Human Rights Violation Hearings — Vryheid — 1997-04-16

WITNESS:   Yes.  There's one policeman who's white who came with Hlatshwayo and Mdletshe.  After November they never came back.  Yesterday they came to my brother's house and they said they were looking for liquor.  I have one other question to ask.  I have a child who was injured by police, and his muscles was injured, and I would like to know what to do.  One policeman threw a bottle and it cut his muscle.  He did go to hospital, but because his muscle was cut he's no longer well.  He gets - the leg gets swollen sometimes.

MR DLAMINI: We will investigate this matter, and we will try our best and we will investigate it properly.  Thank you.

MR LAX: Thank you, Chairperson.  I just want to, in relation to the story of your brother, Nelson, just place on record statements made by some of the police who you named - who he named, I beg your pardon.  One is Mr Mdletshe, the other one is Mr Westermeyer, the third one is Mr Mazibuko, and they all deny any involvement in any assaults on your brother.  I just place that on record at this stage.

WITNESS:   We have witnesses.

CHAIRPERSON: One question to you, Christine.  You said when you had a miscarriage you were in hospital.

WITNESS:   Yes, I was in hospital, but I didn't tell the hospital staff that I was beaten because I was supposed to go to police station and sign, and they just threw a pen to us and they told us that we were bitch terrorist.  And I was so scared to tell the hospital people.

CHAIRPERSON: This child who was injured, did they do this deliberately?

WITNESS:   No, the child was with other adult people.

CHAIRPERSON: Did the child go to hospital?

WITNESS:   Yes, he went to Vryheid Hospital.

MR LAX: Just one last question please, Chairperson.  I just want to recognise Veronica, who is one of the other sisters - or is it Victoria, I am not sure - who was also arrested at the same time, and who has also made a statement to the Commission.  But, as you will understand, there are so many people who've made statements we can't select everybody to come forward.  So we just wanted to acknowledge you and say we haven't forgotten about your story as well.  (Inaudible - end of Side B, Tape 5) ... be with them in this time.

WITNESS:   I think I am the one who sustained most suffering, more than my brother and my sister here.

MR LAX: /CHAIRPERSON

CHAIRPERSON: What I would like you to know is that even though we don't give you a chance to tell us your story we'd like to assure you that your statement is here with us, and we aren't going to throw it away.  We are taking it.  What we will do is that, as Mr Dlamini has just said, is that we will recommend these statements, all of them.  We aren't going to be selective, we're going to recommend all these statements.  We are going to put it in our report and forward it to the President.  Our duty is to collect all the information and make recommendations to the President, then he will be the one who'll decide at the end of the day.  Therefore you mustn't be worried that you are not given a chance to talk as your brother and sister have just related the story to us.  Your story will be equally before the Commission.  We will look at the statement.  We aren't going to throw away the statement.  It will also go into the reports which are going to be forwarded to the President.  What I will say now is that I would like to thank you, and to thank your courage, and we've recognised that you were fighting against any injustice, and you didn't say now that you were being tortured or harassed and run away from the truth.  You stood by the truth.  And we've also heard that other relatives were scared or they stood far from you, but we would like you to understand and like them, because you have to understand that people aren't the same, some people are scared, some people are brave.   Another aim of the Commission is that we like reconciliation and forgiveness.  Reconciliation should occur in everyone, even relatives, even those who were scared.  We will try and help you, and we will refer your case to Reparation Committee, and we will try and see what help we can give to you and your children, more especially your children's education.  Thank you a lot.

WITNESS:   Thank you a lot.  There's just one thing I would like to put forward before the Commission.  I would like the Commission to try and help us.  (Pause)  I apologise.

CHAIRPERSON: No, you don't have to apologise, you have to cry out if you feel like.

WITNESS:   I would like the Commission to help us as to found out the body of my brother and my mother's relative, the one who disappeared in the hands of the police - and Innocent Hlongethwa, who's my mother's relative, and Cyril's body.  And I would like to tell the Commission that the police are still harassing us, and the boers they are still harassing us even though it's not just us.  They are harassing the whole community in that farm where we are staying.  I know that this it's not just to us, but it's happening to everyone in the community there.  I don't know how far the Commission can try and help with regard to this, because people in the farms are still suffering from the boers' hands, and they are still forming some means of killing people.

CHAIRPERSON: Which farms are you talking about?

WITNESS:   Battlefield in Khambula.  We aren't safe, or rather we don't feel safe because we are known as ANC people, so we know that any day they can come and do whatever they want to.

CHAIRPERSON: Thanks a lot for telling us that, because we can also try and see if we can give any assistance as to make sure that you are safe there.  This is very important for the country, because at this time everyone is trying to reach reconciliation.  We have to ensure that the things that happened in the past don't occur again today and in the future.  Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: We have come to the end of the programme today, and we would like to know if the witnesses have arrived, those we were expecting today they have arrived, by the name of Constance Mbutho, Samuel Mbatha and Vusimuzi Duze, Michael Sihlako, Selby Nene, and Mpilondle Khanyile?  Have they arrived?  Is it possible that they are here.

INTERPRETER: Somebody is talking from the audience.  The interpreter cannot catch that.

CHAIRPERSON: As I have indicated earlier on that we have come to the end of the programme today.  Tomorrow we will resume at half past eight in the morning, not at nine.  I can see that people are tired now, and impatient.  Let's wrap all of this together.  In a special way we would like to thank all of those who have rendered testimony today, together with their families, and thank each and every one of you for your time in coming to listen to the witnesses,  your behaviour especially.  Before we stand up in closing we will ask Mr Dlamini, who is right here in front, to pray.  We will close in prayers.
MR DLAMINI CLOSES THE HEARING WITH A PRAYER
PROCEEDINGS  ADJOURNED  TO  1997/04/17
/PROCEEDINGS