Human Rights Violation Hearings — Johannesburg — 1996-05-03

DR BORAINE: Mr Dipakoane, are you going to put the headphones on or are you going to testify in English?
In English, so let me immediately welcome you to the Commission, we are very pleased to see you and we appreciate that you have taken the trouble to come and tell your story about someone who disappeared in 1985.  This is not an easy story to tell, none of these stories are easy and comfortable but I hope you will be relaxed and feel that you have not only the right to tell that story to your country but also to share that with us and in the sharing of that, I hope that it will be a measure of relief to you and of course, if we can help in any way you will tel us that as well. 
 Now one of my colleagues Mr Wynand Malan is going to lead you, but before he does that I would like you to stand in order to take the oath.

REUBEN JOSEPH DIBAKOANE: (sworn states)

MR MALAN: Mr Dibakoane, we have very little background about this case.  All we know is that somewhere in September 1985 your uncle, Mr Ranyaoa went into exile as an ANC cadre at that time, that was the information available, and that nothing has been heard from him since, that his whereabouts are unknown, and that all attempts that you have made to locate him, even asking from the ANC quarters in Johannesburg have apparently been unsuccessful. I may just say that we are doing our own research and investigations, it's not really far developed at this moment in time, but we would gladly listen, both at the information you have to tender us and probably guidelines that you could further give us in trying to find out what really happened. If you would please tell us your story.

MR DIPAKOANE: Thank you, before I go on with this story I would like to introduce my uncle that is here with me, who is also going to testify on the very same case, he's the last person who has seen him when he left the country and even outside the country.  He went into exile with him and he came back in 1992 and returned and only came back last week. So he will be giving his version of the story from 1985 when they left the country until the last time that he saw him.

MR MALAN: Do you want him to testify first, or do you want to give your evidence now?

MR DIPAKOANE: I think it would be appropriate if he could testify so that he could actually lead us on the part of the last time when he saw him, if that could be permitted. That would certainly be fine if he could....(end of side A of tape)......(recording gap before side B comes in)...Mr Ranyaoa, do you wish to take the oath in English?

MR RANYAOA: (sworn states)

MR MALAN: Mr Ranyaoa we do not have a statement from you.  We really look upon this as amplifying the evidence of the first witness here before us, so if you would try and be brief and concise and try and give us the information that you have available, we will appreciate it.

MR RANYAOA: I used to be a youth activist in Zakane Township in Brakpan and my younger brother was still at school, he was a member of COSAS and but that time I had completed my studies and then we went to Lesotho, on the fourth of September 1985, and than when we were in Lesotho some of the people who were there were sent to different parts of Africa.  I was sent by the United Nations with other people to Tanzania, that was the last time I saw my younger brother, and then I spent my time in Tanzania in Soromalhang Freedom College until 1988 when I left for the former Czechoslovakia to study, and then in 1989 I came back, I was not happy and I went back to Tanzania.
 I did meet some people who were with him, my younger brother, in Angola.  I heard lots and lots of stories. I won't say much about that and then in 1990 I went to Scotland where I studied until last Wednesday, in actual fact my studies were disrupted in a panel because of this case, because I had nightmares, I couldn't cope. I didn't know that my family were going to testify anyway because I was not in contact with them, I was not in a good state of health, I decided just to get out on Monday just to buy a single ticket to South Africa, and just took a plane the following day and came back home.
 I also had another brother ...(intervention)

MR MALAN: Can I interrupt you, could we talk about Kunyamane?

MR RANYAOA: Yes but maybe this is going to help because he was studying in Bulgaria, so whilst I was still in Czech I wrote to him and then he told me that my younger brother was in Yugoslavia, you see.  And then the rest I know about him is in all those stories.

MR MALAN: When was this?

MR RANYAOA: Whilst I was in Czechoslovakia in 1988.

MR MALAN: Is that all the information that you have about him?

MR RANYAOA: I think this might be the best information rather than indulging in lots or rumours and, you know-.

MR MALAN: Mr Ranyaoa, thank you very much, I think if Mr Dibakoane could now take the microphone.
 You're welcome to give us the information that you have available.