Human Rights Violation Hearings — Johannesburg — 1996-04-30

GOTLA PAULINA MOHALE: It's Tsutsubi, Coetzee and Boegenhout, I cannot pronounce his name perfectly well, I know them.
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MS SEROKE: Are they still alive today?

GOTLA PAULINA MOHALE: No I don't have any idea.

MS SEROKE: Thank you very much.

CHAIRPERSON: Are there questions?

DR RANDERA: Just to start off with, you say earlier in your statement when you were arrested at the Swaziland border one of the people who was with you was your brother, your brother David Mohale, I trust he is alive and well?

GOTLA PAULINA MOHALE: Yes he is still alive.

DR RANDERA: I want to go back to your imprisonment.  You went to four prisons, Krugersdorp, John Vorster Square, the prison near the Swaziland border and then finally Pretoria Maximum Security Prison, you were a political prisoner at the time, you say that you were seen one time during all those months of internment by a doctor, how many times did you actually request to be seen by a doctor in the times that you were in all these different prisons?

GOTLA PAULINA MOHALE: Many times, many times, I requested many times to see the doctor.

DR RANDERA: I just want to go back to the one time that a doctor did see you and this was after you had been tortured, I raise these questions because in the past some district surgeons have been accused by other prisoners on the way they were treated and on this one occasion that you were seen by a doctor did the doctor examine you properly, did he make proper recommendations?  I see you mention that he gave tablets that made you sleepy only.

GOTLA PAULINA MOHALE: He never examined me thoroughly.  He gave me these drugs so that I can be asleep throughout.

DR RANDERA: And my last question Paulina is that you mention a lawyer when you were at the Pretoria Maximum
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Prison, what was the name of the lawyer?

GOTLA PAULINA MOHALE: It was Mr Chitaka and Mr Chakelson and Jeff, they were four, but the one who visited us in prison it was Raymond Chitaka.

YASMINE SOOKA: Paulina can you tell us how old you were the first time when you were put in prison?

GOTLA PAULINA MOHALE: I was 26 years old.

YASMINE SOOKA: How long did you spend in total in jail?

GOTLA PAULINA MOHALE: I stayed about 18 months because I was arrested in '76 and released in '77.

YASMINE SOOKA: You said to us that you were tortured and in fact you've described for us the physical parts of the torture, but could you tell us a little bit about the emotional effect that the torture had on you please?

GOTLA PAULINA MOHALE: It really made me feel bad.  At times I would dream.  I couldn't adjust to the situation, to the normal situation of the family.  I got quickly irritated, even the music because where I was I couldn't listen to music. Even if a child was crying I felt this cry in my nerves.

YASMINE SOOKA: You had a nervous breakdown and that you were in fact taken - you have been visiting a neurologist in Baragwanath, do you still receive treatment for your condition?

GOTLA PAULINA MOHALE: Not now. I am only depending on tablets.  I don't get any treatment.

YASMINE SOOKA: At any time during the 18 months did any magistrate ever visit you and when you came up to court when the proceedings were postponed did the prosecutor never object to the fact that you had been in prison so long?

GOTLA PAULINA MOHALE: The prosecutor said nothing.  There wasn't even a magistrate who came to visit me.
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YASMINE SOOKA: Could you tell us a little bit about what you are actually doing now, whether you are employed, whether you are married or have children and in what way this has affected your life.

GOTLA PAULINA MOHALE: I am not employed at the moment.  I am married.  I have children.  I have four children at this moment.  I went to the ANC Welfare two years back and I asked them to help me with my studies.  After having been released I so much wanted to go to school and then I went to Damelin, I passed my course which was a computer course.  I am still searching for employment.  I am not working as you see me now.  The children are at school, I have to support them.

YASMINE SOOKA: Will you tell this Commission what you have told us in the statement about who you were on trial with.

GOTLA PAULINA MOHALE: I was together with Tokyo Sexwale, the Premier, Naledi Tsiki, Bafana and Mr Ramokgadi, Gotso Seatlholo, the late Mr Nchabelaneng, I really forgot the names of the others.  I gave you a paper with their names.  Our case was referred to as 11 men, one woman.

CHAIRPERSON: Any other?   Pauline and your mother we still say the same words to you, we sing the same song, we only switch it over from one face to the other.
 We want to say thank you very much because you came to appear before us and we are very sorry about what happened to you.  As a Commission you know that we have been put here to try and unite the country and reconcile.  We want to thank you very much for the efforts that you took and to thank you as well for what you have given to the nation.  We want to say be strong.  We thank you very much.
 We are adjourning until nine o'clock on Thursday morning.  Please can you kindly leave, those of you who have JOHANNESBURG HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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headsets, please just leave them on your seat.  Can everybody remain in the places, standing, until the witnesses and their families leave.  Please stand.
COMMISSION ADJOURNS