Human Rights Violation Hearings — Bloemfontein — UNKNOWN

DR MAGWAZA: And do you know the name of the people who were involved there?The names of the people who were involved in this investigation.

WITNESS: I don'tremember their names.

DR MAGWAZA: Can you identify them?

WITNESS: I think if I can see them I canpoint them out.

DR MAGWAZA: The last question which I would like to ask from you is, atthe moment what's your state of health and what are you doing?

WITNESS: I get constantheadaches as well as kidney problems. I had to stay for the rest of 1991 notgoing to school. I couldn't write my final year exams. The following year Iwent back to school. That was in 1992 and 1993. In '94 and '95 I had these constantheadaches again. This year my mother took me back to the school.

DR MAGWAZA: We understand the pain you have suffered, and we will try asmuch as possible to help, especially in relation to your health. I hand it overto the Chairperson.

MR LAX: Thank you, Chairperson. Mr Thayisi, you mentionedthat this was the second time you were assaulted. Where was the first time?--- The first time we were at the police station, but in the yard, not in thecharge office.
(Inaudible) ... same evening, but just in two different places?Thanks. Sorry, I misunderstood you.
/DR MGOJO

KHOZA MGOJO: Mr Thayisi, just a few questions. You saidthat there's a policeman who frequently visited you and said he was handlingthe case. Do you know the name of this policeman?

WITNESS: Yes, I do.

KHOZA MGOJO: When the case was dropped did he have to say anything to youto give the explanation why the case was dropped?

WITNESS: He never came. I lateron heard that he had already been transferred, but now he's around.

KHOZA MGOJO: So you know where he is. What is his name?

WITNESS: His name isLikalakhe.

KHOZA MGOJO: You don't know his address?

WITNESS: No, I don't know his address.

KHOZA MGOJO: You also said that the case ended because the people had securedthe assistance of an attorney. Who were those people?

WITNESS: I said whent he casewas finalised somebody came to my mother to give her a letter, and he was askedas to how the case was finalised without me going to court. Then the policemansaid he didn't know how the case was finalised. Then he said if I wanted totake the matter on appeal I needed to get an attorney.

KHOZA MGOJO: Thank you. I beg your pardon. Did this girl who was put intocustody ever shared any experience which she had in the custody? She is ...(inaudible) ... the victims now.

WITNESS: She told me that they just locked her in.They only brought her food on Sunday afternoon, then they only came back onMonday morning to let her out.

KHOZA MGOJO: (Inaudible)

WITNESS: No.

KHOZA MGOJO: Thank you.

MR LAX: Sorry, this girl that was kept in custody, wasshe ever charged with anything?

WITNESS: No, they just let her out without charging her.

MR LAX: Did she make a case at all about being kept in custody? ---We were together with her when we went to open the case. Then they said I wasthe only one who was supposed to open up a case, they are going to be witnessesonly.

MR LYSTER: Mr Thayisi, again the story that we haveheard from you, like so many others, relates to unlawful activity by police,people who were put in place to assist and proctect us, but instead spent somuch of their time persecuting, assaulting and harassing people.
We will try to follow up and see what happened to the casethat you instituted against the police, and we will certainly ask the Attorney-Generalwhy he declined to prosecute.
I want to thank you very much for coming in today, and forbeing so patient. You were the last person to give evidence today, you've waitedthe whole day. And thank you for reliving those events of six years ago. Ithelps us in our job of painting a picture of what happened in the Free Stateover the past 30 years, and once we have looked at the statements which youmade to the police five or six years ago to confirm your version, we feel surethat your story will form part of the final report which we will give to theState President.
So once again thank you for coming in, and we wish you wellas you go home.