DR RANDERA: Edwin, are you comfortable? Welcome, I see you have some people with you. Would you like to tell us who they are?
MR E B MOLAOLWA: The other one is my aunt with whom I stay, and the other one is a neighbour at home.
EDWIN B MOLAOLWA: (sworn states)
MR MANTHATA: Edwin when you were meeting the police what happened?
MR E B MOLAOLWA: ...coming into the location, why don't we better split from this place and somewhere, because during those days also, they used to visit us and threaten us.
When they arrived at Edward's place, no, firstly they went to my place and I wasn't there - the way my aunt told me - they surrounded the house and those soldiers were heavily armed. And they screamed that people should get out of the house. They threw something out of the house and I think it was something that could detect where I was.
And when someone told them that I as not at home my grandmother, my aunt were made to lie down on their stomachs.
They destroyed the kitchen schemes, they destroyed the drawers because they were looking for me.
When they found me, they kicked the door and the door got broken and we didn't even hear them when they entered MMABATHO HEARING TRC/NORTH WEST
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the yard. There were so many they were full in the yard - I think there were about 20 or more than 20, or such soldiers, who were coming to arrest me.
When we came out it was very bright outside and they were using the spotlights to see us. When they opened the door and I woke up I met a baby of where I was staying. She was falling from the roof. And from the house I can't remember myself walking on my own feet, I can't remember myself touching the ground.
From the house, I think they moved about a distance of 50 metres, whilst I was flying in the air and they were still assaulting me at the same time. Then came Warrant Officer Kok. Warrant Officer Kok when he came said, this is the one, this is the piece of shit I have been looking for a long time. So everyone was coming out of the yard, but these soldiers had time to hit me.
And by that time I was lying on my stomach. Others were putting their boots on my back. And on that day there were some activities. We had been raided.
They took us to the police station - I mean the Security Branch Offices. From there they shared us, because they took us from one van and they split us, each person taken to different security branches, because, normally they use to report from different places like Bloemfontein and Kimberley.
They blindfolded us, they took us to a farm which I don't know. If I remember well it must be somewhere in the west of Vryburg, because the cars were parked next to Vryburg and when they left they turned into another way, which I think was at Kuruman direction. Probably they had farms in that direction, and I think this farm, these tall MMABATHO HEARING TRC/NORTH WEST
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trees, and one would think it was a deserted place, it wasn't used for farming, because there was nothing, neither the sound of a cow or a pig. One would think it was used only by the police.
On that farm is where I got assaulted the most. They assaulted me and tortured me through the system of helicopter, put me in the bag and they all did bad things unto me which they could do at that time.
There was a time when they brought Edward Romagadi to me, because they said what was the time that we were from the church. I said quarter past nine and this other guy said half past nine and this made things worse, because of the different times we told them.
From there I was very weak. They took us and we got to the farm at about four o'clock in the morning and we were tortured up until seven o'clock, that is we took about three hours under torture.
Later they took us to the police station. Comrade Jomo saw I was very weak and he took me to the doctor. The doctors were also afraid to write a medical certificate regarding my condition. The doctor just wrote that I had bruises and I could see that he was afraid to tell the truth and there was no doctor we could trust among the whites, except the Indian doctors who could help us, but they were also afraid to help us at that time.
And on that day, in the evening, Jomo forced the people to take me to Johannesburg. And the following day I was taken to the doctors from Nanda. I received treatment from those doctors, where I stayed for two weeks. But at that time I was really weak and the way I heard the doctors speak, they thought that my brain was shaken. They were
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still contemplating what to do so that I could recover.
I then returned to Vryburg. And this went on every time these policemen met me. They would take me or if I would sell a newspaper they would take me again to the police cells.
When they again came to fetch me, I think it was in June 1985, I'm not sure of the date, they again came at about four o'clock in the morning. I was together with Abraham Moklete and Errol Ramorogadi.
They said to me we are here to pick you up. I was scared and I just gave up. I said, let them do what they want to do. They picked me up and took me straight to Kimberley in Transvaal Road. They took me to the sixth floor at the Security Branch, or it was a Department of Security Branch. I think we arrived at about six o'clock in the morning and the police have been waiting for me there. When I entered through the door they were on me.
Speelman started, he was a Sergeant at that time, he slapped me and I was so angry, I wanted to revenge or
to retaliate and I opened the door so that they could all take part.
They applied the helicopter system again and they electrocuted me. They used a plastic bag to suffocate me and they were still hitting me underneath the feet. They used something to hit me on the head. I didn't know what was happening.
When I regained consciousness I was in another room. It was now in the afternoon, at about 3 o'clock and I asked myself, am I still asleep? There was a black policeman who was standing there, guarding me. My body was painful. You know, the pain that I was in was even worse than a
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toothache. I wanted to stand up but I couldn't. They supported me and they took me to a cell.
The following day I asked them to take me to a doctor. They refused. They cross-questioned me in stead, asking me about the activities of the ANC, the whereabouts of the people who skipped the country. They said I was in a position to tell them exactly what happened.
Everytime they would come to me to interrogate me and torture me as well. They were searching for Muluke, for Muluke was one of the people who skipped the country. Everytime they would come and torture me.
I spent about two months in the process of torture. I was being tortured from time to time. And every time after two weeks I would be taken to a doctor and I didn't trust the doctors to an extent of telling them where the pains were in my body, because I knew them as enemies as well.
This really affected me mentally.
In the third month, if I am not mistaken, I was taken to Zeerust. There were Security Branch Offices in the Old Mutual Building. That is where I got further torture. They fiddled with my private parts, they did everything to me.
