hrvtrans HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION HEARINGS 1996-08-12 BEAUFORT WEST 1 CT/00360 THABO ABRAHAM METSING THABO ABRAHAM METSING SHOT BY KITSKONSTABELS https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=54954&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/hrvtrans/beaufort/ct00360.htm DR RAMASHALA Good morning, Mr Metsing. MR METSING Good morning. DR RAMASHALA Can you hear me all right? MR METSING Yes. UNKNOWN Could the victim move a little bit closer to the mike please. He speaks soft. DR RAMASHALA THABO ABRAHAM METSING Duly sworn states DR RAMASHALA Thank you. As you know Ms Seroke is going to be helping you to tell us your story. MS SEROKE In February 1987 six "Green Flies" - that is municipal police - were recruited from Victoria West and began living in the Coloured township of Rustdene. They patrolled KwaMandlekosi, which was the township in Beaufort West, day and night. Some times they used a Administration Board van but mostly patrolled all together on foot. They were armed with 9 mm hand guns and carried shot guns over the weekends. They carried out the duties of the Administration Board such as issuing Summonses for rent. In May 1987 6 kitskonstabels returned from training in Koeberg, Cape and were joined in June by 4 more. Apparently the kitskonstabels were told they were being trained as Security Guards before they were recruited and when some wanted to leave, they were told they would be jailed for 5 years if they left the Force. The kitskonstabels were recruited by the South African Police in a caravan, which came to the township offering a wage of R300-00 per month. The people recruited were mostly unemployed, desperate men. The highest standard of education passed by a member of this group, was Std 7. The kitskonstabels patrolled in groups of 2 or more and curried shotguns. Captain Van Rensburg was in charge of the kitskonstabels and a policeman called Marks handled all complains against them. Marks was reportedly of an aggressive and threatening to people when they reported the bad conduct of one of his men. Residents stated that little to nothing was done about their complains. The residence of KwaMandlenkosi rejected the kitskonstabels because of their aggressive way they treated residence. Residence were badly beaten by the kitskonstabels when drunk. It was reported that the kitskonstabels would go to the shebeen owners in the township and demanded drink. If they refused they were told they would be closed down, so many obliged. It was also reported that the kitskonstabels new the activists in the community and intimidated and threatened them regularly. And during this period 5 people, including the witness standing before us, was shot in Beaufort West by the kitskonstabels. MS SEROKE Hello, Thabo. MR METSING MS SEROKE I was busy relating the story of the circumstances at the time at which you were shot. I would like you to, just very briefly - in your own words, tell us what happened - the incidence which gave rise to your shooting. MR METSING And I left. When I got home I left the things and went forward. When I got to a certain place I saw Skonkwani and I was shot and when I looked I saw that Skonkwani was shooting me and he shot me on my back. When I wanted to run away, I fell and when I got up he - tried to get up again he shot me a second time. And these are pellets that spread when they strike you. And James Diamond and Banana picked me up and took me to the hospital. I was admitted to hospital and stayed there for 6 days - I think it was about 6 days for which I lay there - before I was sent to Tygerberg Hospital, in Cape Town. I came back in January - I think it was early in January - I know that I spent my new years day here at home. When I came back from hospital, I saw James Diamond and a attorney coming to my place who was - the attorney was Matxharbey. When we got there, everything - as far as my claims - was sorted out and I was told that I would get my money after 3 weeks. I waited for 3 weeks for my money and I think in 1992 I borrowed money from this attorney and he gave me MS SEROKE In your statement you said that on the 3rd of December 1988 - the day on which you were sent to go and buy groceries - there where some uprising in the township. What was happening? MR METSING MS SEROKE You say that Spyker was a kitskonstabel. MR METSING Yes, he was a kitskonstabel. MS SEROKE And he said to you that you were silly for a long time, boy. What - what did he refer to you having done when he said you were silly? What - what was he referring to? MR METSING MS SEROKE Were you a member of any political organization? MR METSING Yes, I was. MS SEROKE Which organization was it? MR METSING The ANC. MS SEROKE Do you think that this silliness that they referred to was cause by you having been a member? MR METSING I think - I think so. I think I could say that they said I was silly because I was a member of the ANC. MS SEROKE MR METSING The ANC was doing a lot - we did a lot of work - and we were working very well with the people. And even these kitskonstabels, that were shooting people - the people were being told that you cannot walk around with a gun in front of the children. And people would just be shot. It you see somebody drunk, you just shoot at a drunk person, because there are children that run around here to. MS SEROKE I want to know - this Spyker - is it this Ben Vuso referred to in your statement? MR METSING MS SEROKE Did he just shoot you at random without you having done anything? MR METSING MS SEROKE You say that this incident was seen by Diamond and Banana. Did they see you being shot? MR METSING Yes. MS SEROKE Are those your witnesses? MR METSING Yes. MS SEROKE You went to Beaufort West and stayed in hospital, were you where diagnoses by a doctor. Do you still have any documents relating to the doctors? MR METSING Yes, I do have some doctors papers at home. MS SEROKE You once again, in your statement, say that Ben Vuso - who shot at you - was never present at court even though the court said that they suspected him of having done this. MR METSING Let me say I do not know who killed him, because I was still in hospital and I was still very confused. MS SEROKE You say that upon your discharge from hospital there was this case where Matxhabey and Partners represented you. Do they still exist? MR METSING Yes. MS SEROKE So if we want any documents relating to your case, we would be able get them from them? MR METSING Yes. MS SEROKE You say that you received a amount of R6,420-00 and that was all. MR METSING Yes, that was all. MS SEROKE Were you ever promised that there was more money. MR METSING Yes. MS SEROKE Did you ever ask about it? MR METSING MS SEROKE Are you currently employed? MR METSING No, I cannot work because my back gives me problems, because of the pellets. MS SEROKE You say that you went to the doctor and in an attempt to apply for a disability grant and the first doctor declared you unfit. Why did you have to go for a second opinion - to a second doctor? MR METSING I received a document from Oudtshoorn saying that I should take it to the doctor once more and I went to another doctor, Dr Ackermann, - not the doctor I went to the first time . The first doctor I went to I think was Dr Van der Westhuizen ( a tall doctor), I cannot remember, I think it was Dr Van der Westhuizen. MS SEROKE In other words you do not receive a grant. MR METSING No. MS SEROKE How do you survive? MR METSING MS SEROKE Just before I hand you over to the chairperson, I would like you to stand up and come and stand in front of the Commission so that you can show us the wound that you sustained. Please remove your headphones. Turn around so that we can see the wounds on your back. Lift up your clothing. Is that the scar of the operation that you underwent at Tygerberg? MR METSING Yes. MS SEROKE Thank you very much. No more questions, Chairperson. CHAIRPERSON Any further questions? Thank you. We do not have enough words of sympathy for you. There are so many people like you - youth who have sustained these kind of injuries. I do not know if it would appease you if I said that we thank you - the vast majority of youth - who sacrificed themselves so that today we have freedom in our country. Thanks to these sacrifices made by so many people like yourself who sustained these kind of injuries. Look at you, I mean today we are a free nation. We have a democracy, a democratically elected Precedent. We appreciate the contribution you have made, even though it was a painful one for you and as the Commission we will look into this matter and try and establish why you are not receiving a disability grant as yet. Thank you very much. May I just say thank you to the people, especially from Carnarvon, who have come all the way to attend the hearing. We thank the people from Carnarvon [indistinct]