Human Rights Violation Hearings — Tzaneen — 1997-04-10

DR RANDERA: Mr Mbalati, good afternoon.  We are very glad that you could come.  We know that you are not well, so we won't keep you too long.  If you'll just stand to take the oath.  If you can just repeat after me.  I swear that the story I'm about to tell is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.

STRANGER MBALATI: (sworn states)

THOMAS MANTHATA: Mr Mbalati, who has accompanied you ?  The one on your ...

STRANGER MBALATI: It's Andrew Hlongwane.  It's a friend.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Mr Mbalati, I would like that we take our story guiding one another.  I see here according to your statement, you were detained with Isaac Ditsego in Alexandra.  Do you still remember when this was ?

STRANGER MBALATI: Yes I remember.

THOMAS MANTHATA: And you were taken to Sandton.  Can you tell us how you were treated at Sandton police station ?

STRANGER MBALATI: In Alexandra.  So, Isaac Ditsego was one of the operatives of MK and then he was under a very serious surveillance.  So, the following day  after I have arrived at his place the police came looking for Isaac Ditsego.  It was about ten o'clock so, together with Isaac we were discussing politics of the ANC and by that day I was coming from a doctor somewhere in Naledi then I was supposed to be taken and moved out from my, Isaac Ditsego's place.  Unfortunately  the people who were to take me away from Isaac Ditsego's place delayed.  Then the police came.   It was at about one a.m.  Well, they arrived in numbers.  They knocked.  The door was opened so Isaac came out from his bedroom.  They began by inquiring a lot of information from Isaac.   While asking him a lot of questions he was beaten up brutally.  While some were busy with Isaac they,  some turned to me.  They wanted to know who am I and why  I was at his,  Isaac's place.  Well I claimed that I was his cousin and  I paid a visit since it was June during school holidays but they were not convinced.  They suspected I was a terrorist, so, I refused.  However they started dealing with me brutally.  The same way they were beating Isaac Ditsego.
 After a long time were taken to Alexandra police station, together with Isaac.  From Alexandra we were taken to Sandton police station where we were detained but to my surprise a lot of comrades were arrested with a very short space of time.  So, during the process there at Sandton the police were not yet having a very good information about myself.  Whether I belonged to the unit of Isaac Ditsego and his comrades or not.  So torture began the following day, because they demanded to know a lot of informations about some of the operations which were carried out by Nchabaleng unit.  So, I wasn't not interested about anything concerning the operations of the unit Nchabaleng.  So, the police thought that maybe I was hiding.  They said now you are not co-operative.  Then you don't even know how to behave in the process of interrogation.  So, if you don't co-operate, we are going to deal with you brutally.  So, there was a problem, because Isaac had never been informed by myself that I will claim that I'm, I was his cousin.  So, there was a clear difference between myself and Isaac.  I had never known what Isaac told the police as far as our relationship  was concerned  So, I was in trouble, because they had a more, they were very much suspicious since they were interrogating myself, I was telling a different story.  Isaac was also telling a different story.  It is just unfortunate that I cannot explain each and every detail specifically on a point how I was actually tortured.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Okay, don't worry  yourself about that.  Then you were taken to John Vorster Square.  Do you still remember ?

STRANGER MBALATI: Yes, I remember that.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Were you still with ...   Did you know that Ditsego could have been at John Vorster  Square with you at the time ?

STRANGER MBALATI: No, I did not know that.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Do you still remember how long you were kept at John Vorster Square ?

STRANGER MBALATI: No, I can't remember.

THOMAS MANTHATA: You can't remember.  And then you were brought over to Duiwelskloof ?  Do you remember  how you were brought back to Duiwelskloof ?

STRANGER MBALATI: Yes, I remember.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Were you taken to Duiwelskloof police station or were you just dumped at your home ?

STRANGER MBALATI: I was taken to Duiwelskloof police station.

THOMAS MANTHATA: And do you remember how long you could have been kept at Duiwelskloof police station ?

STRANGER MBALATI: No, I can't remember but, but I stayed there for quite a long time.

THOMAS MANTHATA: And during that time, could your family visit you ?

STRANGER MBALATI: Ja, there was a time when, when I was given the chance to meet my family.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Did the family ever talk about having instructed a lawyer on your behalf ?

STRANGER MBALATI: No.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Out of these three detentions, how did you eventually feel body wise, mind wise, you know, were you still as strong and ablebodied as you were before ?

STRANGER MBALATI: No, I'm having a serious problem.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Can you relate to us what the problem is ?  Take time.

STRANGER MBALATI: I discovered that I'm now suffering from a short memory.  And secondly, on my left, on my left shoulder there is a permanent pain.  And then physically I always feel weak.  I cannot walk long distances which I used to walk before.  Basically that is how I feel nowdays.

THOMAS MANTHATA: And when you were released from Duiwelskloof police station, were you ever taken to a doctor ?

STRANGER MBALATI: Ja I once had been taken to a doctor somewhere in Johannesburg.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Yes.  Can you remember which year this was ?

STRANGER MBALATI: 1991.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Who had taken you to the doctor ?  Could it have been the comrades or could it have been the SACC  detainees group ?  You know we used to have those groups that cared for the people who were either in detention or who had just come out of detention.

STRANGER MBALATI: I was taken by Alec Nchawalene and Chris Maake.

THOMAS MANTHATA: I see.  And you don't remember where they took you to.  That is the doctor who examined you.

STRANGER MBALATI: No, I can't remember.

THOMAS MANTHATA: You can't remember.  Where,  sorry -  are you still staying with your parents ?

STRANGER MBALATI: Yes.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Are both your parents still alive ?

STRANGER MBALATI: Yes.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Are there brothers and sisters ?

STRANGER MBALATI: Yes.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Can we say that they are taking good care of you ?

STRANGER MBALATI: I would say yes, but they are having, they are doing it, I may say under duress.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Yes, I think it has to be, because you are in a position where you would love to be free, independent and do your own thing but I think that should be understood.  Do you understand why it has to be so ?

STRANGER MBALATI: I can't understand the last statement.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Okay, I was saying, you were saying, yes under duress or could you say what you mean by that.  Under duress ?

STRANGER MBALATI: I'm unemployed presently so I eat anything they buy and then I eat more than that yes.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Thank you, Stranger.  I have no further question to raise.  I give it back to the Chairperson.

DR RANDERA: Jabulani, can you just tell us what were you doing at the time of your arrest in Alex in 1991 ?  Were you working at the time ?

STRANGER MBALATI: I was still a student.

DR RANDERA: Where were you studying and what were you studying ?

STRANGER MBALATI: I was at Bankuna High doing Matric.