Human Rights Violation Hearings — Mmabatho — 1996-07-08

DR RANDERA: Welcome, Keobakile Colane, I presume that is the same as Nelson?  That is your other name?

NELSON KEOBAKILE COLANE: (sworn states)

DR RANDERA: Ms Joyce Seroke will be leading your story and I hand over to Ms Seroke.

MS SEROKE: Good afternoon Keobakile.  With whom are you going?

NELSON KEOBAKILE COLANE: With Dorcas.

MS SEROKE: Who is Dorcas to you?

NELSON KEOBAKILE COLANE: She is just a friend.

MS SEROKE: We also welcome you, Dorcas. We would ask you to tell us your story.

NELSON KEOBAKILE COLANE: I will begin in 1986, in July in the evening.  The President of the Youth Organization came to fetch us.  They fetched us at home, actually the police came to fetch me at home.  The other policeman was Johan Venter, and another group of people that I don't know.
 They took me in the van and they drove me to Vryheid Police Station.  At the police station I got other comrades who were already arrested then.
 We were there from the 30th - they told us that they arrested us under Section 23, which means you will be in prison with no prosecution.  
 Now from there we were taken to the office where we would be assaulted and be explained unto that the state gives the MMABATHO HEARING TRC/NORTH WEST
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policemen the powers to do anything they want to do unto you.   That is why they would assault you at the time.
 We were assaulted many a time, because I was President of the Youth.  And many of the people from the Huhudi Organization, even the former President, was also in exile.  
 I had to explain how these comrades left the country.  And explain which plan we had because it was the third anniversary of June 16th.  The plan which the police said was available.  I had to explain about that plan.  I had to explain how we were aiming to bring about the bombs to kill the police and other people we opposed.
 I told them on many times that I don't know anything about such things.  And that was my fault, because there were other black policemen who had to translate what I was speaking to tell it unto these white policemen.
 When I said I don't know anything they started insulting me and say that you are starting again, so that these white people who didn't understand what I was saying could feel offended.
 Then you would be assaulted before being asked again, what were you saying.   I was assaulted and while the other comrades were being interrogated some of them would say that you know
you know about these things, because all the comrades who were in the Huhudi Youth Organization were under very heavy surveillance, where they would be told from time that you were at the corner of such and such a street.  Addressed like this, speaking to Colin, what were you talking about?  If they would ask you and you wouldn't remember about other events in which you were involved and who you met, on which date you met that person you would get assaulted.  
 Because I was the Deputy President of Cosas I was the one who knew what our plan was at school, because the shop managers MMABATHO HEARING TRC/NORTH WEST
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knew there were policemen.  All the policemen and the reverends were like policemen.  These people, everywhere they were walking you could die.   
 When they realised they were not getting the information they wanted they asked me about Fred Bushe, about who are related to him.  And then I say to them, I never talked to comrade Bushe, he only talked to other comrades.  And they would say to me, you are starting again.
 They took me to the farm where they were going to torture me.  They tortured me to an extent that I couldn't scream.  I decided to keep quiet, because I realised that they were getting excited when I screamed.  Later on I told them that they are wasting your time, you had better kill me and they promised me that you are going to die, but not at the fast pace that you would like to die at.  They were going to kill me slowly. I stayed there.  
 After they tortured me using teargas, they put me in 
solitary confinement in a cell.  There was neither a blanket nor anything to wear, because we told people not to pay for rent, therefore, there was not money to buy blankets.   And then I slept in there.
 After two weeks they sent me to Katho, that is Katho Prison.  At Katho Prison I felt that keeping silent or not, won't help me, because I was already arrested.   I talked to those policemen inside as I wished.  I demanded food, because since I got arrested we only ate soft porridge for three days, which was not well prepared.
 When I got there I told them that I do not want to eat porridge any more.  The station commander at Vryburg complained that I was giving them trouble.  They should take me to Kuruman.
 They took me to Kuruman and I did exactly the same as what MMABATHO HEARING TRC/NORTH WEST
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I did.   And they removed me to Kimberley, until they released me on the 23rd of September.
 I end there.

MS SEROKE: Now Nelson, I would like to know that this farm you were talking about, is it Langboom or is it another farm

NELSON KEOBAKILE COLANE: Yes, it is Langboom, because there are many trees, long trees there.   Some people call it Langboom because there are many trees and long trees.

MS SEROKE: When they took you to Langboom, what did they do to you when you were there?

NELSON KEOBAKILE COLANE: From the office to the van they covered my face so I couldn't see.   And they hand cuffed me and just threw me in
the van and spray it with teargas.  And then they will go around with you and you don't know where you will be going, because your face will be covered.
 When you get out of the teargas you will just hear voices -they are actually leading you to the tree where they are going to choke you.  They will handcuff you at the back.
 I think even the policemen who were afraid of me were also hitting me, because they realised that with the cloth over my face I couldn't see who was hitting me.  The other one would hit you and pour you with water and the other one will shock you.
 After a time they would leave you alone and sit far from you.  I don't know whether they had a barbecue or only going on, because I could feel there was a fire going on.  And they would say that the fire is not well, the tyre is not well fired up.  And I thought they were going to necklace me.
 After they took me to cell, there were many of us in the cell, but when they began to torture me they would take me to my room alone so that no one could see what they were doing to me.

MS SEROKE: What did they want from you?  What did they want you MMABATHO HEARING TRC/NORTH WEST
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to say?

NELSON KEOBAKILE COLANE: They wanted me to tell them about the comrades who are out on exile.  Because I was President of the organization to them I was supposed to know everything.   They wanted me to tell them how did they get to exile.  I didn't know how they got themselves out of the country.

MS SEROKE: I will ask the other members of the panel whether they have any questions.   Dr Randera?

DR RANDERA: Tell us what you are doing now?  You were President of the Youth Organization, Vice-President of Cosas.  What do you do now?

NELSON KEOBAKILE COLANE: I am doing a literacy project.

DR RANDERA: Thanks.   Nelson, during the time that you were in prison at Vryburg - you were almost on a tour of the police stations - and finally ending up at Kimberley Police Station. Were you ever allowed to see a magistrate, or a doctor?

NELSON KEOBAKILE COLANE: No, I wasn't allowed to see a doctor and I wasn't allowed to see a magistrate or any member of my family, because by then the shocks had already burnt my fingers.

DR RANDERA: And you weren't charged with anything?

NELSON KEOBAKILE COLANE: No, I was never charged.

DR RANDERA: Did you make a charge after you were released?

NELSON KEOBAKILE COLANE: No, I never did that.

DR RANDERA: What is your expectations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission?