Human Rights Violation Hearings — Nelspruit — 1996-09-02

YASMINE SOOKA: Mama, could you share your story with the Commission please.

MRS NAPHAGA: In the year 1986 the boers actually killed my child.  At round about five o'clock we were sitting at home.  Some boys came telling me that John has been shot dead and yet we heard some gunshot sounds and on the third gunshot killed him.  And then we went to the boys who were playing football at Driekoppie and we were told that my son has been shot and I asked myself - I did not know exactly where I am going to find him.  When I arrived at the place of scene I found him facing upwards.  I went to that particular house, I took him with my hands, I lifted him up and I thought perhaps by lifting him up will say is he feeling sore or pain somewhere and some other boys  went to a nearby house at Mr Lobesi's home.  They requested a vehicle there and at that time she was actually my sister-in-law.  And my brother actually brought them up, those kids.  We took the child to the  hospital.  On our arrival at the hospital we went to the registration place.  As we were waiting there a nurse came to us and she said to us where is the mother of the child.  And then she said we must move to another room.  We went in there and the doctor told us no, this boy is dead.  I did also notice that he was already dead as we were sitting behind the bakkie.  We went back home and we told
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the relatives that the boy is dead.  And then we slept.  The following day many people came to give condolences and make prayers and they prayed.  As people were busy praying there the boers came in.  They came there, they had Hippos I believe because they came from all directions.  On their arrival there as we were right inside the house they actually - they throw the tear-gas inside - the house actually has got eight rooms and after breaking the window they went through inside the window and people who were inside ran out and many things were broken.  They threw some tear-gas and the beds were broken and everybody was confused. The following day - people actually ran away and some broke even the fence and there was no fence the following day.  The following morning, it was on Wednesday, because he died on the 19th May.  On Tuesday the people came to give prayers.  On Wednesday morning ambulances came because there was someone actually who owned a farm and they informed him that people are being killed there so he summoned the ambulance to come and to ask whether is there nobody who has been injured here.  And there was one actually who was beaten and he was taken to the hospital and he died.  And by the time when the ambulance arrived there people who were injured, most of them had wounds all over.  On Wednesday again the police from Tonga came to fetch us to go and give statements.  We did make statements and then they said to us well we will call you.  After that then they called us.  They called even some witnesses and my brother was there, he was still alive then.  We went there.  On our arrival there it took a long time and nothing was discussed and then we were told again to go back home, we will be told to come back again and it might happen that we will not be
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called.  And they have never called us up till today and then we just remained at home because we realised there is nothing that they can do to assist us.

YASMINE SOOKA: Mama, thank you for sharing your story with us.  I just want to ask you a few questions so that we can understand your story better.  How old was your son at the time when he was shot?

MRS NAPHAGA: He was 18 years of age.

YASMINE SOOKA: Do you know whether he was a member of any political organisation?

MRS NAPHAGA: He was not a member of any organisation.  He was just an ordinary boy like many boys.

YASMINE SOOKA: Do you know why the people shot him?

MRS NAPHAGA: I really don't know because you know these boys were actually playing and I was only informed that oh there is a boy, now he is shot dead.

YASMINE SOOKA: Do you know whether it was soldiers or police who shot him?  Did anybody afterwards remember what kind of clothes these people were wearing?

MRS NAPHAGA: Yes. I think there is a person and that boy is even present here who was also present at there.  I brought that boy, he is here, I can ask  him to come and witness.

YASMINE SOOKA: We will ask him just now just to tell us if he knows who shot your son.  Could you also tell us how many other boys got shot in the same incident?

MRS NAPHAGA: Nobody else was shot again.

YASMINE SOOKA: How many other children do you have, Mama?

MRS NAPHAGA: I have got six children.  He was the seventh child.

YASMINE SOOKA: Thank you.   We will just ask the person who was present there if he could just join you for a few minutes to
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tell us a little bit about what he remembers of the incident.

JAMES MALALA: (s.s.)

YASMINE SOOKA: Mama Maphaga has told us that you were present at the incident.  Could you just tell us very briefly what actually happened and who the people were who shot John.

JAMES MALALA: It was on the 19th May 1996 where myself and the deceased and other friends, we were busy playing football at the ground at Driekoppies Primary School.  It was round about past five.   It was actually a normal thing for us to go there and play as people who love soccer.  Then myself and together with the deceased we were members of the Apostolic Church, we were members there.  Even now I am still a member.  As we were busy playing there there came a green Landrover.  This Landrover came straight to our direction.  As it was approaching us it went straight inside the centre of the playground and that Landrover was actually chasing us and we left the ball and we realised that actually they are just after us.  They were chasing us.  Then we went to the nearby homes because my home is actually next to the school and we went to our houses.  The landrover was following us. I went to my brother's house.  We jumped the fence of my brother's house.  As we were jumping the fence the Landrover stopped.  Myself and the deceased we jumped the fence simultaneously.  As we were jumping they shot at me and the bullet went past my head and they shot my colleague and we ran.  They continue shooting close to five bullets.   Up until we were about 500 kilometres away and John the deceased now fell there.  It was next to the hut of my grandmother.  My grandfather was actually ill. He was sitting outside, he was ill.   That bullet went through to
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the hut and my grandmother was inside there and as he heard the gun sound he went outside and he realised that John was lying dead.  As we were jumping to the next home this car went past.  As it went past the house of John's there was another person who is known as Xolile Simwayo.  He was not a police then.  We went back to check the whereabouts of John and next to the hut of my grandmother we found him lying facing up and then Xolile went back to inform my mother that John has been shot dead.  And then we checked him and then we took him.  As we took him we were not aware whether he was dead or not.  I took him, Xolile was on the side, at the other side, and my uncle came and Mr Lobese was actually driving a white bakkie Isuzu.  Then we requested him to take this deceased friend of ours to the hospital because we don't know what has happened.  Now they went to the hospital.  On their way back as they came back they told us John has already died.  That is where we are actually.

YASMINE SOOKA: Thank you.  Could you tell us the people that shot at you from the Landrover, were they army personnel or were they from the police or were they farmers?  Have you any idea who these people were?

JAMES MALALA: It was ex soldier John Schoeman.