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

PAULINA MAMIKIE MOTSISI: I was 15 years old at that time.

YASMINE SOOKA: Thank you very much.  I have no more questions.
KRUGERSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
6 P M MOTSISI

CHAIRPERSON: Dr Randera.

DR RANDERA: Paulina, just one question, Mzondile who came to tell you about what had happened to your brother.  Was he with your brother at the time?

PAULINA MAMIKIE MOTSISI: Yes, he was accompanying him at that time.

DR RANDERA: And do you know where he lives?

PAULINA MAMIKIE MOTSISI: He is staying in the same street as ours in Gaphlo Street.

DR RANDERA: Thank you very much.

PROF MEIRING: There is only one question I would like to put to you, a very simple one.  Why have you come to the Truth Commission today?

PAULINA MAMIKIE MOTSISI: I came to the Commission today because whenever we watched on Sundays on television we saw people with similar problems that my mother encountered and that is when I tried to find out so that I could come forward to explain about this incident.

PAULINA MAMIKIE MOTSISI: Am I right in saying that you want information?  We can help you to find more information on the death of your brother, that will be a help to you?

PAULINA MAMIKIE MOTSISI: Can you repeat the question please?

PROF MEIRING: I am asking is one of your real needs to find out what really happened to your brother that day?  Why he was killed, more information on the reasons for his death?

PAULINA MAMIKIE MOTSISI: We want to know why he was shot because he was a worker and it was surprising that he was shot because he was not a student.  The people who were involved in all this trouble were students and he was just shot on his way to the shop.  That is one thing that makes us quite surprised to why was he shot.

PROF MEIRING: Thank you very much.
KRUGERSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
7 P M MOTSISI

CHAIRPERSON: Paulina and Mrs Motsisi, we thank you for coming here today to tell us about this painful event.  We know that at that time the policemen did not have respect for black people.  They use to shoot randomly without any reason even on your way to the shop to buy cigarettes.  We will try, we note that this happened in 1976 and even car registrations have changed and we do not have the registration numbers for this yellow Sierra, but we will investigate this.  Should we have any results we will contact you and let you know.  At the moment all we can say is that we pray that God will help you and thank you.
 We are going to have a short break and before we go out for our break we would like to welcome some more guests that have arrived.  We have Christina Haasenbush who is in the Youth Department of the German Baptist Union in Hamburg.  We also have Sandy Cole and Dan Cole, both from the American Baptist Churches of the United States of America.  Could you please stand so that we all welcome you.  Thank you.  We will be back, I do not have a watch, at five past eleven.  Could you please stand.  
 We will be back at five past eleven.  We request people not to leave before the witnesses leave the hall.  Can we have some respect please.  Let us wait until our witnesses leave the all.  We will be back at five past eleven.  
KRUGERSDORP HEARING TRC/GAUTENG