Human Rights Violation Hearings — Bloemfontein — UNKNOWN

MR DLAMINI: teaching young pupils politics at Kroondraai." They showedme a place to sit, and then I sat there the whole day. I didn't know why didthey pick me up. I didn't even realise that the book, "Up from Slavery," wassuch a bad thing to be arrested for. When the sun sets the police released me,they said, "Go, but tomorrow you have to be here at 8 o'clock." I left the chargeoffice. They gave me my keys and my identity document, but they kept the bookwith them. The next morning before 8 o'clock I was at the charge office, andthey said to me, "We are taking you, we are going to your place now," the placethat I have referred to which is 40 kilometres from Selosesha. The police said,"You terrorist, we are taking you to your house, we are going to search." Wedrove until we reached my place. When we arrived there my wife was not at home,she went to the church meeting. Now, the person who was at home gave us thepermission to get in. It was a police officer and two other policemen. Theysearched the house. Together with our officer we were sitting in the lounge,but there was another room in which my two sons slept. The other one was attendingFort Hare University, and the other one was at Jordan High in Sebokeng. Andthey came out with something from that room. They said, "Look at this." Theyhad Steve Biko's portrait. His hands were handcuffed. His hands were handcuffed,and they showed me the picture, they said, "Look at this. It's from inside yourhouse." I said to them, "I am from Thaba Nchu. My two sons sleep in that room.The other one is at Jordan High School, the other one is at Fort Hare. You pickedme up at my small shack from Thaba Nchu and you pushed me with your rifles,and  you are here to tell me that I know this Steve Biko photo."It was even my first time to hear the name Steve Biko. They showed me that photowith his hands handcuffed. That photo was taken from the room where my two sonswere sleeping, and I said to them, "That is my sons' room." They asked me, "Whichson? Which son can we associate with this photo?" I said, "I don't know." Andthey took one of his photos, they asked me, "Who is this person the photo?"I said, "It's my son, and he is at Fort Hare University." They took that photo.Up to this day I have never received that photo. And they said, "This SteveBiko's photo, it's a very dirty photo that we got into your house." I was escorted.I want to thank God because my wife was not at home, and she doesn't want anythingto do with such situations. You know, I was like a criminal. I was escortedinto her house. I don't know what could have happened if she was there. I thankGod she wasn't there. They took the photo, the Steve Biko photo with his handshandcuffed, and they took one of my son's photos. They said, "This photo mustbelong to one of your two sons," and I said to them, "I do not know whose photois that." The third point that they indicated was very bad. The Secretary tothe Bantu Education, that's where I complained. It was a letter because I wascomplaining. It was just a copy of the letter I wrote, and they had this copywith them. They said those were the three items that they found unacceptablein my house, Steve Biko's photo, the letter that I wrote to the Secretary ofBantu Education complaining. I was asking him to intervene. I was asking himto see how the parents were involved because they built a school, but I was chased away because I was a Sotho person, and I was told

MR DLAMINI: to go to the other Sotho-speaking people. Now, those threethings led to the police thinking that I was a criminal. And that book, "Upfrom Slavery," because I was then painted a terrorist. Their senior asked mewhat I did want at Komdraai, because I was a member of Dikwankwetla. I saidto them, "You can inquire from any political organisation. I have never beena member because I know the Sotho-speaking people do not involve themselvesin politics." But I told them that, "When you took a different direction fromthe Sotho people they would kill you because they would disagree with you."They wanted to know about my presence at Komdraai. I told them, "You took theletter that I sent to Pretoria." I want to tell you that I taught - I taughtchildren and I taught teachers. I don't know what to say, but some of them arevery successful people. I was telling you that we came back to Thaba Nchu, andwhen we arrived at the charge office I was told that the three items that werefound at my house were really bad. They told me that the next morning ... (inaudible- witness now speaking Sotho and English) ... not later than 8 o'clock in themorning, and not later than 6 o'clock in the afternoon, every day until furthernotice. That was the instruction I got from those people. If you fail to dothat, I was told ... (inaudible) ... and banish you from Thaba Nchu. And theytold me that my children will never see me again if I can't report ... (inaudible)... o'clock in the afternoon every day, through all kinds of weather. It doesn'tmatter whether it's raining or what is happening, but you have to be there.And I did just that. I am now telling  you the most disturbing thing. The following day ...

MR DLAMINI: (inaudible) ... not later than 8 o'clock. I still remembervery well. 20 to eight I was standing in front of that office. And the man whowas supposed to open came a little late, and when he opened he opened the doorand he got into the room. I followed him ... (inaudible) ... time lock or someregister to show that I was there. I said nothing. Then I waited there. I havebeen standing here not knowing what to do. The children at school were waitingfor their teacher, because I had to give them lessons. While I was waiting there- I waited there for about 30 minutes, not knowing what to do. I didn't knowwhat to do, because they told me that I should be here, and I was expectingthem to give me a register to sign so that I can leave. I will tell you thename if you want, but this policeman was there on his own, and he said to me- and he asked me a question all of a sudden. He said, "Yesterday ... (inaudible)... I was shocked. I said I am faced here with a difficult person ... (inaudible)... insulting, humiliating questions. I ignored him totally. I had nothing todo with him. I found that this is not my class.

MR LYSTER: Can we have order please?

MR DLAMINI: Yes, Babu Molatseli, we know that thoseare memories that you wouldn't like to recall. Thank you.

WITNESS: I can't rememberwhere did I end. Now this person, when he realised that I was ignoring him hestarted hitting me with his fists, and he was a hefty person and I fell. Myhead was swollen. This table was full of my blood, and my clothes were fullof blood. The jacket that I had on that day, and my shirt, everything was fullof

MR DLAMINI: blood as