Human Rights Violation Hearings — Krugersdorp — 1996-11-12

MRS SEKHOACHA: As Maria was standing there, I looked at her.  We could not talk.  At that time I was swollen and
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when she was looking like me, swollen as well.  
 We were arrested round about one o' clock.  Round about four o' clock we were still sitting there and we were hungry.  We did not even have money when we went to school and we were rushing to get home so that we could get something to eat.  There was a dish that they pushed underneath the door.  This door would make room for this small dish and it was a silver dish with dry porridge.  We could not eat such a dry porridge because at that time even our mouths were full of blood.  We were not saying anything,  we were just looking at each other.  Nobody was talking to the other.  
 At that time I heard a bunch of keys opening doors, but I did not see the other cells.  I only saw this particular cell I was in.  Then somebody finally opened our door.  That person asked us why did you not eat?  We kept quiet.  He said Kaffirs, I am going to cut your tails off.  He took this dish and he took it away.  It was the first day.  
 On the second day a different person came.  This person opened the door, he did nothing.  He just took Maria Gobganie.  I could not even ask at that time or say anything.  He took Maria and put her in a different cell.  That is what I think because that is when I heard a bunch of keys opening the other cell.  I was left alone in this cell.  I laid there alone and whenever they would push this porridge in, I would not eat it.  They would come and take it away.  We were served this lunchtime and at four o' clock again.  When I tried to open the tap to get some water because I wanted to wash the blood clots in my mouth, but only found out that there was no water running from the tap.  I just swallowed because there was nothing else I could do.  KRUGERSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
6 A SEKHOACHA
I could not sleep.  I was squatting, still dressed in my uniform.  I could not even use the blankets because they were so dirty.  I was not actually in a deep sleep.  I could not fall asleep and I had a headache at that time.  I felt dizzy all the time and I kept on trying to see if I could get some water, but, unfortunately, there was no water.  That was on the second day and I was dizzy at that moment.  I was not aware as to what was happening to Maria at that time.  
 On the third day a black man walked in round about eight o' clock.  He was a black policeman.  He wanted to know what are you doing here?  I could not answer him.  He just closed the door.  Round about two o' clock I heard the bunch of keys again and when I got the bunch of keys, they opened and I just told myself that today I am dead.  A white, tall policeman opened the door and said to me, get away here, fuck off, and that is when I left.  
 When I left I did not even know which direction to use.  I did not use the direction to the station, I used the opposite direction.  Then I realised after some time that I was getting lost and people were looking at me, surprised.  At that time people did not even care for one another.  Then I decided to turn back and I followed another gentleman.  I asked him for money.  He did not have time for me, he did not care much.  He wanted to know where I was from.  I wanted to explain to him and I just needed a fare from him.  He said I must follow him and he bought me a ticket.  I managed to catch a train here at Krugersdorp.  I got off at Leopardsvlei.  This gentleman took a different route to use the taxis.  I went had to walk home in that state.  We had to walk all the time because it was nearby.  I was resting 
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all the time.  Since I was arrested on that day from school my uniform was stained with blood and I was feeling very ill, but I managed to get home.
 When I got home I found out that our parents ran up and about.  They did not know where to report and there were no telephones available at that time.  We do not know whether our parents did go to report at the school or not, but Maria Gobganie's parents also went out to look for her.  I thought that they released Maria Gobganie first and then me after, but only to find out that Maria never came back.  When I came back my father collapsed and when he collapsed, then they tried to wake him up.  They asked me what happened and I explained what happened.  They gave me some water to wash myself up.  I had some injuries in my body.  My left rib, even today, I cannot even do washing for my children.  It was injured, it was painful.  
 Maria Gobganie's parents were not there.  They went to look for her, where is she.  Whilst we were sitting there they came back and relatives were called, aunts and uncles.  They were still alive then, in order to discuss this incident.  Maria Gobganie never showed up at that time.  I told them that since they took her to a different cell, but only found out that they will release me.  That was the last time I saw her.  Investigations did not go any further.  At that time even when you tried to investigate something, it would be in vane.  My father tried and at that time everybody was scared of the policemen because there was a possibility that one would land in prison at that time.  My father's health deteriorated since then because, and he is mentally disturbed until today.  
 I even got married with this painful rib, injured rib.  KRUGERSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
8 A SEKHOACHA
I cannot even do washing properly.  I have to get assistance from somebody and I do not have enough finances to pay that person.  My tastebuds are not functioning properly.  I cannot eat peanuts or apples.  
 This affected me until I got employment, but even at that employment I was beaten up by the police.  That was because I was trying to fight oppression on behalf of the physciatric patients who were being ill-treated by the hospital.  When I sat down with the management for them to handle the patients well, that is when I was assaulted by the police.  For 20 years I could not even get a house.  
 I suffered from 1991 until 1994 when my child was arrested at the field.  This unfortunateness has been with me since then till 1994.  My son was playing at the field on a Sunday.  I had no food on that particular Sunday.  A friend had given me some spinach in order to feed my family because I was the breadwinner and nobody could help me.  
 I had a son who was doing dental technology, but when I was dismissed he could not further his studies because of lack of finance.  Today he is a drunkard.  He cannot go further with his studies.  
 I saw a police van coming.  There were four children and the fifth one was my son.  I was shocked when the policeman knocked.  I could not see my child properly because I was frightened.  I asked the policeman what did this child do?  They said he did nothing, but he is injured.  I cried, but the one policeman said there is no use in crying because you will not be able to hear exactly what happened.  These children were taken by white policemen at the field.  They were chasing them around with horses.  They took them and threw them by the dam, this white policeman 
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whose name is Botha.  When they got to the dam these policemen got them to be kicked by the horses.  Your child has been so seriously injured because he demanded to know what they did wrong.  They tied him and they said that you are the one who is going to be thrown into the dam.  They tortured them and they were setting sticks with them and pulling them with their private parts.  They did all the horrible things to them.  We are telling you this because we are already from there.  I asked them as to how did you know that they were there.  They said when these horses were running towards the dam, kicking these boys and your boy was being slipped, tied to a horse.  There is a child who saw this and went to report it to his father.  His father phoned the police.  
 I requested the police to go with me, but they said that when they got to that farm, that farmer's wife said there will not be a Kaffir who would come into my house, rather go and get white policemen.  They said this will not help.  You will have to go and lay a charge.  I did that, but my child is helpless.  He is not studying.  He is doing standard seven, but he is helpless.  He cannot even help me with gardening.  I gave them the statement and then I went to a Government doctor to get a referring letter so that this child can get treatment from Doctor Morula. 
 Doctor Morula treated him for three weeks, but he could not walk or do anything for himself.  He could not walk, he could not see.  The case did not proceed in court, but I reported this to Martin Nswelengie who was a Reporter so that he must reveal that in the newspaper media.  I was concerned what will be this child's future in his state.  Till today I never managed to proceed with the case.  
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The policemen came to me and asked me do you know that Botha is a Law Official, you are wasting your time.  You either go and talk to him for him to be able to buy your sons spectacles.  I cannot do that because I do not have the proof that he will give me the finance or he will buy these spectacles.  So, then suggested that I should go to Randburg Court in June in 1964.  They said I had a Commissioner and Botha to try and solve your problem inside the house to see what we can do for your child when we see that he has been injured seriously and he might be blinded for life.  I waited until twelve o' clock, until today there was never a case, a court case. 
 He is just a crippled child.  He cannot study in the evenings.