hrvtrans HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION HEARINGS 1996-06-18 GEORGE 1 CT/00535 MICHAEL LUCAS SOPHIA LUCAS [aunt] SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=55094&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/hrvtrans/george/ct00535.htm MS BURTON The first thing I have to ask you is if you are willing to swear the oath - please stand then. SOPHIA PAMELA LUCAS Duly sworn states MS BURTON Thank you - you can sit down, thank you very much. Ms Lucas you are the aunt of Michael Lucas of whom we have been speaking and you - he lived with you so you were like his mother. Would you like to tell us about your experience of the time that he was sentenced and tried. MS LUCAS Firstly I would like to say I was working - after he was being caught, I was going up and down to Cape Town during the court case, that was his mother. He went up to Cape Town three times to the courts. Most of the time during the struggle time I was a worker, by the time he was sentenced, the court cases were - that was his mother, was moving up and down. I just can remember when was Mike being sentenced, but I can - I can remember that it was March, policeman came to me at work - they come and told me that Mike was being sentenced to life - he was going to be hanged on Friday. MS BURTON Thank you Ms Lucas - your Grace perhaps you would allow me to tell Ms Lucas that after we had received her statement, we did speak to the advocate who represented Michael Lucas and brought a plea for clemency after he had been sentenced to death. And he did tell us that although it was in fact a very short time between the time that Michael Lucas was sentenced, and executed that all the procedures, the legal procedures were properly followed. That it was a time when those decisions were being taken quickly and the case was processed quickly. But she should know that - that legally the procedures were properly followed. CHAIRPERSON MS SEROKE Mamma Lucas - how old was Michael? MS LUCAS He was born in 1964. MS SEROKE And when he was hanged - he was - how old was he? MS LUCAS He was 23. MS SEROKE Are you sure because according to this documents some test were even made to check whether he was under 18. MS LUCAS Michael was born in 1964. CHAIRPERSON Mary Burton? MS BURTON In response to the questions about his age, the lawyers who were representing him and who were trying to do their best for him, believed that he was under age and they used that as the argument in mitigation of sentence. But in fact it was demonstrated that he was over aged and that was one reason that the appeal was refused and he was in fact executed. CHAIRPERSON Dr Ramashala. DR RAMASHALA Chairperson I wanted to ask Ms Lucas what she would like the Commission to do for her. MS LUCAS Mostly Mike left a young child who is in Sub A. DR RAMASHALA [indistinct] about who is raising the child and how the child is doing right now. MS LUCAS DR RAMASHALA Ms Lucas you stated that the police kept coming to your house to look for Michael and that when they got to the house, they were very rude. Could you tell us a little bit what they did and how they spoke to you and what you went through with them as they were looking for Michael. MS LUCAS CHAIRPERSON Mary - Mary Burton. MS BURTON Your Grace if you will allow me, [indistinct] allow me I think perhaps it would be helpful to us although we not in any position to make judgements on their findings but to record that the person who was killed in the incident in which Michael Lucas was charged, was a person who could also turn out to be a victim in terms of our enquiries. He was a bus inspector who was protecting the buses in a time of a bus boycott in the area and he - he either had links with or had worked for the Security Police in the area. CHAIRPERSON Yes, please do yes. MS BURTON Thank you - he says: But you Mr State President, being better informed that the legal profession is, posses a better understanding of how a young man with idealistic religious and political believes such as Michael Lucas can be caught up in a spiral of violence which eventually leads him in the absence of any genuine political opposition to charge at political windmills such as bus services with fatal consequences. I submit further more that there are sound quality reasons not to execute Michael. Bhongolethu the black township outside Oudtshoorn, is one of the most economically deprived townships in the Western Cape. Economic depravation is one of the basic reasons why Michael became involved in this so-called freedom struggle which inevitably led to his downfall. I therefore respectfully submit to you Mr State President, that the commuting of his death sentence, as a matter of strategic policy would serve to a swage tensions in the community of Bhongolethu and allow the sentence which he actually receives to serve as a symbol of reconciliation rather than confrontation. CHAIRPERSON Thank you very much - mamma - one of the things the Commission has been asked to do is to - is to help reparations to the people to compensate people who have been mishandled to return to them their dignity, the dignity that has been taken away by that treatment like yours telling us that when the police came, in your house you - this particular captain, you was very rude, he just disregarded people as things. From our side we say all that should be something that we resolve not to see again happening to other people, so that you also can be seen as a valuable human being. You are a human being who was made in the image of God. You have the humanity which needs to be respected. So we say in those few words, may you get the comfort and have the strength even when you think about this, you control yourself by the knowledge that there are many people who share - who sympathise with you, you have many friends. We thank you very much. MS LUCAS Thank you. CHAIRPERSON You can go back to your sister.