Human Rights Violation Hearings — Krugersdorp — 1996-11-11

CHAIRPERSON: Whilst we are waiting for Mr Mogapi to come to the table, can I just welcome some of our guests here today.  Mayor Isaac Mogasi from the, has he gone already.  My apologies.  We have Mayor Stephen Ntingwa.  If you can please stand Sir.  Welcome.  We also have Maureen Gatswayo who is from the ANC Womens League.  Welcome.  Mrs Nomboola Mokonyane who is the MEC for Agriculture and Environment and Conservation in the Gauteng Province.  Welcome.  We have some visitors from the, some of them, two from the United States of America and one from Britain.  All from an organisation called The National Conference of Black Lawyers.  Ms Chrystal Gaines, Ms Yvonne Floyd-Mayors and Ms Isiyoma Amabala.  Welcome.
 Mr Mogapi, can you hear me?  Welcome.  Mr Mogapi, you have also come from Khutsong near Carletonville.

BEN TIGORAMBO MOGAPI: Yes, it is so.  I am from Carletonville.

CHAIRPERSON: And you have come to talk about yourself today?

BEN TIGORAMBO MOGAPI: Yes, I have come to tell you about my own story.

CHAIRPERSON: Ms Joyce Seroke is going to help you in telling your story, but before I hand over, will you please stand to take the oath.

BEN TIGORAMBO MOGAPI: (Duly sworn in, states).

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you Mr Mogapi.  Ms Seroke.
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MS SEROKE: Ben Tigorambo Mogapi, you are here to tell us about events that happened on the fifth on July 1986 when you were arrested and there you stayed for almost a year.  We will kindly request you to tell us as to what happened at that time relating to your statement.

BEN TIGORAMBO MOGAPI: Can you please repeat your question?

MS SEROKE: I was requesting that you must still tell us, according to your statement, that you were arrested on the
fifth of July 1986.  Just explain to us briefly what happened.

BEN TIGORAMBO MOGAPI: I was a member of KHUSCOU, Khutsong Student Congress.  On the fifth of July 1986 we were supposed to bury our fallen Comrade by the name of Comrade Kleinboy Oupa Swewo.  We were preparing for the funeral.  On that very same evening of the fifth of July we were attending the night vigil.  I was the MC at that particular night vigil.  Everything went well until quarter to three.  In the early morning of Saturday the police arrived and they surrounded the yard and they assaulted us, they beat us.  We were taken away to Welverdien Police Station.  On arrival at that police station ...

MS SEROKE: Rambo, please have some water and take your time.  We know that your story is hurting, but please try and tell us.

BEN TIGORAMBO MOGAPI: I undressed.  It was Skeepers, Strydom and Nkosi who were there.  They said I must undress.  They tortured me for some time, for something like two hours.  From there I was very dizzy due to this.  When I gained consciousness I was in Carletonville Police Station.  The following day we were taken to Potchefstroom and there we stayed for a week in Potchefstroom.  Whilst we were there, the policemen
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arrived again and they took us to Rustenberg.  When we got to Rustenberg, we stayed for a few days there.  Some of us were being interrogated here in Johannesburg.  After a few days I was also called.  When I got that interrogation session, Nkosi was there to fetch me.  He was a Sergeant and he was accompanied by Sergeant Daewoo.  When I arrived there they took my identification details.  Strydom also arrived and he wanted to know what is this thing, who is he.  Nkosi said he is Rambo Boeta.  Strydom went into his car and he cam back carrying a bag and when he came back he said I must undress and they started again.

MS SEROKE: Please take your time Rambo, take your time.

BEN TIGORAMBO MOGAPI: They put their wires again here on my hands, even on the ears and here by the waist and again here more in the waist area and in my private parts as well and more on my toes.  Then they started torturing me.  They tortured me for almost three hours there.  They sent a message to my home that I was dead.  I stayed for three weeks there in Rustenberg in Ramochana Prison.
 On our way back they transferred us to Potchefstroom.  Whilst I was there my parents came to visit me.  When they got there I was surprised as to why they were crying and I started crying as well.  I wanted to know what is happening.  My mother just told me that we had just come to collect your corpse because we have heard that you passed away.  I just told my mother that it is all thanks to God that I am still alive.  
 On the 11th of June 1987 we were released from prison, but we were given certain conditions.  Then we came here in Johannesburg (inaudible).  DPS helped us, the DPS organisation helped us.  They helped us to get some medical 
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treatment.  As they were checking the results of our torture Doctor Richardson told me that I will never be able to bear children again in my life due to this torturing by the policemen.  
 I washed my ears because they were constantly bleeding and during this cleansing process a cigarette stump was taken out.  I do not know as to how did it, who put it there and how.  Even till today I am not working and there is no funds to get medical treatment so that ones life can be normal again.  I thank you.

MS SEROKE: Rambo, you say you were at a night vigil of Kleinboy and you were the MC when they arrived on that morning.  When they arrived were you singing?  What were you doing?  What was the reason as to why did they surround and arrest you?

BEN TIGORAMBO MOGAPI: We were singing freedom songs.

MS SEROKE: Is that all?

BEN TIGORAMBO MOGAPI: Yes, we were sympathising and paying respects to our Comrade.

MS SEROKE: You say they took the whole 700.

BEN TIGORAMBO MOGAPI: Yes, they arrested 700 of us.

MS SEROKE: Were you all tortured or did they choose a few people from the 700?

BEN TIGORAMBO MOGAPI: They picked a few from the group.

MS SEROKE: All in all those who were tortured, how many were they?

BEN TIGORAMBO MOGAPI: If I can remember clearly only 11 were tortured.

MS SEROKE: When you think why did they choose this 11, why only this 11 of all this crowd?

BEN TIGORAMBO MOGAPI: From my point of view I was a member of KHUSCOU and the policemen knew me well.
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MS SEROKE: And they even knew that you are a leader and you are not an ordinary member?

BEN TIGORAMBO MOGAPI: Yes, I was an organiser and a secretary.

MS SEROKE: You say they took you to Welverdien.  You told us they tortured you there.  Can you tell us what kind of torture there was in Welverdien?

BEN TIGORAMBO MOGAPI: At Welverdien they used the very same wires and they also covered my head with a balaclava and they had these wires already in my body, all over.  They told me that I must tell the truth.  I wanted to know what is this truth that they want to know because we were just at the funeral.  That is when they started shocking me with this electric wires.  They started kicking me and assaulting me.  It was very painful.

MS SEROKE: In other words they repeated the same torture in Potchefstroom, the very same torture that they did in Welverdien?

BEN TIGORAMBO MOGAPI: Yes, it was the same torture.

MS SEROKE: You have just said that the truth they wanted to know you, you mentioned Ronnie, Strydom, Skeepers, Tawu, van Graan and van Rooyen.  All these people were they there when they tortured you?  Did all of them torture you or was it only just one particular person torturing you?

BEN TIGORAMBO MOGAPI: They were all torturing me.

MS SEROKE: After torturing you there in Welverdien did they take you to a doctor?

BEN TIGORAMBO MOGAPI: No, we were not seeing any doctors because whilst you are in prison you are only given pills and some injections.  There was no point in going to the doctor.