Human Rights Violation Hearings — Ladybrand — 1997-06-24

CHAIRPERSON: I have already welcomed the people here in this town.  These are all our hearings, and we want to be as meticulous as we can be.  And I welcome the witnesses and their families and their relatives, and the people who come from the communities to support them.  These are our last hearings in the Free State, we are pleased that people have come to support the witnesses.  I think now, Makozi, if you are ready - are you ready - we shall call upon the first witness.  That is Joseph Mongani Matela.

JOSEPH MONGANI MATELA: (Sworn, States)   (Through Interpreter)

CHAIRPERSON: Now, I am going to ask my brother, Ilan Lax, to lead us with this witness.

MR LAX: Mr Matela, before we look at your story would you help us by just giving us a small picture of your family.  How many children do you have, are you married, and so on?

WITNESS:   I separated from my wife, and we have children, but they are staying with their mother.

MR LAX: How many children do you have?

WITNESS:   We have two children.

MR LAX: What are their ages please?

WITNESS:   I do not remember their ages, Sir, but both of them are above 20 years of age.

MR LAX: Thank you.  I see that you have been working.  Are you still working at the moment?

WITNESS:   I am trying to work, Sir, but I cannot hold on because of the illness I have.  I run short of breath every time.

MR LAX: Thank you.  The story you're going to be telling us covers two different periods, first in 1985, where you talk about what happened to you in Aliwal North, and then when you talk about what happened to you in 1992 in Bethulie.  Let's deal with the first situation first, and then we'll come to the later one.  At that time were you living in Aliwal North - in 1985.

WITNESS:   Yes, I was working there and I was staying there.

MR LAX: Please tell us what happened.

WITNESS:   It was Sunday afternoon.  I was passing, going home, and I saw a group of youths and I wanted to pass.  And they said I should join them, I should help them, support them while they were singing.  Yes, I joined them and I started singing along with them.  A police Casspir approached from the west.  That was a Hippo.  It was approaching from a direction just not far from where we were, and a second Hippo approached and it came straight to us because we were at Mokwena Street.  We only heard gunshots, and we ran for cover until I ran into a house.  Because of the situation I could not go to the hospital, but the next morning a man took us to the hospital.  On arrival at the hospital I was x-rayed, trying to remove all the bullets.  And after that we were all pushed into the van and we were taken to the CID offices.  When we arrived at their offices we were then taken to the cells.  From the cells we were driven to Jamestown, and a tear gas canister was released in the van until we arrived at Jamestown Police Station.  That is where we were put in the cells.  At about 8 o'clock a white man without a police uniform came to us and he told us that we were making noise.  And he also had a tear gas canister in his possession.  He threw it at us.  Sir, it was terrible in that cell because he closed the door.  We were just packed in the toilet because we wanted to get water to get rid of the tear gas.  We spent that night without any blankets, not even one.  And after a day or two we were taken to Calamazembe(?) Prison.  That is at Bekkersdorp.   When we arrived at Bekkersdorp we were put in the cell and we spent 21 days.  We were taken back to Aliwal North thereafter.  We were each given a bail of R100,00.  After a few days we went back to the Court of Law and we were told that all the charges against us were dropped.  That is basically the gist of the first story.

MR LAX: Before you proceed with the second story there are just one or two questions I want you to cover just to clarify some aspects in relation the first story, and then we'll come to the second story.  Okay?  Now, you said that you were shot.  You were x-rayed to try and get the pellets out.  Where were you actually shot and how were you injured?

WITNESS:   I was shot at the back.

MR LAX: How many pellets did they take from you?

WITNESS:   They removed a pellet on the back and the other one at the back of my head.

MR LAX: So it was two?

WITNESS:   Yes, M'Lord.

MR LAX: Now, you said that a number of people - you didn't say so now during your evidence, but in your statement you mentioned that approximately seven people were killed on that day.  Is that so?  Do you remember that?

WITNESS:   People were talking that night saying there are people dead, but I didn't see them with my eyes.

MR LAX: When you came out eventually and you went back home did you not find out whether anyone had died in that incident?  Had there been funerals?

WITNESS:   I heard while in prison that the funerals were conducted, because the people were bringing us food and they will bring us information.  Every time they will say to us, "Listen, today so-and-so is going to be buried."

MR LAX: So that's how you arrived at the conclusion that about seven people were killed.

WITNESS:   That is correct, Sir.

MR LAX: You said this was a Sunday afternoon.  Do you remember which month or what date it happened?

WITNESS:   If I am not mistaken it was in August, but I am missing the date really.

MR LAX: So this was winter time?

WITNESS:   I would say it was just after winter.  I can't remember very well.

MR LAX: Now, you said you were held for 21 days.  Was that under the emergency regulations?

WITNESS:   They arrested us for - they said it was under Riot Act.

MR LAX: Before you were held for 21 days did you appear in court anywhere?

WITNESS:   No, Sir.

MR LAX: So you only appeared in court later when bail was fixed.

WITNESS:   Can you repeat your question, Sir.

MR LAX: I am saying you only appeared in court after the 21 days when bail was fixed for you.  When you were moved back, in other words, to Aliwal North.

WITNESS:   Yes, you are correct.  That was after paying the R100,00 bail each.

MR LAX: Okay.  Let's now move to the second incident, which is in 1992 in Bethulie.  Do you remember what month that was?

WITNESS:   M'Lord, I am very forgetful, I can't remember the month, but I still remember exactly what happened on that day.

MR LAX: Well, we don't - we're not too worried whether you can remember the exact date.  It's not important to us.  Please tell us the story.  What happened?

WITNESS:   It was Sunday.  I was heading for my house to rest and I took a turn to the squatter camp where I staying.  A girl called Nthombizolwa and a boy called Mbongi came out.  The other one, that is the man, had a knife, and the girl, Nthombizolwa, had a sjambok.  They called me.  They said, "You come here, a member of Inkatha."  Should I have known what was going to happen I could have ran way, but I just stood there not knowing what was happening, and the boy arrived and he stabbed me with the knife.  I tried to run away, and I went into a shack and I fell on the floor.  A man called Kethekile came with two children that were going to point at me.  He kicked me with his boots and he took me.  He pulled me out of the shack.  After pulling me out of the shack a group of people arrived.  One of them was Ola.  Ola had a garden fork.  They applied every weapon on me.  They really injured me.  I could not do anything.  I lost consciousness, and a policeman took me.  Instead of taking me to the a police station or anywhere he took me home, and the next day I went to the hospital.  That is where I was operated.  I have many operations here now.  That is all I can tell you, Sir.

MR LAX: These people who attacked you, you say they accused you of being IFP.  What were you?

WITNESS:   I do not want to lie, Sir.  I would say they were the ANC members, and I am also a member of the ANC, but they just decided to call me Inkatha member on that day.