Human Rights Violation Hearings — Welkom — 1996-10-09

WITNESS:   It was in 1993 but I don't quite remember the month or the date but it was on a Saturday, Saturday evening.  It was at about 7.00 in the evening.  I was preparing myself to go to Bloemfontein and I took my car.  I was driving my car together with my friend.  Just before we got to Brandfort, about ten kilometres outside Brandfort, we heard some gunshots and the car that was driving behind us was a microbus and they were shooting at us from the back.  They shot at the back windscreen and they kept on shooting at us up to that time that I lost control of the car and the car went out of the road and it capsized just nearby the road.  I don't know what happened to my friend because each and every one of us was concerned about our own lives.  When I looked at the people who were in the Kombi, they were wearing khaki garments.  They were white people.  And they kept on shooing at us.  They were actually attempting to kill us.  And I heard my friend screaming but I don't know whether he was shot at that time and I started running.  I didn't even know where I was running to but I just wanted to save my live at that time because I realised that we were going to  get killed so we left the car there at that moment.  I kept on running as far as my feet could carry me and I hid myself in a certain pipe that I got.  After about quite some time, when I realised that I was out of danger, I came out of the pipe and asked a certain person to help me.  I was taken by the police to the Brandfort Police Station.  They attempted to phone certain police for back-up as well as the station commander but no police came to give me any assistance as well as the station commander was nowhere to be found.  And it was black policemen who were at work on duty at that day and they were also scared to go to the scene of the crime.  They said it was a usual occurrence that black people would be shot at and they said I should remain at the charge office and we would go to that scene the following morning.  We went there the following morning to check as to what had happened.  Whatever was in the car had been smashed.  The lights were smashed, the windscreen was smashed and the car looked as if they had climbed on top of the roof and hopped or jumped on top of it and they discovered two bullet cartridges and the holes that were in the car were innumerable.   We went back to the police station, that is the Brandfort Police Station, and when we got there I made a statement and I was also told that these  bullet cartridges would be taken for forensic examination or for ballistic tests.  They phoned my parents.  When my parents came to fetch me they also took me to a certain doctor and at the time I didn't know where my friend was.  I had absolutely no idea as to what had happened to him and at the time the police  were still investigating as to his whereabouts.  He was discovered in the mealie fields later on and he was badly injured.  I was taken to a doctor's surgery.  They took me to Dr Storm and they sutured me.  I was also put in a plaster of Paris and I was awaiting that I was going to be called for the case or to be told as to what happened to the bullet cartridges and what were the results.  I never got the results thereof but what I got were insults which I got from a certain person that I suspect was also a boer.  The station commander told me that, "You kaffir, what do you want?  Do you want to die?"  I replied him and I told him that if it was my time to die I was prepared to die but that was the same thing that was going to happen to him.  That's how we had an altercation because I felt very heartsore.  And the case was never dealt with.  Nothing was done.  No investigations were made and I was never notified of anything.  I just saw this in the newspaper.  That is all that happened in that case.

MRS GCABASHE: We've heard about what happened to you and at the time it was a very common occurrence that black people would just be shot at by certain white people.  That's why people were always warned not to be in the streets late at night.  Now, we just want to find out this aspect.  In your statement you speak about the Wit Wolwe.  Can you please explain to us as to who is the Wit WolWe, according to your knowledge?

WITNESS:   According to my knowledge and even when you watched TV during those times, you would see them.  The had their khaki uniform.  They were always khaki clad and they were only white people and they speak Afrikaans.  That's  /how I

MRS GCABASHE: how I realised that these were the Wit Wolwe.  Even the black police that I came across at the police station said it was the Wit Wolwe.

MRS GCABASHE: Is there any other sign?

WITNESS:   They were driving a microbus.  What I now is that the registration was OBB but I don't remember the number.

MRS GCABASHE: Which town is OBB?

WITNESS:   It's Brandfort.

MRS GCABASHE: Where did you first meet these people?

WITNESS:   We first saw them when I was pouring fuel into my car at Theunissen and I had gone into the shop to buy some cigarettes.

MRS GCABASHE: Who is Sinawa?  Is it your friend?

WITNESS:   Yes, it's my friend.

MRS GCABASHE: Is Sinawa his real name?

WITNESS:   Yes, it's his name but it's his nickname.  His surname is Mogomo.

MRS GCABASHE: You've also stated in your statement that you went to report this matter to the police and when they got Mogomo, how was he?

WITNESS:   He had been badly injured.  He was injured on the leg and he had scratches.  I think they were consequent to him being scratched by the fences when he tried to escape.

MRS GCABASHE: (Question not interpreted)

WITNESS:   It was De Beer.

MRS GCABASHE: You said the policemen were scared to go to the scene of the crime.  Do you know as to why they were scared to go there?

WITNESS:   (Response not interpreted)

MRS GCABASHE: You said the police didn't want to go to the scene of the crime on that very same day.  They were scared?

WITNESS:   Yes, I did say so.

MRS GCABASHE: What was the reason?

WITNESS:   They told me that this was a very common occurrence and the very same people who told me, they said the Wit Wolwe shoot.  They also  shoot at the police.  They also fight with the police.  I was just close to Brandfort when this happened.

MRS GCABASHE: So you travelled by foot?

WITNESS:   Yes, I did.

MRS GCABASHE: What happened to the case?

WITNESS:   There was never any case.

MRS GCABASHE: Did you make any attempt to report the matter and hear as to what the outcome was?

WITNESS:   I tried to go to the police.  That's where I was insulted and told that I was a kaffir and I never went back to the police station and I never got the results of the ballistic tests.

MRS GCABASHE: What about your friend?  How is he since this happened?  Did he ever get any treatment?

WITNESS:   He never got any treatment.

MRS GCABASHE: He never received any treatment?

WITNESS:   No, he never received any treatment.

MRS GCABASHE: Did he just heal all by himself?

WITNESS:   Yes, he did and he was quite athletic.  He was a sportsman but thereafter he was never the same.  He's walking with a limp and he's no longer athletic.

MRS GCABASHE: How is he?

WITNESS:   He's walking with a limp.

MRS GCABASHE: (Question not interpreted)

WITNESS:   He never went to the doctor.  I don't actually recall him going to the doctor.

MRS GCABASHE: Is he employed?

WITNESS:   No, he's not employed.

MRS GCABASHE: Why isn't he employed?  Is it because of the injuries that he sustained on that day?

WITNESS:   I think that could be the reason or maybe simply that he just can't get a job.

MRS GCABASHE: How do you feel ever since this has happened?