hrvtrans HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION HEARINGS 1996-06-19 GEORGE 2 CT/00334 GOODMAN XOKISO ESTER XOKISO SHOT DEAD BY POLICE https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=55090&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/hrvtrans/george/ct00334.htm DR RAMASHALA Ms Xokiso do you wish to take the oath? MS XOKISO Yes I would like to take the oath. ESTER XOKISO Duly sworn states DR RAMASHALA [indistinct] facilitate the evidence, my colleague Professor Russell Ally will take the case. DR ALLY Good morning Ms Xokiso - you coming to - you coming to tell us about your son Goodman who was 17 years old when he was shot dead by police. So if you can tell us about the incidents which led to the death of your son please. MS XOKISO In the morning a pastor came in with three women, When they come into the house, I ask him is my son dead, they said yes. Last night I heard gunshots I told myself that my son is involved - my body told me that something is happening to my son. When they arrived and tell me I know it was the truth. My old - eldest daughter was with me. They followed me there, I returned from Plett with the bus from PE, I arrived on Friday evening in the charge office, I asked for a place to sleep. They gave me a place to sleep and I slept there. Ons Saturday morning I went to my cousin in Hornley I stayed there for some few days. I was just hearing rumours that the soldiers going in and out the place and my daughter phoned me to come back home. DR ALLY MS XOKISO As it was a toi-toi in the location, they wanted each and everyone who was involved in the struggle, it was not him exactly, they wanted each and every child who is involved in the struggle. DR ALLY [indistinct] your son was involved. MS XOKISO Yes he had one - but I tried to stop him, but he refused, let me go because we are being counted, let me die instead of you dying. DR ALLY [indistinct] at school at the time? MS XOKISO No he was not at school, he left the school at std 2 and he was a worker then. DR ALLY Were you ever told about how your son actually died. MS XOKISO No-on informed me except the priest who came and tell me that my son has been shot and his body is in hospital, no-one came after that with any - any description. DR ALLY The Truth Commission has attempted to find out what has happened, but unfortunately at this stage it seems as if the lot - most of the documents have actually been destroyed, the Knysna police station, the case docket is not available and there are not hospital records that are available either. At the moment the Commission is trying to get hold of an inquest record. But according to a report on incidents in that area around about the time that your son was killed, on Security Police officer, his account of what happened was that on this particular day, the 15th of March at about twenty past eight in the evening, that vehicles were being stoned in the area. At that stage no-one was shot or arrested - the police then were sent into the area and a foot patrol was stoned and that was apparently when the police opened fired. One person was shot dead, your son Goodman and seven were wounded and according to the police their claim was that this was in self defence. But as I said the Commission is still trying to get hold of the inquest record to see what else there is about this particular incident. Now according to one of the lawyers who actually said that his account that he has of what happened was that the police actually ambushed the youth after there had probably been these incidents that they were hiding behind the road. And that seven other people were shot at the time your son was shot, but unfortunately he was the one who was killed. MS XOKISO; MS BURTON I wanted to just confirm with you this - this happened in Flenter is that right, is Flenter in Knysna? MS XOKISO Yes it was there. MS BURTON [indistinct] live in Knysna? MS XOKISO Yes I am still in that house where my son was shot. MS BURTON [indistinct] leave Knysna for a while because of tension between you and people in the community. MS XOKISO Yes I had to leave and flee to Plett. MS BURTON [indistinct] made peace with people there - ... end of Tape 1 , side A ... MS XOKISO MS BURTON [indistinct] Xokiso we - we hope that your testimony here will help to set matters between you and others right, so that you can live at peace in your community. Thank you very much indeed, you may step down from the platform now.