hrvtrans HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION HEARINGS 1996-08-13 BEAUFORT WEST 2 CT/00570 MANDLENKOSI KRATSHI SIMPHIWE KRATSHI [son], NONCEBA MANGALISO FATHER SHOT & KILLED BY POLICE https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=54963&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/hrvtrans/beaufort/ct00570.htm DR RAMASHALA MR KRATSHI Ja. DR RAMASHALA SIMPHIWE KRATSHI Duly sworn states NONCEBA MANGALISO Duly sworn states DR RAMASHALA Thank you, to facilitate your statements the Chairperson, Ms Mary Burton, will help along, Chairperson. MS BURTON next-door? MS MANGALISO And I went back to where I was standing before, as I was standing I could see that the door was open and Tshaka was standing at the door. He was bleeding and there was blood running down his neck. And he looked very tired, I again went round - there were other people who had joined me now and De Villiers was standing outside. Some two other policemen were remaining there and Vermeulen had been standing outside all the time. Then I heard De Villiers in Afrikaans saying: Give way, let me shoot this pig. And I heard this sound - it - the - the gun that he used was not the usual gun that has got a loud sound. I then looked at Tshaka and he was staggering - staggering - staggering and he ultimately fell next to the door, facing downwards. Then they left with his body and in the location there never was happiness after that. Until he was buried, even after his funeral there was no happiness what so ever. I pause. MS BURTON MR KRATSHI MS BURTON You were a very little boy - you were 7 years old - when this happened. Would you like to tell us what you remember? MR KRATSHI So my father tried to cook porridge for me and police came to him and they told him - they asked him why he would not come to them if they had asked him to come to them. Then he said he was going to come to them but he was still cooking porridge. Then the policemen who - would not except that - they felt that they have been calling him several times and then the policemen would not listen to his explanation. They forced him to leave what he was doing and go with them and he said he could not leave me hungry as I was, because I was going to school. He had to prepare porridge and then they did not allow that he should continue. They started touching him and my father took a fork and stabbed them with the fork and they punched at him. Then the police went out of the house and I saw one white policeman, a Boer, taking out a gun and advancing for my father. And he shot just once and he fell down and he never recovered up to today - I end there. MS BURTON Will you - will you tell us what the effect of your fathers death has had on you and other members of you family? MR KRATSHI MS BURTON In 1984 the African Township of Beaufort West had a population of approximately 7,000 consisting of hundreds of chanteys and approximately 600 houses. 11 taps and 16 public toilets served the entire community. On the 9th of December 1984 the black youth of Beaufort West called a mass meeting at which the Zanokhanyo Youth Organisation - Zanokhanyo means come with the light - was established. And the driving force behind the Youth Organization was a dynamic organizer and dedicated political activist, Mandlenkosi Tshaka Kratshi. On Wednesday a second house was gutted and there was a total boycott of classes on the 23rd of January at the Lower Primary School in the township. All political gatherings in the Magisterial District of Beaufort West were banned for that weekend in terms of the Internal Security Act. The funeral was held on the 1st of February and went ahead in a ceremony marked by discipline and restraint. The UDF and apparently the entire black community of Beaufort West decided to comply with all the provisions of an order by a Magistrate which prohibited freedom songs, banners and speeches and effectively restricted the crowd to fewer that 300. The people decided to plan the ceremony as a peaceful one and the word went out that most would have to stay indoors. This was said by the Rev Paul Oliver of the AME Church. The service was a very emotional one and the township of Beaufort West was renamed KwaMandlenkosi in memory of Mr Kratshi. MR KRATSHI MS BURTON MS MANGALISO MS BURTON MS MANGALISO MS BURTON DR RAMASHALA My questions are for Simphiwe. You do not live at home right now? MR KRATSHI No. DR RAMASHALA MR KRATSHI DR RAMASHALA How far did you go in school? MR KRATSHI DR RAMASHALA Are you in school right now? MR KRATSHI DR RAMASHALA If you were to - to think about what you want to become, what can you tell us? MR KRATSHI There are many wishes I have. DR RAMASHALA [indistinct] MR KRATSHI I wish I