Human Rights Violation Hearings — Alexandra — 1996-10-30

MS MKHIZE: As a person who was involved in politics did you get any assistance from the ANC at that time?

DOKKIE ELIAS MAYISA: No.

MS MKHIZE: I would like to thank you and take you back to the Chairperson to allow other commissioners to ask questions.

YASMINE SOOKA: Mr Mayisa, you mentioned that there were three comrades in this Cressida.  Were all three of them not on
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friendly terms with the deceased?

DOKKIE ELIAS MAYISA: I only know one of them who was an enemy to the deceased.

YASMINE SOOKA: Do you know his name?

DOKKIE ELIAS MAYISA: He is name is Masholo Sholo.

YASMINE SOOKA: ... the bodies, you say that you found Dilon at the government mortuary with two others.  Were the two others the people who had been in the Cressida?  Was one of them Masholo Sholo or was that someone different?

DOKKIE ELIAS MAYISA: I would say yes.  Those were the people in the Cressida.

YASMINE SOOKA: But it was not the one who was his enemy.

DOKKIE ELIAS MAYISA: I would say three of them died, there were the three of them.  We found them at the mortuary.

YASMINE SOOKA: But the one that you just named was he amongst the dead?

DOKKIE ELIAS MAYISA: Yes, that is correct.

YASMINE SOOKA: Do you know the driver of that vehicle?

DOKKIE ELIAS MAYISA: They investigated about the Cressida and it was found that it was registered through John Vorster.

YASMINE SOOKA: Also in your statement you talked about the face of the deceased having acid burns.  Can you tell us more about that please.

DOKKIE ELIAS MAYISA: Ja.  His face as burnt with acid and his hands, on his forehead there was a hole of this size, his neck was broken.  You can turn him to any direction.  His left leg couldn't be stretched.  It was broken, it had to remain bent and the back of the heel, there was a hole, when you see inside you can see the bone.  In his stomach the sideways there were about - it looked like he was shot four times and on his knees it looked as though he was shot in each knee.
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I don't remember well what it looked like there.

YASMINE SOOKA: What is the name of the investigating officer on this matter?

DOKKIE ELIAS MAYISA: It is not the police who were searching but we heard the incident about Comrade Dipu.

YASMINE SOOKA: Thank you.

MS SEROKE: Mr Mayisa, you said they were asked to go to Shell House.  Were they called to go to Shell House?

DOKKIE ELIAS MAYISA: He usually frequented the place.  He just went there.

MS SEROKE: When Comrade Dipu told you about the incident did you go to enquire more from him as to how he found out that these people were shot at Garankua?

DOKKIE ELIAS MAYISA: He said he got it from a telephone message, someone phoned from Garankua.  They found his phone numbers and they called him to give him the message. Because the deceased had some beads around his neck and they were a symbol of his political organisation.

MR LEWIN: Mr Mayisa may I think who do you think was responsible for your nephew's death?

DOKKIE ELIAS MAYISA: I don't have any clue.

MR LEWIN: Where do you think that we as the Commission should look and perhaps Dilon's sister would also like to say something.  Would she like to say anything?   Before you do that could I just ask you to take the oath as well.

ELDA TSHABALALA: (s.s.):  What I can ask before the Commission I would like you to investigate, especially the police because usually during those days when we were at home, police used to frequent us.  One day they came to attack him at night, they knocked at the door and saying that if he doesn't open the door he is going to pull it.  He ALEXANDRA HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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opened the door that day. They told him that they wanted arms.  They said he had  arms because he is an ANC member.   My brother said you can go and search for arms anywhere in the house but if you don't find them you must know that now we are going to fight about this, he told the police.

MR LEWIN: Why do you think the police were responsible for his death?

ELDA TSHABALALA: I would say that police harassed him.  In most cases, even when he was coming to the ANC offices Mkupani he would say that we were attacked on the way to the offices, they stopped us and robbed us. They were asking us saying maybe you are carrying arms in your car.

MR LEWIN: Could I ask if you do think of any other points which might help us in our investigation if you could please contact us again so that we can try and help you in finding out what actually happened in that time.   And could you just give us your name please.

ELDA TSHABALALA: My name is Elda Tshabalala.

MR LEWIN: Thank you.  Are there any other points that you would like, either of you, to say to the Commission.

ELDA TSHABALALA: Before, while he was still alive, he got into altercation with the police and he reported one of the police.

MS SEROKE: Do you know this police?

ELDA TSHABALALA: I don't know them because I didn't have time to sit with him and chat, I was working.  I normally come back late in the evening.

MS SEROKE: Why did he report them?

ELDA TSHABALALA: It was because every time when they see him they always wanted arms from him.  They always came and searched the house looking for arms.  They broke everything,
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wardrobes.

MS SEROKE: And you don't know the police?

ELDA TSHABALALA: Yes, we don't know them.  I personally I would say I don't know them because I used to go to work and only when I come back to discover what they have done in the house.

MR LEWIN: Was there any evidence that you had ever that he had arms?

ELDA TSHABALALA: There was no such evidence.

MR LEWIN: Elias and Elda we would like to thank you very much for coming to the hearing today, for telling us this story.  We will try and follow it up. As I think we have said in so many cases before the real pain, apart from the real pain of someone dying is the pain of not knowing why they died or how they died or who was responsible and that is something that we as a Commission are trying to do.  As I have said, if there is anything more that you remember please don't hesitate to come forward and let us know because we will investigate this and we will try and come back to you.  We understand your pain and we are very grateful to you for sharing your pain with all of us here.  We feel part of the community, we feel that it is very important, as you have shown, very important to come forward and to tell these stories, however painful they are.  So thank you very much for coming, both of you.  Thank you.