Human Rights Violation Hearings — Soweto — 1996-07-23

YASMINE SOOKA: Christina Buthulezi, a witness who will testify about her own case.  Sohpie Thema, a journalist who will describe her own involvement in June the 16th.  Puleng Swaarbooi and Daphney Ramokgopa who will talk about Bushy Swaarbooi and Skwriwi Ramokgopa.  We then have Nomavenda Mashiyane, a journalist, Elliot Nglovu, Johannes Dube and Leonard Mosala who will talk about the Committee of Ten.  Isabella Ndibongo who will talk about Michael Ndibongo, Murphy Marobi who will talk about his own participation, Phillip Mabalane who will talk about Matthews Mabalane.  Reverend Dale White who will talk about the Church's involvement.  Reverend E Thema who will also give a Church perspective and Yvonne Makgolo who will testify about Manase Victor Makgolo.  These are the witnesses for today.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.  I will then ask our first witness to take the stand.  That is Janet Goldblatt

YASMINE SOOKA: Just ask her to take the oath.

CHAIRPERSON: Yes.  Good morning Janet.  I would like you to stand up so as to take an oath.

JANET GOLDBLATT: (Duly sworn in, states).

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.  Take a seat.  Maybe before you give your testimony, I want to introduce the panel, the members of the panel.  On my extreme right-hand side we have Joyce Seroke.  I will ask her to come in especially that it
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is her first day today.  She is a committee member on the Human Rights Violations Committee, Chaired by Yasmin Sooka and then it is Hugh Lewin whom some of you saw yesterday, but I will still ask you to stand up.  Thank you.  On my left-hand side I have the Deputy Chairperson of the Human Rights Committee, Yasmin Sooka.  Then I have another new person today who is a committee member of the Human Rights Violations Committee.  I will ask you to stand up Dr Russell Ally and on the extreme left-hand side I have a committee member from the Reparations and Rehabilitations Committee, Professor Piet Meiring.  Thank you.  I will ask Yasmin Sooka to assist you in giving your evidence.  Thank you.

YASMINE SOOKA: Janet, can you hear me properly.  When you want to speak you should press the red button and when you are finished you can just press the grey.  Alright.  I want you, very briefly, to tell me a little bit about yourself first before you begin to tell me about your father.

JANET GOLDBLATT: I am a 32 year old woman residing in South Africa, Johannesburg.  My name is Janet Edelstein Goldblatt.  I am married to Alan Goldblatt.  I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1963.  I have a sister sitting on my right-hand side, Shana Edelstein and my mother Erona Edelstein who, unfortunately, could not be here today.  I am currently working for a security company in a managerial capacity.  I have two children ages two and a half and one and a half years old.  My father Dr Mellville Leonard, is the reason I am here today, is my father Dr Mellville Leonard Edelstein who was murdered on the 16th of June 1976.
 On the morning of the 16th of June 1976 my father, Dr Mellville Leonard Edelstein, drove Shana and myself to school and never came back.  He proceeded to Soweto to carry SOWETO HEARING GAUTENG PROVINCE
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out his duties where he worked for the West Rand Administration Board at the time in an advisory capacity.  He also, over and above that, he assisted in setting up a workshop for disabled african people so that they could go there and work and learn skills that could assist them in finding themselves employment.  He was involved in a lot of charity organisations.  He was involved with the social workers.  
 He was also involved in writing to thesis.  His doctorate was based on how young coloureds think and his Masters Degree was based on how young africans think.  He was, obviously, advising the Government at the time on race relations and his fight and his struggle was for equal education.  He believed that all should be educated equally.  He was a man who was totally against the violation of human rights.  He was not a political person in any way and he did not belong to any political party at the time.  He was just a wonderful, fantastic human being who cared for those that were less privileged than himself.  
 I know that nothing here today that I say or do can bring him back to myself and my family, but, obviously, our question has been from the day that we heard this awful news, is why Dr Edelstein.  He was not a policeman, he was not involved in the violation of any ones humans rights.  He loved the people of Soweto almost as he did his own family and we would like to know, if possible, what actually happened on that day.  Although, as I say, I know it cannot bring him back, but what took place, you know.  If there are any witnesses here today or anybody who could recollect or who was with him at the time.  Maybe somebody who knows what his last words were and what actually, you know, happened to SOWETO HEARING GAUTENG PROVINCE
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my father.
 The other thing is at the time, because he was employed with the West Rand Administration Board, my mother approached them for some type of compensation.  She was a woman left with two children and no financial support and no financial backing.  She sought compensation from the Government of the day, from the West Rand Administration Board.  She had employed an actuary who could tell how much money she would actually need in order to send us to school and just bring us up like normal children in terms of having that financial support.  They did not compensate my mother fairly at the time.  She was shunted around from office to office for about three years and once the three years was up they said, well, basically it is prescribed and, you know, after three years you cannot apply, you know, any longer.  She received a small compensation.  In those days it was about R9 000.00.  
 At this point what I would like to say is that, there again, no money can bring my father back to us and if it is not money that or compensation that will be given to my mother for the years that she has suffered and battled financially.  What I would like to request from the Commission or if there is any type of Reparation Committee is if a monument or some remembrance can be built or erected in my father's name because he was a man who was very much a part of the struggle.  He loved the people of Soweto and I know, I know that they loved him too.  If some form of, as I say, remembrance or monument or statue or something, I do not know how to actually put it, you can decide, can be erected in his name possibly at the place where he was killed.  We would appreciate that, something 
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that everyone can remember him.

YASMINE SOOKA: I know that it is very, very difficult for you and, certainly, coming back to Soweto itself must bring back the memory in a way which is quite frightening.  I am not quite sure if you sat through all of the proceedings yesterday.  Were you here when Dan Montsisi gave evidence?

JANET GOLDBLATT: I was here, but I could not hear him properly and I did not realise that one could obtain these earphones.  So, I actually did not hear properly, but I have spoken to Dan before and, in fact, I met him on a television programme not so long ago.  He was able to shed some light on what happened that day, but not in much detail.