Human Rights Violation Hearings — Klerksdorp — 1996-09-26

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Senatle, good morning.

SAM JENNY SENATLE: Thank you, Sir.

CHAIRPERSON: Are you feeling a little easier? I know you were feeling a little anxious earlier on.

SAM JENNY SENATLE: I think so.

CHAIRPERSON: Good.  Can you introduce the lady who is with you this morning?

SAM JENNY SENATLE: That's my sister.

CHAIRPERSON: I welcome your sister too.  Mr Senatle, you are from Jouberton.

SAM JENNY SENATLE: Yes, that's true.

CHAIRPERSON: Which is just up Klerksdorp.

SAM JENNY SENATLE: That's true.

CHAIRPERSON: You have also come to talk to us about two incidences, or in fact three incidences, all relating to yourself.  Prof Piet Meiring who is sitting over there, he is going to be helping you in telling your story.  But before I hand over to him would you please stand to take the oath.

SAM JENNY SENATLE: ;  (Duly sworn, states).

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you, Mr Senatle.  Prof Meiring?

PROF MEIRING: Mr Senatle, good morning.

SAM JENNY SENATLE: Good morning, Sir.

PROF MEIRING: Before we start with your story, I would love KLERKSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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to know a little about Mr Senatle himself.  In your statement you say that you are 29 years of age. Is that correct?

SAM JENNY SENATLE: That's true, sir.

PROF MEIRING: Are you working?

SAM JENNY SENATLE: I am not working, Sir.

PROF MEIRING: Where did you go to school?

SAM JENNY SENATLE: I did but I didn't arrive where I wanted to be.

PROF MEIRING: Where did you arrive at school?

SAM JENNY SENATLE: Std 9, Sir.

PROF MEIRING: And you would wish to go further with your studies?

SAM JENNY SENATLE: I tried very hard but because of the weaknesses I was not able to go further.

PROF MEIRING: Are you married?

SAM JENNY SENATLE: I am not married, Sir.

PROF MEIRING: Do you have children?

SAM JENNY SENATLE: I have one child.

PROF MEIRING: A boy or a girl?

SAM JENNY SENATLE: That's a girl, Sir.

PROF MEIRING: And how old is the girl?

SAM JENNY SENATLE: Twelve years, Sir.

PROF MEIRING: Thank you. Many, or many of the things that you are going to relate to us this morning, has everything to do with the rent boycott of September 1985. Before you tell your story, please put us in the picture, what happened with the rent boycott?  Was it a very large boycott, did many people take part in the boycott?  Please tell us about the boycott of September 1985.

SAM JENNY SENATLE: In 1985 the Jouberton youth, we tried to assemble ourselves to build JOYCO which is Jouberton Youth
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Congress.  Which is objective, was to fight against the government of the day.
 In 1985, that is when that we had strength to plan the boycotts, which will shake the government of the day.  The consumer boycotts were the instruments which we used to shake the government.  The citizens of Jouberton were supporting us.  Even if the arrests happened before we achieved our objective.  It was in 1985 when we were still planning to bring the consumer boycott into operation, as we know that even before Judas Iscariot was there.  I was arrested on the 12th of September, and therefore our plans to continue with the boycotts ran by consumer boycotts, we hadn't started yet at that time.  But the citizens of the area were supporting us at that time.

PROF MEIRING: Were you very active politics?

SAM JENNY SENATLE: Yes, I was taking part in politics.  Very strongly. I was a member of the JOYCO, which is Jouberton Youth Congress it was an affiliate to the UDF.

PROF MEIRING: Did you figure as an activist in Jouberton at that time?

SAM JENNY SENATLE: Yes, I was well-known, because of my role I played, because I was a dancer before I took part in politics.

PROF MEIRING: A dancer?

SAM JENNY SENATLE: Yes.

PROF MEIRING: That's interesting.  But Mr Senatle, please tell us now what happened on that fatal day of the 12th of September.