CHAIRPERSON: Okay, Isaac, you are welcome. Who have you brought with? We welcome you, be relaxed. We would like to know who is in your company.
CHAIRPERSON: Is it Mrs Morare? Mrs Morare, we also welcome you here. I will ask Wynand to let you take the oath.
MR MALAN: Mr Morare, will you please stand and you will please raise your right hand and take the oath.
ISAAC SAKKIE MORARE: (Duly sworn in, states).
MR MALAN: Thank you very much. You may be seated again.
CHAIRPERSON: I will ask Hugh Lewin to guide you as you tell us your story, your problems.
MR LEWIN: Thank you Mr Chair. Morning Mr Morare. Sorry. Morning Mr Morare. Thank you very much for coming to join us and to tell your story. You have seen the way in which people are enabled here to tell their stories. I just want to confirm that you are going to tell us about an incident which took place in March 1990 and at the time you were living in, is it, Tsepiso in Klipgat whereas now you are in Soshanguve. Is that right?
MR LEWIN: Yes. Then if you could, in your own time and your own words, tell us about that incident which had such a dramatic effect on your life. If you could also explain
the background. For instance what is the ODI which you mention in your statement. If you could explain the background to the incident which took place. Thank you very much.
MR MORARE: On the seventh of March in 1990 I worked at Nissan. There was a march organised. We were supposed to march from Apon to Zone Five. We were supposed to take a petition for the incorporation of Bophuthatswana into South Africa. When we reached Zone Five we were singing, chanting Nkosi Sikelela. The Bophuthatswana soldiers and policemen started shooting teargas at us. That is when they shot on, they shot my left shoulder. At the hospital where I was there was a lawyer who approached me and said, he said he is Willie Sebati. He took statements. After taking statements, his offices are still at H Block, and said once I was released was hospital I must get to his office.
When I approached, when I reached his offices I was told that his office was burnt down. Willie Sebati's office was burnt down. Then he went to Zone 15 where he established an office. I still remember his offices where they are. I have been going to his offices, but I could not find him. As I was still investigating and going to him I was wasting money so I went to the regional offices of Lawyers for Human Rights. I asked them where could I get this person, Willie Sebati. I heard from the Lawyers for Human Rights that Willie Sebati is no longer a lawyer. The Government discovered that Willie Sebati was Mangope's lawyer. He was just wasting your time.
Having heard that I asked these people from Lawyers for Human Rights to draft a letter to be sent to the Minister of Security, Minister Sydney Mufamadi. I had a lawyer, Mr
Shadrack Mahlangu, who drafted the letter for me. I said the letter must not be posted, I will personally deliver it to that office of the Minister. When I was at the Minster's office I was asked to go back home, the Minister will reply to the letter concerning my problem. I stayed some months thereafter. About two to three the Minister replied to the letter. Told me that the case that I sent to the Commissioner of SAPS has been sent to the Minister of, the Commissioner of SAPS.
Early this year or late last year I went to the Minister's office to enquire that the Commissioner of SAPS has not reported to me up till now. Why is it that they are not furnishing me with a response. Then the Minister sent me to his Director. Director Dippenaar said he is still following or investigating the matter. He sent me to the Area Commissioner. I still have the file. The Area Commissioner gave me the telephone numbers for Mmabatho. I still have them in Mafikeng. Even the name of Acting Commissioner Stals. I was fortunate when I tried to phone there. I got Constable Dintne. Constable Dintne told me that he will investigate the matter and tell me what transpired. I must fax the letter from the Minister and then he gave me the numbers. I told him I do not have money, then how could I fax the letter because I was retrenched in 1991. He said to me go to any police station and fax that letter. I agreed, I went to Roslyn Police Station. They faxed the letter. If I remember it was on the 12th of this April this year. Ever since I faxed that letter they said nothing to me again.
I went there again to the police station, but I do not receive any correspondence. They decided to phone and said
if they do not reply we will give you the numbers and then draft a letter, we will fax it again. Ever since they have never given me any correspondence.
MR LEWIN: Thanks very much. Could, just take you back through some earlier parts of the story to make things very clear. What actually happened when the police and army opened fire. You were hit in the shoulder. What happened to the other people who were taking part in the march?
MR MORARE: The others were killed and murdered there. As I remember a lot of people were shot because at the hospital there were a lot of stretchers outside. They shot me on my shoulder if it is possible I can go show you the wounds. My hand, I cannot raise my hand. My left hand, I cannot raise it, but my right hand I can raise it. They shot me on the seventh of March. I was in hospital for the whole of 1990 until 1991, but in the statement I wrote the hospital file number which can maybe explain a little broader. Even when they retrenched me at Nissan I was still in hospital.
MR LEWIN: Yes, we have that. Could you tell us about your retrenchment? That happened because of the incident did it?
