Human Rights Violation Hearings — Winelands — 1996-10-15

UNKNOWN: So my mother said they were not going to readmit me at school because I had gone mad, then the principal had readmitted me to school.  But at school the operations were giving me some problems so I could not sit for a very long time.  So I then decided to leave school, then the following year I went back to school and I passed my Std 5 and continued with my education.  Then in 1987 I just took a decision to leave school and go to work.
 So I stopped going to school, so my mother suggested that I should go to social workers and I did go and they said they could not help me with my case.  So they - they promised to send me to Tygerberg.  So in  [indistinct] I started receiving the disability grant and I went back to school and I passed Std 7, Std 8, Std 9 and last year I was doing my Std 10.  But I failed two subjects.

WENDY ORR: It's - it's remarkable that after the experience you went through you have gone back to school and I'm sure you will pass those 2 subjects and get your Std 10.  I'd like to ask your mother now if she would like to add anything.  She hasn't been sworn in but if she wants to say something, we can go that.
 Mr Landu can you give Ms Dinwa some headphones please.  Can we just check if those headphones are working.  Are those headphones working?  Ms Dinwa can you hear me through the headphones?  Sorry Ms Ndinisa, I'm calling you by the wrong name, Ms Ndinisa can you hear me through the headphones?
MS NDINISA  Duly sworn states

WENDY ORR: Can you go ahead and give us any additional information which you would like us to have about your son.

UNKNOWN: On a Sunday, in the morning I sent him to my sister to go and get my shoes but he did not come back for a long time and at 9 o'clock I started to panic.  I then got to hear that there was some children who had been shot at V section and I felt unhappy.  
Then in the afternoon I went to my sister's place to find out about Andile and my sister told me that Andile had not reached her place.  And so I told her that I had sent Andile to her place.  Then I was shown where these  children had been shot, then other children informed me that there was one child who had been shot and his name Andela but the person who knew best about this was Ms Lando and there were police that were taking guard.
So I went to Mr Lando's place past Ngewu's family and I asked for their on with the name Andile and they also told me about their confusion they had about this name but referred me to Mr Lando's place.  And I went there and I found his wife and he said he had seen the person who had been shot at section L and he described the person.  Then I said that is my son, then I asked him what he had done, then he said he had telephoned for the ambulance.
 So I went back to my sister but my sister said the person who had been shot was not my Andile because the person he had seen was not there - my son.  So I went back to my house and I didn't say anything to my mother but talked to my brother and Andile's father.  As we were walking up the white people were throwing tear gas and I was crying.  So Andile's father came late in the day and I was intending to get to the Tygerberg Hospital.  I decided to go to Tygerberg Hospital but they had given a wrong name.  
Then I decided to go and look at the person, I went into the ward and I saw that there was a policeman that was on guard.  And I asked this policeman whether he was still alive.  There were some breathing devises that he was using so the doctor asked me not to talk to him because he was in a bad state and I was crying but the doctor asked me to leave and go home.  
In the morning I went to the advise office and - to give them a report that I had seen Andile.  I went to the Police Station and I asked for the head of the police and the Investigating Officer and I was told that it was - it was Willemse but there was not case as yet.  So I met Willemse and he told me that he was busy so I kept on visiting my son in Tygerberg.  So one Saturday I went to the hospital and I was told that Andile had been discharged - in fact he had been taken away by the police from Paarl.
And queried why they could do that because he still had this bullet on his back.  Than I got onto a train and went to the Police Station where I found 2 ladies and - who said to me that there was no hope that my son was going to leave.  And they had - Andile had asked these 2 ladies to tell me that he was in pain.  So I asked the police to allow me to see my son but they refused.  Then I talked to Randindi to take the food to Andile, then he asked me to take the fruit away but took the other food. 
On my way home I heard some people calling from the cells and they told me that Andile was in a very bad state.  He couldn't do anything for himself - they were washing him and they asked me to do something.  So on Monday morning I went to see Mr Willemse at the Police Station, so Randindi went to look for Mr Willemse and I went up to the 3rd floor to meet him.  And I asked him whether he wanted that my son should die - should die.
Then he said my son should tell them the truth, who had sent them to go and burn the house.  Then I told them that my son knew nothing about that - I sent him to my sister's house.  Then I warned him that I was going to send them to court and them he said to me I should go away and they were going to take my son back to Tygerberg.
So when I phoned Tygerberg I was told that Andile was back there, Andile was in hospital and them early in the morning at 5 o'clock some policemen came to our house asking for Nogene and my mother came to me and showed them into my room and they asked me - they said they wanted to talk to me.  And I didn't want to come out.  There were a lot of these white policemen but Willemse was not amongst them.
I refused to go with them, and my brother insisted that they should talk there at home so they left me.  The following day they came back and they asked for my ID book and they asked for my name but I told them that my name is not Gene and that name does not appear on my ID book.  But one of them said this is the person we are looking for.  So I put on a coat and shoes and got into their van, they drove round the location until we got to the Police Station at about 7 o'clock in the morning.  These white persons would be coming to me asking me why I was sitting there.   
I would tell them I was told to sit there, after a long time April Thladi with Willemse came stood at the door and looked at me and they called me.  We went up to the upper floors of the Police Station and they asked me about Marchels, I told them I knew nothing about Marchels.  They asked me about my children, then I said I knew nothing about my - the activities of my children.  
So they wanted a lot of information about what was happening in the location, about my children's activities.  Then they said they were going to send me to Pollsmoor, then they took me to Pollsmoor and kept me there for 3 months but after some time I was released. And Andile too was released, there - Andile was accused of burning a house and then there was a lawyer representing him.  
And so Andile was released, so a certain man from Cape Town  [indistinct] came to explain to me that the State was saying that Thladi was off duty at the time.  So I wanted to find out why he had used a gun when he was off duty.

WENDY ORR: [indistinct] you and your son have both been through very difficult times.  I have now - I have no further questions and will hand you back to the Chair.

MS GOBODO: Thank you Wendy, anybody with questions?

<UNKNOWN>: Andile just a number of short questions.  You said that you are taking a computer course at the moment, do you have an income - are you able to work?