Human Rights Violation Hearings — Klerksdorp — 1996-09-25

EMILY SIKO: Yes, I went to the police station but nobody paid any attention to me.  As I was relating my story, they said go back to the township, your comrades assaulted you. I asked them which comrades, because Salty gave me that side.

DR RANDERA: And you heard nothing from them after that?

EMILY SIKO: Nothing, Sir.

DR RANDERA: Thank you very much, I have no further questions.  Prof Meiring?

PROF MEIRING: Just one question, Mrs Siko, and that is to do with the - you said there was a man, I think you said Dr Van Rensburg, who didn't want to treat you, and there was some mention of a fatal injection he wanted to give you.  Can you please repeat that?

EMILY SIKO: He said to my father - my father said to him I have a patient here and this person is weak, she cannot even stand on her own, and Van Rensburg gave him an answer.  He said we have given them the stitches, now what do they want here?  And he said to my father okay, just put her on the bed, I am going to give her a further injection to kill her.  And I didn't lie on the bed.

PROF MEIRING: Do you think that was an attempt at a joke or was he serious in saying that?

EMILY SIKO: Van Rensburg?

PROF MEIRING: Yes.

EMILY SIKO: He wasn't making any jokes, because he was so angry when we went into his surgery.  He was angry as he was talking to my father.  My father tried to be a very humble man and he said I am not going to touch this girl, she was
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assaulted by the comrades.  I said I was assaulted but Salty gave me the side.  He said lie on that bed, I will give you a fatal injection to kill you.  Then we just went back to the township and my mother-in-law requested Sister Koba to call the ANC people to transport me, and they came to transport me with my child to Sepong Hospital.

PROF MEIRING: Was this Van Rensburg a medical doctor?

EMILY SIKO: Yes, he is now on pension.  He went on pension last year.

PROF MEIRING: Thank you, no more questions.

DR RANDERA: Mr Manthata?

THOMAS MANTHATA: If I understood you very well, you even tried to go to Motala?

EMILY SIKO: No, no, we didn't try any attorney.  We didn't try any attorney. I went to the police station and I came back.  They didn't pay any attention to me. Even the statement-takers told me that there was nothing they knew and I didn't pursue this matter further.

THOMAS MANTHATA: What is very surprising, is this issue of an attack on that night because some people in this area work, are employed by these attackers.

EMILY SIKO: Yes, some of them are working for these attackers.

THOMAS MANTHATA: In other words, the same employers were attacking the employees?

EMILY SIKO: Yes.

THOMAS MANTHATA: And they were the same people who transferred the assaulted people to Dr Van Rensburg?

EMILY SIKO: Correct.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Do you think there is a possibility of reconciliation with these people?
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EMILY SIKO: No, I don't think so.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Are they still present at Ventersdorp as we are talking?

EMILY SIKO: Yes.

THOMAS MANTHATA: I thought you said one of them moved to Cape Town?

EMILY SIKO: Yes, Herman moved to Cape Town.

THOMAS MANTHATA: I will ask you this question again.  Do you think these people are Christians, the AWB?

EMILY SIKO: They have their own church, they built it in Ventersdorp.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Are you Christians?

EMILY SIKO: Yes, I am a Christian. I attend the Anglican Church.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Is there any communication between your ministers and their ministers?

EMILY SIKO: No.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Are you saying no or you do not know?

EMILY SIKO: No, the AWB people don't mix with other ministers from other churches.

THOMAS MANTHATA: I thank you.

DR RANDERA: Mrs Siko, is there anything else you would like to say?

EMILY SIKO: I just have a problem with my child. I would like them to pay for what they did to my son.  The child is going to be a cripple for a lifetime.

DR RANDERA: Mrs Siko, thank you very much for sharing your story with us.  In going through all the statements that we have had from this area, many, many people have talked of the role that what is referred to as the right-wing in our country, the role that they played in many instances. This
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morning from Bloemhof, the statements from Coleni, you are from Ventersdorp.  There was the story of the lady whose school was bombed and again the possibility of the right-wing involvement was raised there.  As you know we have actually asked other political parties to come and make submissions to the Truth Commission.  Perhaps we should be asking the AWB as a movement and as a party to also come and talk about their involvement and their ideas of what was happening in that particular period.  It, of course, does not help your appeal about your child.  We have noted that and we will come back to you on that.  Thank you very much for coming and talking to us today.

PROF MEIRING: Thank you very much, Mrs Siko.
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