Amnesty Hearing

Type AMNESTY HEARINGS
Starting Date 25 July 2000
Location PRETORIA
Day 5
Names R RABOTAPI
Case Number AM64313/97
Matter MATTER POSTPONED
URL http://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=54373&t=&tab=hearings
Original File http://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/amntrans/2000/200725pt.htm

MR MAPOMA: Thank you Chairperson, the next matter is Rabotapi, amnesty application 6313. It appears as 16 in the summarised schedule and appears as N in the paginated bundle.

MR KOOPEDI: That matter, Chairperson and this is where I have a very big difficulty, the person Rabotapi whom we've been looking for, was found and finally arrived here this morning, Chairperson, but it then transpired that this is the wrong Rabotapi, it's not the person whom we've looked for. I have had a discussion with the victim in this matter who has an idea where the real Rabotapi could be. My feeling and understanding about this matter is that the applicant and the victim both belonged to one political organisation, they still do, they all work for the Government, there is a possibility that this matter will be withdrawn, Chairperson. However, I am unable to say so before I have spoken to the correct Rabotapi and in this instance, I have no suggestion, it may well be that the Committee wants to strike the matter off, or push this matter to another Committee, but I am unable to take the matter any further, because I've not spoken to the correct applicant.

CHAIRPERSON: Where does the correct applicant live?

MR KOOPEDI: I have no idea, Chairperson.

CHAIRPERSON: I mean we have here a copy of a letter sent to him at 8492 Zone 6, P O Kotzo, Diepkloof.

MR KOOPEDI: From what I got from the victim, he works around Pretoria and it may well be that the address you're referring to is an old address. He's normally seen in the Pretoria area, he works for Military Police.

CHAIRPERSON: So there's no information that he has been properly served, or given notice of the application?

MR KOOPEDI: Well that is indeed so, Chairperson, I have not served him with a notice.

CHAIRPERSON: And when an effort was made to find him, they went and found the wrong person?

MR KOOPEDI: That's what we did. We thought that was the correct Rabotapi, but it wasn't.

CHAIRPERSON: Well it seems to me that the best thing we can do is remove it from our roll and add to that a request to the Committee presided over by Judge Potgieter which is sitting in Johannesburg next week, to hear the matter, if you are able to make contact with the applicant and if you can satisfy that Committee that it can be dealt with promptly without disorganising that Committee's schedule and we would suggest perhaps that it should be till Thursday of next week, when you will be appearing before that Committee.

JUDGE DE JAGER: If there's a withdrawal, they could fax it through to Cape Town.

CHAIRPERSON: Or if there's a withdrawal before then, you can fax that to Cape Town, where it can be dealt with and there will be no problem. We must obviously communicate with Judge Potgieter and tell him we've now sent another one to him, which if it turns out is a matter that is going to be contested, which appears extremely unlikely in view of what you said, except as to the value of the chess board and matters of that nature, he may deal with it, he may not. We can't guarantee that, I want to make it clear that we are not guaranteeing that the matter will be heard next Thursday.

MR KOOPEDI: I fully understand that Chairperson.

MR MAPOMA: Then Chairperson, the last matter is that of Twala and Ramphomane. Twala appears as 9, Ramphomane as number 10 in the summarised schedule and they appear as H in the paginated bundle.