Amnesty Hearings — Johannesburg — 1998-06-09

SIMON MORRIS: No, I only saw their photographs when I was first, I think after the incident by a Sergeant - I don't know whether it is Sergeant or Warrant Officer Diedericks from Protea, where I had to go and write a statement.  He showed me the photographs of the other three and at that stage I think Oscar Mlangeni was still alive because he was shot but he was not dead at that time, he died about twenty eight days after the incident in a coma.

MR AMEEN: Right.  Is there anything else you wish to add?

SIMON MORRIS: After being shot in the left cheek I was missed again by about seven bullets because the other one said:  "We must finish this dog, this dog is still moving" and through God I think because if it was not for God I was not going to be here.  So I was missed by four bullets from there they congratulated themselves that they have done a good job.  They then went to the car.

MR AMEEN: Before they went to the car and after or around the time that they congratulated themselves and before the shooting was over, at some point they asked you to take a message to someone.  Can you tell the commission about that message.

SIMON MORRIS: The message was specifically to be conveyed by Sekano Kgase because they said to Sekano Kgase he must convey the blessings and the greetings to their leader Steve Biko.

MR AMEEN: After they left what did you do?

SIMON MORRIS: After they left I felt that I was still alive because even if I saw stars, I could only see stars, because even today I only see stars in my face, I called up Edwin Nkomo, he did not answer.  I then called up Sekano Kgase, he answered.  He then said to me:  "Let us try to run away".  I then insisted to him let us check Edwin Nkomo if he's still alive.  That is when I felt that I was shot in the leg because I was feeling the pain because of the cold and also the bleeding of the leg.  I went to Edwin Nkomo, he was dead because when I felt his pulse in the arm and also the heartbeat it was not there.  I felt, I touched the head, it was only blood that I felt and he was dead.

MR AMEEN: What did the two of you do then?

SIMON MORRIS: I said to Sekano he must take my hand, my right hand because I could not see and I was struggling with my right knee.  We then moved from the spot, from there I said to him:  "Which place is this?", he said:  "I don't know".  Fortunately we saw the house, the corner house.  We went into the yard of that house and as we entered the house or the yard there were some people maybe who stayed in that house, outside they were just talking.

MR AMEEN: And did you get assistance at this house?

SIMON MORRIS: We tried to communicate to this people but they were speaking Shangan, it was possibly it was Shawella, but fortunately we were able to convey the message through Zulu - (inaudible).  They then started asking questions, where are you from because they were surprised this kids with old clothes, where do they come from bleeding.  We entered the kitchen of that house and if it was not the mother of that house I could be dead by now because I was now feeling the pain of the swelling wound in the head ... (intervention)

CHAIRPERSON: I think you should direct your client Mr Ameen.

MR AMEEN: Thank you.  Mr Morris the shooting is over, you've now come to this house, from here you've managed to get assistance and you were taken to hospital.

SIMON MORRIS: Ja the mother of that house phoned our homes and also the hospital.

MR AMEEN: Right, you were then taken to hospital?

SIMON MORRIS: We were then taken to hospital but we also insisted that they must also go and check the person Edwin who was in that veld.

MR AMEEN: That is the evidence Mr Chairman.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MR AMEEN

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Tloubatla.

MR TLOUBATLA: Thank you Mr Chairman. Mr Kgase you say that you left school that day at approximately nine o'clock?

SIMON MORRIS: Firstly I'm not Mr Kgase, I'm Mr Morris.

MR TLOUBATLA: Sorry, I beg your pardon sir.  Mr Morris what time did you leave school that day?

SIMON MORRIS: The school was dismissed about nine o'clock.

MR TLOUBATLA: And then right until the time when you were apprehended by these people, were you with this six friends of yours?

SIMON MORRIS: From the school we went to our respective homes, except Vuyani Nkomo who went with Msilana Sishange and from there we then met again at about eleven o'clock where we organised a tennis ball and started playing.  Round about two o'clock Vuyani asked us to accompany him to his home in Orlando East.

MR TLOUBATLA: You probably heard the evidence of the witnesses, I mean the applicants, who say that there was a time when a group of about fifteen to twenty people were running up and down Jeff Lingani's house or walking around there chanting songs, intimidating songs, were you a part of that group?

SIMON MORRIS: No sir.

MR TLOUBATLA: At the time of this incident, when this incident happened, did you know Jeff Lingani?

SIMON MORRIS: No.

MR TLOUBATLA: Where were you staying?

SIMON MORRIS: I was staying in Orlando West at (indistinct) Street.

MR TLOUBATLA: So you never saw these people who were singing up and down this street where Jeff Lingani was staying?

SIMON MORRIS: No I have no idea about that.

MR TLOUBATLA: At school, at your school Madwaleni (?) were you also a member of SOSCO?

SIMON MORRIS: No.

MR TLOUBATLA: Are you aware whether SOSCO was very active at the school?

SIMON MORRIS: I have no knowledge of that sir because we were school going kids, I think I was also involved in tutoring classes in our school so I don't know about the activities of SOSCO or any other group that was involved.

MR TLOUBATLA: You were in your Standard 10, is that not true?

SIMON MORRIS: Yes sir.

MR TLOUBATLA: Tell me were you aware of, generally in the community, this massive conflict that was going on between the two political groupings AZAPO and the UDF?

SIMON MORRIS: I was not aware because I think at 1986 my aim was just to finish school and then go either to varsity or to a technikon.

MR TLOUBATLA: How old were you during 1986?

SIMON MORRIS: I was born in 1967 and I think it's about nineteen years old.

MR TLOUBATLA: Would you say that when you were interrogated, assaulted at Jeff Lingani's house, the people who were assaulting you were they very older than you or were they perhaps your age group?

SIMON MORRIS: They were older than us.

MR TLOUBATLA: I'm sure you heard the evidence of one of them, that is Mr Mphoreng, he says at the time he was twenty years.

CHAIRPERSON: But twenty years and nineteen years are not the same sir.  There's a difference of one year there.

MR TLOUBATLA: But one would say it's the same age group, wouldn't you?

CHAIRPERSON: Ja, probably of the same generation but not the same age.  Now the question is not the same age, the same age group?

SIMON MORRIS: Yes they might be the same group.

MR TLOUBATLA: Did you at that time know anything about the organisation SOSCO?

SIMON MORRIS: I always read in the newspapers because as a Standard 10 pupil you are asked to maybe summarise and article or maybe write out something concerning the debates or that, but the activities of SOSCO or any other group I don't have no knowledge of that.

MR TLOUBATLA: Did you know anything about AZAPO at that time?

SIMON MORRIS: I only knew that it was an organisation.

MR TLOUBATLA: I want to refer you to some article.  This is an article dated the 24th of November 1986, it was in the Sowetan.

ADV BOSMAN: Is that already an exhibit Mr Tloubatla, not.

MR TLOUBATLA: No, not an exhibit Maam.

CHAIRPERSON: Do you have copies for us Mr Tloubatla?

MR TLOUBATLA: Mr Chairman unfortunately I only have this but I can make them available later on.