Human Rights Violation Hearings — Leandra — 1997-06-03

SULLIVAN P MOLOKOANE: Yes, so you are now cutting now from the disappearance now.  We got a telegram from Lusaka informing us that Barney was no more and I have got a copy of it here.  Now after the receipt of that telegram from Lusaka a painstaking consultation process began with Priscilla Jana who is an attorney and she was assisted by Richard Spoor.  I use to frequent their office almost daily during lunch times.  After some times a breakthrough was achieved in Middleburg.  Priscilla Jana referred us to an attorney in Middleburg who in turn was to present us to a Colonel Visser and when we arrived there Mr Visser tried his utmost to be difficult and rude to us, trying hard to persuade us that the corpses we were to identify were not those we were looking for.  When we insisted to Mr Visser that Priscilla Jana said the corpses were there.  So eventually Mr Visser spread three photos on the table.  All the three different families, I was I think, Mandisa, which is, I was with Mandisa representing Kayana from Swaziland there and then and the Meadowlands family were also there.  All three of us identified photos that were strewn in front of us.
 I saw Barney's face and same with the other families.  Unfortunately, the only difference with the photos, what accompanied the photos, the names were different names, strange names that we did not know.  Then Mr Visser told us to go back to our attorney, Priscilla Jana, who would inform us where the bodies were buried.  After some brief spell three Comrades, graves were traced in Piet Retief.  I have got a document here.  As the attached document indicates at the cemetery of a small location called Tandabokaya, grave numbers 1070, 1071, 1072 respectively.  The alleged deceased were Barney Molokoane, Victor Kayana and Vincent Siketi.  The curtain has fallen on them.  This reminds of an old Swana adage that says it is next to the road.
 The lease we did, as Barney's parents, we organised a bus and family members slaughtered an ox and visited the graves.  We also invited Vincent Siketi's family to join us.  I have got the photos that show, that depict us at those graveyards, I mean at those grave sites.  My concern to the TRC now is based on the surviving Comrades that were travelling in another vehicle with Barney, with Barney and company.  I am told by Mathew Simelane and coincidentally Mathew Simelane was here just before me, he is my uncle.  He told me, I am told by my uncle Mathew Simelane of 17 Zinoni Township, Bethal that before Sasol at Secunda was sabotaged by Barney and his six Comrades and Barney was in command of that operation.  
 Two vehicles were used.  Each vehicle ferried three occupants and amongst those who survived there is this guy called Vaku Sezankakona.  He is now a Colonel in the South African National Defence Force.  This Vaku van, I am made to understand had been provided with hospitality by Mathew at Bethal and Swaziland many times during their most dangerous operations with Barney and to this day Vaku has not even made a brotherly gesture of ubuntu to thank my uncle Mathew Simelane or just to see Barney's family face to face and tell a story, what went wrong in that botched operation.  Incidentally, Mathew Simelane's daughter, Nokuthula Simelane disappeared in South Africa during 1983 from Swaziland.  To date we do not know what happened to her.
 Barney Molokoena's family and Simelane's have been crippled by a double tragedy.  After the unbanning of the ANC we entertain hope from Vaku to help trace Nokuthula, but all in vain.  In my closing may I attach a copy of a report that details events of that fateful day.  That is now the report that we got from Middleburg, you know, when we went there to, referred by Priscilla Jana, I got that report and this report, it, you know, it outlines five names here, that is now the Security Police names.  We have got Cornelius J Botha, Theo J Victor, Willem W Badenhorst, Frederick J Pienaar and Hendrick F Weppenaar.  I presume these are the security officers who could tell the TRC and us more.  Why Barney's vehicle was overtaken and forced to stop by the Security Police, was there any tip-off.  Those are the questions we are raising.  Was there any tip-off from some collaborators, was Barney's unit infiltrated.  
 Whilst I was reading through a City Press newspaper in 1996, September, my eye caught something of interest which might help TRC with their investigations.  There is this name again, Frederick Pienaar.  He features in Barney's report.  This Pienaar man, I read about him in some of the cases where something like nine or eight children were murdered there in Piet Retief.  So I think that can also give us a clue as to what happened about the day when Barney and them died.  I am hoping that the remains of Barney and his Comrades will also be exhumed in consultation with family members for a decent reburial.  
 During the unbanning of MK at Orlando Stadium some along ladies in their regalia approached us with a message from their colleague who could not make it to the ceremony as she was in Zambia.  These ladies informed us their friend has a child with Barney.  We made follow ups in a bid to trace the child as far as Ermelo.  The grandmother of the boy, that is of Barney's son, the grandmother said to us, yes, the child is there, the child, yes, is there, however, she warned us that that child was having problems.  There was no care on that child.  Staying from one family to another.  I appeal to those who could shed light about Barney's child to telephone this number, 9806920 with Johannesburg code 011.  
 Barney, we are told, was a member of a special operation unit which, I believe, was an elite wing of MK and this unit reported directly to Joe Slovo and Oliver Tambo respectively and the following missions are but a few Barney Molokoane is credited with.  A sabotage of Sasol One in 1980, Voortrekkers Hoogte in 1981 which avenged the attack of Matolo by South African Defence Force in Maputo.  Sabotage of Secunda for the third time resulting in his death.  A skirmish in Zeerust in which he was shot in the leg, he struggled back to Botswana pulling his leg and many more missions according to some of the magazines that the ANC is selling.  May their shattered remains get an undisturbed rest after their exhumation.  Thank you very much.

MS SEROKE: Thank you Mr Molokoane.  I would like to commend you for taw wonderful research that you have made regarding your brother's death and we are grateful for the number of attachments that, you know, followed your statement.  The copy of the inquest and the paper clippings of the City Press and a copy of the telegram and a copy of the post mortem.  We have noted your requests that you would like the pension money that was owed to your brother to be handed over to the family and that you want the remains of your brother so that you could bury him in Soweto.  In as far as your other allegations are concerned regarding Vaku Sezankakona we will merely communicate with the ANC about that, but I would like to find out from you did the family on its own ever try to meet with Vaku Sezankakona to find out more details about what happened?