Human Rights Violation Hearings — Pretoria — 1996-08-13

THOMAS MANTHATA: How many ...

LORRAINE TEBOGO MOLEMA: I completed my standard ten last year, but this year I am at home.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Thank you.  I do not have further questions.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.
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MR MALAN: Ms Molema, you were very young at the time, you were nine years old according to your testimony.  Some of the incidents you witnessed personally and you refer to them.  Some you say in your statement this according to what I heard.  Then you talk about the girls and the cans and so on, the movie, them going to the movie, but you did not witness that first-hand.  You did not see it with your own eyes and the same way as you say you were with your aunt when the news came.  So you did not witness the killing.  Who told you these, who gave you this information?  How did it come about?

LORRAINE TEBOGO MOLEMA: When the older people talk you can hear even when you are still young.  There are things that you can hear and understand.  No one told me that my brother passed away, but I could see that he passed away, he died.

MR MALAN: So what you are telling is you are sharing with us the oral history of the community that you learnt from the older people?  Some of it you witnessed with your own eyes.  What you did not see you got to know because the older people were talking about it?

LORRAINE TEBOGO MOLEMA: Yes.

MR MALAN: This, what is his name, Marcus who went with your brother to Rambo, did the old people say why your brother was killed and Rambo did not shoot Marcus?

LORRAINE TEBOGO MOLEMA: I do not know actually.  He, Rambo, only shot my brother and his friend ran away.  When he fell his friend ran away.

MR MALAN: And does everybody accept that Rambo put the petrol bomb in your brother's hand?

LORRAINE TEBOGO MOLEMA: Yes, they understand because he did not have anything when he was shot.
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MR MALAN: Do you know anything more about the liquor boycott at the time?

LORRAINE TEBOGO MOLEMA: This lady who is sitting next to me.  She was there at the time.

MR MALAN: I think we will get a statement from her too.  I have asked that she be giving a statement to statement takers and we will follow through on that.

LORRAINE TEBOGO MOLEMA: Okay.

MR MALAN: But we have a policy where we do not get people on stage without them having made a statement.  So they cannot give their testimony without us having had a statement oath before.  So at a next occasion, maybe, she can have an opportunity.  I do not think I have any further questions.  Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Lorraine, if I can just ask you by coming to the Commission and giving a statement, what are your expectations and hopes?

LORRAINE TEBOGO MOLEMA: I expect the policeman to be brought forward to be questioned and asked why did he do such a bad thing because if it was not for him I think my father would be healthy and well now.  I want, ask to be compensated because if it was not for this William I think my father would be health and well now and he would be able to work for us.  Maybe I would be at school now furthering my studies.  So he cannot because he is now at home and very sick.

CHAIRPERSON: And your mother died before your brother was shot?

LORRAINE TEBOGO MOLEMA: Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: A year before?

LORRAINE TEBOGO MOLEMA: Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: Lorraine, once again thank you for coming to
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testify.  A lot of these cases, like yours, are cases which we are continually investigating where we are trying to get some idea of what was actually happening, the context.  In this case you speak about a boycott, a liquor boycott, happening, that policemen were also being targeted, and it looks like this policeman who you mentioned with the nickname Rambo, was also involved, implicated in what was going on.  We are following up on all of those cases and on this particular case we will certainly be following up and we will be looking out to see if Rambo's name comes up in other contexts and, as I said to other witnesses, if there is a need to invite these people to come forward to explain their involvement, to give their side of what happened, we are certainly prepared to do that.  So your case along with all the other cases is certainly being followed up and investigated.  Thanks very much.  I know that you were very young when all of this happened.  Thanks for coming.
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