hrvtrans HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION HEARINGS 1996-10-08 KAROO 2 CT/01512 KOOS SIMAKADANE KOOS SIMAKADANE https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=55355&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/hrvtrans/karoo/ct01512.htm MS BURTON That concludes the number of people whom we are going to hear this afternoon from Hanover, and we now call our next witness to the stage from Phillipstown, Koos Simakadane. Good afternoon Mr Simakadane, can you hear me well? Will you switch on your microphone please - you press the red button, thank you - please will you stand to take the oath. KOOS SIMAKADANE Duly sworn states MS BURTON Thank you very much, advocate Denzil Potgieter will facilitate your evidence. ADV POTGIETER Thank you Chairperson. Good afternoon again Mr Simakadane, I hope you are relaxed and well - very good. Now you will tell us about an experience that you had at the hands of the comrades in Phillipstown and also concerning your niece who was also attacked by the same group of people in about the middle of October of 1985, is that correct? MR SIMAKADANE ADV POTGIETER Good - would you like to tell us what happened. MR SIMAKADANE When I arrived there, I saw her that she was bleeding in the head, my brother - my brother-in-law was bleeding in the head and I told him to go back home. And I tried -I tried to talk to him and this group of people came to me and they beat me, I lost my [indistinct]. They said that we were informers and they told us to come out because comrades were passing by and there was a confusion at that time, there was a mix-up between the Council and the people in the township. The Council was helping these people to kill other people and I lost my teeth. I will answer this question by myself, but I would like an advise what am I suppose to do, because my case was - had just disappeared without my concern. ADV POTGIETER Thank you Mr Simakadane, this group that you are speaking about, that attacked yourself and some other people, which group are they, who are they? MR SIMAKADANE I think I have written down their names in my statement, they are [indistinct] my - the other one is Bonga, but he is not - no longer staying here - those were the two that I could recognise. ADV POTGIETER This group that you are talking about, what - how were they known, were they known by a particular name, particular term or what, how did people refer to them? MR SIMAKADANE They were known as informers. They were known as informers. ADV POTGIETER Now we talking about the - the group that were responsible for the attack, the people that were responsible for the attack upon yourself, how were they known? By which name were they known in the township? MR SIMAKANDANE ADV POTGIETER Was there a group in the township in Phillipstown that was referred to as the comrades? MR SIMAKADANE Yes we were the comrades - they were not known as comrades, we were the comrades. ADV POTGIETER Thank you Chairperson, so the group that was responsible for the attack upon yourself, they were not part of the comrades? MR SIMAKADANE No they were not part of the comrades. They did not understand being a comrade. ADV POTGIETER Which - which grouping did they belong to? MR SIMAKADANE They belong to the De Klerk group. ADV POTGIETER [indistinct] of the - the supporters of the old Government. MR SIMAKADANE Yes they were supporters of the old Government. ADV POTGIETER Now [indistinct] when you saw them for the first time and [intervention] MR SIMAKADANE They were chasing a child - it was about seven at night. ADV POTGIETER And do you know the child who was being chased? MR SIMAKADANE ADV POTGIETER So then next thing happened, that happened was that they - this group went into the house where your niece was. MR SIMAKADANE ADV POTGIETER Oh! I see so they were actually - they were chasing this boy and [intervention] MR SIMAKADANE Yes they were chasing him. ADV POTGIETER MR SIMAKADANE ADV POTGIETER [indistinct] your niece? MR SIMAKADANE They beat my niece. ADV POTGIETER Is your niece also a comrade? MR SIMAKADANE Yes a big comrade. ADV POTGIETER So if I understand your evidence correctly you then went to the assistance you went to help your niece who was being attacked by this group of De Klerk people? MR SIMAKADANE Yes. ADV POTGIETER And you were also attacked in that process when you were trying to stop the attack on your niece, they turned on you and they attacked you? MR SIMAKADANE Yes they attacked me and I tried to defend myself. ADV POTGIETER Were you injured in that attack? MR SIMAKADANE Yes I was injured. I have three holes in the head and the - my teeth. ADV POTGIETER [Question inaudible] MR SIMAKADANE They attack me with sticks ADV POTGIETER And your niece was she injured in that incident? MR SIMAKADANE No she was not injured but her father was injured. ADV POTGIETER So was the father also in the house when these people came in there and broke the house up? MR SIMAKADANE Yes he was sleeping at my house and I left him there. ADV POTGIETER MR SIMAKADANE He woke up and he followed us and he got injured at that time. ADV POTGIETER why do you think this group attacked you? Was it simply because you tried to intervene? MR SIMAKADANE ADV POTGIETER So the - this boy that they were chasing was responsible for doing damage to the shop of one of the Councillors? MR SIMAKADANE I am not sure, because I was not there, but I just heard that these children were destroyed, they destroyed the shop. ADV POTGIETER MR SIMAKADANE ADV POTGIETER So the - the only reason why they attacked you, was because you were trying to stop them from attacking your niece. MR SIMAKADANE ADV POTGIETER You say that you laid a charge against them - with the police. MR SIMAKADANE Yes I laid a charge and we went to the Magistrate but the case just disappeared. ADV POTGIETER And nothing happened to them at all. MR SIMAKADANE To - no nothing happened to them. ADV POTGIETER Do you know why that, why that is so? MR SIMAKADANE This is the reason I am here - I want to know what happened - many of the Councillors we have and many of them are members of the ANC now - and I want the Commission to find out from the Magistrate what happened on that case - how can he just leave the case and not consult me, that is very difficult for me to understand. ADV POTGIETER We have noted that, I can perhaps mention to you at this stage that our own investigators looked into the case to try and find out what was going on and they have been to the police station in Phillipstown, but they could not find any record of the case that you have laid with the police. MR SIMAKADANE I think you can find this person he is in Bloemfontein - his name is Bothma - he is not overseas -he is in Bloemfontein. He can tell you about this dockets, I think he is the one who destroyed the dockets, his name is Bothma. He is a Magistrate, he was here before. He must come here and tell where the dockets are. ADV POTGIETER He was a Magistrate where in which place? MR SIMAKADANE Here in Phillipstown. ADV POTGIETER Mr Simakadane is there anything else that you would like to bring to our attention, anything else that you want to add to what you have already said? MR SIMAKADANE No there is nothing, I am full. ADV POTGIETER MR SIMAKADANE Ja - dankie. MS BURTON Just wait one moment please Mr Simakadane, do you want to ask - Mr Simakadane just to be quite clear Lholho Khapha was your niece is that right - is your niece? MR SIMAKADANE MS BURTON And [indistinct] her father, who was injured is Mr Mahoko Khapha is that right. MR SIMAKADANE MS BURTON And what is this relationship to you? MR SIMAKADANE He is my brother-in-law. MS BURTON Brother-in-law. MR SIMAKADANE Yes. MS BURTON And are you - you are working at the moment? MR SIMAKADANE Yes I am working. MS BURTON So you have helped us to understand some of the situation in Phillipstown at the time, and we will do what we can to follow up the indications you have given us. MR SIMAKADANE Dankie.