MR MORARE: According to their explanation it was retrenchment in 1991. Nissan and Numsa shop steward said that we should not worry, they are still following the matter. I told them why do they retrench me because I was wounded or injured. They said you do not have to worry, those who are retrenched will be readmitted or re-employed again. If they want to recruit employer, employees. 1992 I was unemployed. On the tenth of November, it was on Thursday they called me, I thought they were going to re-employ me. We went to this first aid doctor, we met Dr Cloete. He said because I was wounded that is why I was
retrenched. When I was in hospital I use to go to work with my plasters on, but when I removed the plasters I could not carry on my work, but the doctor decided that I could not work because I was wounded. That was not a good thing that happened.
I wrote a letter to the shop stewards Chairman and explained the reason surrounding my retrenchment. I told him that I was wounded, I am still a member of Numsa. I should explain about my case. So this one when he received this letter I told him, okay, I will meet you at Roslyn. Did you receive a letter that I wrote to you, but he said he does not know about the letter. They retrenched us according to life for system, but this life for system is not a good thing. I forgot the numbers also. I met Isaac Semake. I said they are saying that my case was simple. I timeously went to them to enquire about the matter. They beat around the bush not telling me the facts of the matter at van Orkom number three. When I enquire about the matter they do not tell me the truth.
I even went to Numsa's offices in Roslyn. When I asked them they sent me back to Isaac and Isaac is not prepared to continue with the matter. Lately when I was at this ANC offices, they sent me at De Wet House. I got Mabena there. He told me this case is an old case so they have nothing to deal with that case. Then I got shocked when I received such reasons. Today they said now I have left the evidence dating back to 1977. I am still a member of Numsa even now. In the train I tell people about these matters and some of their songs I cannot chant them because they enjoy, they reap the fruits of our labour. Then they talk about Comrade Shula and then I tell them Comrade Shula should know about
these problem and I suspect he does not know about my case.
MR LEWIN: Since that time, since your retrenchment from Nissan you have had no job at all?
MR MORARE: I am still unemployed.
MR LEWIN: And have you at any stage be offered any retraining so that you could do something else which would not be effected by your wound, the wound on your left side?
CHAIRPERSON: Since you can no longer use your left hand have you not received any training for whatever job that you could do where you would not use your left hand? Maybe we could suggest that you get such training.
MR MORARE: Are you referring to the work at the firm or anywhere else? There was no problem at the firm. I was a tinker operator. I was doing computerised receiving. I did work whilst I had plasters on my left shoulder. I do not know why they have to reject me because I was wounded on my left shoulder. I managed to work with plasters on my shoulder. That is what shocks me.
MR LEWIN: In your statement you, when you were talking about this lawyer, Willie Sebati, who came to visit you. You mention the figure too that you were going to sue for
R200 000,00. Is that what, is that the figure that you actually used in your letters to the Minister now?
MR MORARE: With respect to the letter that I sent to the Minister, I did not mention the amount, but that is true that even if the Commissioner could peruse through his files, I can give you the file number which is with Willie Sebati. Maybe the Commission can investigate, he will know that Willie Sebati did include that amount because he asked me, then I gave him the amount as R200 000,00. However, the letter to the Minister left from his office to the Lawyers
for Human Rights. Willie Sebati is no longer a lawyer. Then he said this case, it is better if it can be solved out of court.
MR LEWIN: Did the Lawyers for Human Rights comment on the figure at all?
MR MORARE: They never gave any comment. They gave me a drafted letter, I gave it to the Minister personally. Then I showed them this is the letter from the Minister. One copy was taken to the Minister and the copy that I had from the Minster, they saw it. I did show it to them and I told them that the Minister did his work. I still have the reference number to that letter. It was not necessary that they should continue.
MR LEWIN: I will pass you back. I do hope that you have been able to give us all the copies of the correspondence and if you have not, if we could get those copies so that we can help you. Thank you very much.
PROF MEIRING: Mr Morare, just a few questions for our record. How old are you at the moment?
MR MORARE: I am 38 years old. I was born in 1957.
PROF MEIRING: Thank you very much and the two children, how old are they?
MR MORARE: One is 16 years old and the other one is eight years old.
PROF MEIRING: And you are not working at the moment. Who are caring for you? Where do you get your money from for day to day living?
MR MORARE: At present me and my wife are making car seat covers. That is what we live from and we sell them at Johannesburg.
PROF MEIRING: Thank you very much.
CHAIRPERSON: Mr and Mrs Morare we thank you. We have
listened to your sufferings and we do understand how you lost the use of your shoulders which prohibited you from caring for your family and doing other work. Therefore we will try as possible as we can regarding what you told us and see whether we cannot help you and we will do so by contacting you and telling you about what we have come up after making a few investigations.