Human Rights Violation Hearings — Klerksdorp — 1996-09-25

EMILY SIKO: And this child of mine was holding me tightly.  Then I covered him with my hands.  They were hitting me from the bed, then I hit the wardrobe.  Because I was saying I am paying here, what is the problem.  They said to me this is not my place.  Then I said I have the number.  Then I said it is No 11.  Then this Kosimang, they light with the torch.  Then the other one pulled a knife.  Then when he held the knife, I fell on my baby, because I said please don't kill me, who is going to take care of my children.
 Then I knelt down.  Then I thought he was going to stab me at the back of my neck.  Then I just said I will just hear where he is going to stab me. Then at the time when he was stabbing, he was stabbing me on the waist.  Then he stabbed me with the knife. I could feel it when it went out.  Then Salty said I brought you here with whom.  Then I said "baas" Salty, I am paying here.  Then he pulled the knife off again.   They stabbed my child on the right leg.  Then they cut off the veins at the back.  Then she said they have KLERKSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
4 E SIKO
stabbed me. Then I said just keep quiet. Then he said please keep quiet, you can see how Whites are in here.  Then they were stabbing.  The clothes I was wearing at that time had eight holes.  Then they took the brick and hit me again.  I wanted to see this Black person who was with them.  Then I looked. Then they hit me on the head.  Then my daughter fainted.  Salty then said to me I told you not to be lenient with these people, you should have killed them.  They went out, they said sorry, we were at the wrong number.  As they left I followed them, carrying my child in my hands and I didn't realise that the time that Tomilos' legs were stabbed and the muscle was cut off.  
 I went to the next-door neighbour to call the boys.  I asked them where are you.  they said we are here. I said aren't you injured?  They said no, we are fine. I said please go and call a nurse called Koba to come with a Kombi to take my child to the hospital.  
 When they left they were not running. They didn't have guns with them.  They had knives and plastic batons and they jumped into the next-door shack.    I was still shouting, crying for help. I said people, come and help me, the Whites have killed my child.  I sent my son to the office, that is the child who came back with the police and they took me to their office.  They applied their first-aid and they stitched my child.  They didn't stop the blood that was flowing.  They couldn't even stitch me properly.  They didn't even give us an injection.  (Indistinct) and Johnny were the people taking my statement. I said to them the White people assaulted us.  They said you are lying, where do the Whites come from?  It is the comrades who assaulted you.
 I was taken to the hospital by my in-laws, telling me 
KLERKSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
6 E SIKO
that the blood doesn't want to stop flowing.  Then we should better go to the hospital.
 David Letgoto, who is the CID said they had better take me to Motala and Motala would take me to the hospital.  My father took me to Van Rensburg and Van Rensburg didn't want to examine me.  He said I am going to inject her with a fatal injection and my in-law requested Sister Koba to come and pick me up, to transport me to Sepong Hospital.   When I was released from the hospital, I was given the documents.  You know I couldn't stand for quite a long time because of my leg. I have been for treatment now and then.  
 I went to Mogorosi to enquire about the statement I gave them. I told them I am injured and my child was still very little and was also injured, what should I do.  They said nothing, we do not know.  After a week of my discharge from the hospital, a clerk from Ventersdorp, Herman told me to come to town and that he is going to give me R17 000,00.  I should go to town, I will see a grey Cressida and I should come with him to the park. I said to him I cannot walk.  He said try all the means you have, because I want to help you.  I was so scared and I thought he would kill me. I didn't go.   The policeman who took the statement from me, never came to me, even if I go to the police station, nobody gives me any attention.  And I was innocent. I will stop just there.

DR RANDERA: Thank you, Mrs Siko.  You told us how you recovered. Is your child all right as well?

EMILY SIKO: His leg, the leg is crippled.  He has a problem, he cannot stand for a long time, he cannot walk properly. He is now a cripple.  Now my waist - at Klerksdorp they said the injection they have put in me is poisonous, and my waist KLERKSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
7 E SIKO
is painful when it is cloudy.

DR RANDERA: How old was your child at that time?  The one that was stabbed?

EMILY SIKO: He was five years.

DR RANDERA: Now I just want to understand.  You were already staying - what is this area called, sorry - we keep on talking about this area where you lived?

EMILY SIKO: The place is called Khayeleto.

DR RANDERA: Khayeleto?

EMILY SIKO: Yes.

DR RANDERA: Is it still existing?

EMILY SIKO: No, they have, all the people have been removed, it is now Extension 3.

DR RANDERA: How many people were staying there when this attack took place that night? How many families, how many homes were there already?

EMILY SIKO: It was a location.  We hired it from the people, they took us from the people and gave us our own area, our own sites.

DR RANDERA: You also mention in your statement, besides Mr Kosigomang, you mentioned Mr Visser who was the local clerk of the town.  Is that right?

EMILY SIKO: Yes, that's true.

DR RANDERA: Now you say in your statement that he too was present when the houses were attached.

EMILY SIKO: He was there, because he was saying they entered in the wrong number.  They could have got to the houses which have axes, but they went to my house which is No 11.

DR RANDERA: Are these two people still working for the local council?
KLERKSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
8 E SIKO

EMILY SIKO: Yes, they are still working at the municipal offices, and Visser is still there.  The person whom I don't understand is who is still working, is Simani.  So that office has been removed from the township to town.  So I am not sure whether he is still working for the municipality.

DR RANDERA: In your statement you say that the perpetrators  were wearing military uniforms with an AWB emblem.  You saw that very clearly?

EMILY SIKO: Yes, I saw them clearly, they were dressed in brown trousers for soldiers and they had maroon badges.  They were having an eagle and even an eagle on their head.

DR RANDERA: Did you recognise any of these people?

EMILY SIKO: I could only remember Salty Visser and I know th way he talks, because he is stammering all the time and then he is the one who says it is the wrong number, and Simon who said it is the wrong number.  Visser said he must not kill the children.  Then I was looking at him, then he hit me with something.

DR RANDERA: Thank you ma'am.  I just want to come to this question of this grey Cressida and R17 000,00.  You mentioned somebody's name in relationship to that.  What was the name that you mentioned?

EMILY SIKO: His name is Herman. I don't know whether this Herman is the surname or the name, because he was saying Mr Herman.  Then I could understand the person who is his domestic worker is Sophie Sauer, so it is the people who was able to identify him.  So he is no more there, he is now in the Cape.

DR RANDERA: So Sophie introduced you to Mr Herman?

EMILY SIKO: Yes, she can give a lot of information about this name Hermanm, as to whether it is a surname or it is just a
KLERKSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
9 E SIKO
name, but they used to call him Herman.

DR RANDERA: Now at the end of all this you did lay a charge at the police station. Is that right?