They still maintained that I was in a position to tell them about the people in Botswana. They insisted on the fact that I know how the people skipped the country.
I was under Section 29 until I was released in February 1986. I wasn't myself. I was very weak.
Some of the people say I am much better because I was nearly mad. A few days after my release I wasn't quite well but I remember that when I got back the vigilantes were in Huhudi. And my aunt felt that my life was in danger. I would never last. And then I was taken to Johannesburg.
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The activists from Black Sash organized me a treatment at a Transvaal hospital. I can't remember the name of the psychiatrist, but I was under psychiatric treatment.
I stayed in Johannesburg until June and on the other hand I was still going for treatment. That was twice a week.
Since then I have suffered a lot. From the farm and to the period of solitary confinement I had this terrible headache that will never stop if I use tablets. Even in exile I was attended by a psychiatrist. I am not sure whether it was a psychiatrist or a psychologist, but it was treatment that he gave me.
Up until now I won't say I was the original person I was. I will stop there.
CHAIRPERSON: We thank you.
I see here in the statement there is written Florina Mahlangu. It looks like she also wants to say something and explain what happened. I don't know if the Chairlady will give her permission to go ahead.
MS MAHLANGU: I won't say too much because I feel bad if I remember many things that happened to my child. It was so painful I spent sleepless nights. Everytime he was fetched by the police I would be depressed and the most painful thing that happened was when he was taken from Ramogadi. I was very hurt. For when I arrived there in the morning I found that all the furniture was broken. That is why I cried, asking myself, if the situation is like this, how is my child where he is?
This boss, when they arrived in Long Place they used to ask me where is Shimane? And I would say to them, I don't know where Shimane is. They would say, you are staying with MMABATHO HEARING TRC/NORTH WEST
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another person in this house. This person is very dangerous. How could he be dangerous whilst he is my child? I know him very well. And they would say, he is very dangerous and they want to help me.
Brand and Kok came to me one day - I can't remember the other one, they said they were looking for something from the toilet. They climbed on the toilet, searching. When they came back my husband asked them, what are you looking for? They said, we are looking for something and Shimane said that thing is somewhere here.
I feel very hurt when he says he is better, because he is very weak now.
After they took him to Kimberley they came home and they said, we are looking for his ID and he said his ID was hidden in the toilet. My husband said, how could his ID be in the toilet while we have such a big house. It must be in the house. No, they said, Shimane told us to go to the toilet, the ID was there.
I would like to say if those people is still around, that is Kok and Brand, wouldn't they help me to give treatment to my son, so he could be the person I know originally. He can't get better. Sometimes his works doesn't work well - his head. And when he is in that situation he hits everyone around him.
He also has a problem with his back. Sometimes he lies down for two to three weeks, complaining about his back and I won't say much. I'm very hurt about what happened to me.
This boss made us to sleep in the cold, pointing guns at us. When we would think they were away they would say, stay low, lie down and we would do so. They also did this
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to small children. They were so full in the house we didn't know what to do and we didn't know what they were looking for. How could you search for someone in the drawers? I had a wooden kitchen unit but still now that kitchen unit has a mark of De Kock's boot.
I would end there.
CHAIRPERSON: Edwin, every time they were arresting you was the UDF still continuing with its works?
MR MOLAOLWA: Yes, whilst I was still in detention they were able to sweep the village of the leadership who was still at home and there remained only the youth, but the UDF's activities stil continued.
CHAIRPERSON: Were you the only one who was a member of UDF, being arrested at the time or did you meet some in detention. Did you know of any others?
MR MOLAOLWA: Yes, I knew that Ruflin was also in detention. I knew about him at the time that I was going to the doctor, but I don't exactly know if it was November, but it was around that time. One other who was also arrested was Shimi and others were arrested in Vryburg and I was not aware of them.
CHAIRPERSON: Everytime you were arrested and released, arrested and released, wasn't there an Attorney for Human Rights who would actually give service to you.
MR MOLAOLWA: When I left the plaas to attend my treatment we tried to go to the Attorney to sue the policemen. I left the case, but he told me that the more he tried to sue this policeman they can actually harm you. And that also scared me. Even the days of - at home, every evening, there were cars that would be parked at the street and it was dark those days, because Vryburg is just a dark city. We were MMABATHO HEARING TRC/NORTH WEST
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always scared for anything could happen and take place.
CHAIRPERSON: Who was your attorney?
MR MOLAOLWA: It was Priscilla, but we never continued with the case. I just left it.
CHAIRPERSON: You were talking about the physicians, that they were treating you, diagnosing you but they could not give you proper medicine or treatment.
Tell us, what was going on and what was happening.
MR MOLAOLWA: Yes they managed to give me some treatment, but there was a problem, because they were talking about brain shaking.
CHAIRPERSON: And then?
MR MOLAOLWA: They were contemplating about the X-ray issue and they were wondering if the X-ray wouldn't affect my brain. They thought probably that the X-ray would worsen the problem. Then they stopped the X-rays and they continued to give me treatment, medicine.
CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.
CHAIRPERSON: Edwin and your mom, we are very thankful that you came forward. We are feeling bad about the torture that you experienced.
I just want to ask, what are you doing now?
MR MOLAOLWA: Now, I'm just at home. I am not employed, but I would say that I just do some voluntary work for the community. Each time there is some job to be done in the community I will do that, but I am not employed.
CHAIRPERSON: Edwin, we trust and hope that we will provide some help. Thank you.