could be an actor together with my friends - maybe we could come out with something. Secondly my other wish is to be educated. DR RAMASHALA How do you do at school? MR KRATSHI DR RAMASHALA MR KRATSHI DR RAMASHALA [indistinct] MR KRATSHI DR RAMASHALA [indistinct] MR KRATSHI DR RAMASHALA Thank you very much, any other questions? Is there anything else you want to say? Ms Seroke. MS SEROKE Simphiwe you say the fact that there is not one helping you like a parent, has led you to do some wrong things. Could you just tell us of these wrong you do which have put you into trouble. MR KRATSHI MS SEROKE And then in that way you get into trouble? MR KRATSHI Yes. MS SEROKE MR KRATSHI MS SEROKE Thank you. ADV POTGIETER Ms Mangaliso there was an inquest into the death of Mr Kratshi. Did the police ever take a statement from you? MS MANGALISO Yes, there was a statement that was taken from me which was after a long time because when the policemen asked for this statement from me, I was working for the Wimpy and I used to run away from them because I got a word that I should not give a statement to the police before I see the lawyers. Then I decided to move back and hide and I ran round the corner and went into the Reall Hotel. And I asked for clothes and some doeks, then I left my uniform there and put on this clothes and went to the location. I found this Special Branch people there at my home and after I had given my statement to the lawyers I thereafter gave the Special Branch people my statement. ADV POTGIETER [indistinct] according to our records the inquest was held on 25th of October in 1985. Now, the statement that you gave to the police, was that before the inquest was held in the Magistrates Court here in Beaufort West? MS MANGALISO ADV POTGIETER [indistinct] to come to Court and to come and talk about what happened when Mr Kratshi was killed? MS MANGALISO Yes, I went to Court and I did go. ADV POTGIETER I understand it [indistinct] to give evidence at Court? MS MANGALISO Yes, they said I should give evidence in Court and tell them what I had seen. ADV POTGIETER Did you [indistinct] or what? MS MANGALISO Yes, I did that. ADV POTGIETER MS MANGALISO ADV POTGIETER And apart from yourself did anybody else who also saw what happened there give evidence? MS MANGALISO ADV POTGIETER [indistinct] these other people that you speak about are they also from the township or are they police - police people? MS MANGALISO They are residents in the location. ADV POTGIETER And the - this Mr De Villiers do you know where he is now? MS MANGALISO ADV POTGIETER So it could be that he is in George? MS MANGALISO Yes maybe. ADV POTGIETER Can I also just ask you Ms Mangaliso from what you saw there, was there any reason for the policeman De Villiers to - to shoot Mr Kratshi? MS MANGALISO According to what I observed there was absolutely no reason why De Villiers shot Kratshi because it - Mr De Villiers wanted Mr De Villiers to go to the police station he could have easily done so, because there were four of them. And they could have forced him if they really wanted him, according to what they said. There was absolutely no reason why he shot him. ADV POTGIETER Thank you very much. DR RAMASHALA MS MANGALISO MS SEROKE All right, [indistinct] MS MANGALISO MS SEROKE De Villiers try to ill treat you about that? MS MANGALISO MS SEROKE Since you were a neighbour to Mr Kratshi and who also was the eye witness of this killing, is there any help you could offer if you were to get some money as to help Simphiwe and the grandmother. Since you were people who had been neighbours who were in good relations together with this family? MS MANGALISO You mean it money could be available, yes a lot. Especially to Simphiwe because my wishes are that Simphiwe should be like his father. We are not trying to buy favor by saying that his father was a good man. MS BURTON DR RAMASHALA When the live of a young child is changed, it does something to me. Mr Mangaliso - Ms Mangaliso let me start with you and say it is not very frequent when a neighbour stands up even to scream to provide assistance for a neighbour. You took a chance by screaming when the police were beating on your neighbour, Mr Kratshi. I think that today you show your concern about asking for assistance for Simphiwe. In fact what comes across is that you regard him as your own son. MS BURTON Thank you, you can leave the stage now. We heard the stories of elderly men, who after more that 20 years still carry the mental and physical damage that they suffered. And we have heard of ongoing conflict in some places where people somehow have managed to go on living together even after dreadful experiences. But true reconciliation seems far out of reach.