Human Rights Violation Hearings — Klerksdorp — 1996-09-23

CHAIRPERSON: Good morning, Mrs Thulo and very welcome.  The Commissioner Piet Meiring will assist you in telling your story.  Before he does that, would you please stand to take the oath.

MARTHA M THULO: (Duly sworn, states).

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Meiring?

PROF MEIRING: Mrs Thulo, thank you for coming to our hearing.  We look forward to listening to your story.  You are going to take us back to February 1986 when the rent boycott was in full swing in Stilfontein in this part of the world.  Please tell us your story and thereafter, I am going to ask you a few more questions to get clarity.

MARTHA M THULO: In 1986 it was on the 28th of February, it was about ten to eleven.  I left home in the direction of Krugersdorp. When I found police vans on the street. On that day it was the day of the rent boycott.  The policemen were on top of the vans, they were busy shooting.  I was shot but  I couldn't fall at the same time.  I walked until I arrived at the place where I was going and I fell on the verandah.  People were closing their doors.  I was hit by six bullets, three rubber bullets.  When I was on the verandah three policemen came, Mr De Kock, the other one is Joe Sabatti and then the other one is April.  They found me on the verandah. When people were shouting that there is no ambulance that
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can take me to the hospital, it is a dog that has died.    My sister was called and she came with a certain man called Mosebi. They picked me up before the policemen and they took me home.  When I arrived at home, they found a Kombi.  The owner is Malibu and then we were taken to the hospital quickly.  
 When we arrived at the hospital I slept seven days. On the eighth day I was not healed yet.  In the morning at about half past five those nurses going off from night shift knocked off at seven o'clock. They came to report to me that people were looking for me during the night and there were policemen and they asked me that when my doctor comes I should ask for a discharge. I asked for a discharge, even before I was healed. Then I left and went home.  My mother was ill and then asked me to take her to Dubateng.  When I arrived at Dubateng, the police were coming even during the night. I was staying at 16/31.  I stayed there three days.   On the third day the police van came. It was about six pm.  When they arrived I was able to identify one policeman among them. I was in the sitting room where I was sleeping.  They said there are people looking for you outside.  Then when I was in the kitchen I could see three policemen. I couldn't identify the two and then the third one, I knew him, it is Mr Raklocho.   He said they are coming to look for me. I said I am not going anywhere, you have shot me, you can finish me.  If you are supposed to take me to the prison, I don't understand.  That Raklocho, they turned back and left.   
 During the night I went somewhere to sleep,  so that the following day I should go back home, so that they should come to pick me up, they should pick me up before my mother.  KLERKSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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That's when I went home. The police were coming during the night. Then I just said it is okay if they come and pick me up before you. 
 Since then they didn't come again.

PROF MEIRING: You started off by telling us the rent boycott, when all the trouble started. I am very much interested in the rent boycott and I wonder if you could tell us a little bit about the way the rent boycott was implemented in Stilfontein, what happened at the time of the rent boycotts.

MARTHA M THULO: During the rent boycott we were assembling the rent cards.  During the time when we are assembling the rent cards, only a few houses were able to collect when the Hippos came.  Then they started shooting. That's what happened.

PROF MEIRING: Do you think that the police knew that you were involved in the administration of the rent boycotts, that you were one of the leaders?

MARTHA M THULO: I don't know. I don't know, because I was just outside the crowds.  It was a small passage, but I was in an open space, away from the crowd when I was shot.

PROF MEIRING: When did the rent boycott take place in this area? Was it over months or over years that it took place?

MARTHA M THULO: It took a long time. It is about months.

PROF MEIRING: Most people in the area, did they support the rent boycott?

MARTHA M THULO: Yes, Sir, we had a lot of support.

PROF MEIRING: Were there people who did not go with the rent boycott, and if so, were they victimised, did they have a bad time in the township at that stage?

MARTHA M THULO: Can you ask the question again, Sir?
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PROF MEIRING: My question is, the people who did not, were not behind the rent boycott, were they victimised in any way, did they have a rough time if they did not support the rent boycott?

MARTHA M THULO: Yes, they were harassed by those who were supporting the rent boycott.

PROF MEIRING: Just a few questions on your own person.  You said that you are a single mother of three children. Are you able to look after your children, are you working?

MARTHA M THULO: I am not working, Sir.  I have a chest problem because the bullet which hurt me is the one that hit me on the chest and other ones on the waist.  They are still there, they were not removed. There is one on the left foot. If the weather changes, I have a problem with that leg and the chest and my chest is not okay, even now.

PROF MEIRING: You find it very difficult to work?

MARTHA M THULO: Yes, I have a problem to work, because I am short of breath.

PROF MEIRING: On whom do you depend for everyday, for your finances, for your daily upkeep, does your family provide for you?

MARTHA M THULO: There is not many in the family who takes care of me and my mother is too old, and even the money of the pension is too little.  She is the one who is helping and we don't have a father.

PROF MEIRING: Was there no inquest and no money paid out to you after what happened?

MARTHA M THULO: I was not paid anything, Sir.  There was no inquest either, because I thought I would investigate on my own.  At that time we were afraid, because if you do something people say you are against the law.
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PROF MEIRING: The very last question, just for information. You mentioned the names of three policemen at Stilfontein who shot you. The first one was Dan de Kock, but the other two names I did not get, can you just repeat them, please.

MARTHA M THULO: George Mabato, the other one is April.

PROF MEIRING: Those are all the questions I wanted to ask you.

CHAIRPERSON: Any other questions?  Yasmin Sooka?

YASMINE SOOKA: Martha, can you tell me, you mention that you were shot with six rubber bullets and in your statement you talk about three live bullets.

MARTHA M THULO: Rubber.  Rubber.

YASMINE SOOKA: Were they all rubber bullets?

MARTHA M THULO: No, ma'am.  Three rubber bullets and live bullets were six.

YASMINE SOOKA: (Speaker's mike not on) ... removed after you were shot?

MARTHA M THULO: They only removed one in the hospital on my arm-pit, then the others are still remaining in my body.

YASMINE SOOKA: Did the doctor explain why they can't remove them?

MARTHA M THULO: The doctor said he cannot remove them.  He could remove them but the problem is that I left beforehand, because the police were looking for me.

YASMINE SOOKA: At this point in your life, do you receive any medical attention?

MARTHA M THULO: No, ma'am, I don't get any medical attention for now.

YASMINE SOOKA: Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Dr Randera?

DR RANDERA: Ms Thulo, having gone through all the
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statements from this area, this gentleman April's name comes up over and over again.

MARTHA M THULO: Yes.