of the oppressive attitude that they had at that time.

RUSSELL ALLY: Were there houses that were burnt down in the area, in this village Lukubo ?

MRS MOITOI: Yes, many houses were burnt during that time.

RUSSELL ALLY: And you politically, do you, did you have, were you, were you politically active in any way ?

MRS MOITOI: Yes, I was a member of African National Congress.

RUSSELL ALLY: This is in 1989 ?

MRS MOITOI: That's true.

RUSSELL ALLY: African National Congress was still banned  at that point.  In fact even after 1989 in the Bop area they continued to outlaw the ANC.  So when you say you're a member of the ANC in 1989, what do you mean ?

MRS MOITOI: I worked, I worked with them, from them, until  now because they supported me all the time.

RUSSELL ALLY: So you mean, are you saying in 1989 were you a member of the ANC or were you just generally supportive of the policy of the ANC, or were you an actual member of any ANC structures, the ANC underground, in 1989 ?

MRS MOITOI: I was member of the ANC which was, which was public then.  It was not underground then.  I have their membership cards with me.