hrvtrans HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION HEARINGS 1996-06-11 KIMBERLEY 2 https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=55372&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/hrvtrans/kimber/ct00141.htm CASE NO: CT/00141 VICTIM: IZAKIEL MOKONE VIOLATION: SON KILLED BY HAND GRENADE DURING MARCH TESTIMONY BY: ELIZABETH MEADE MOKONE MS SOOKA MS MOKONE It is my husband Abel Mokone - it is my husband. MS SOOKA Mr Mokone - Ms Mokone will you please stand so that we can - you can take the oath. ADV POTGIETER ELIZABETH MEADE MOKONE Verklaar onder eed ADV POTGIETER Thank you Ms Mokone you may be seated. MS SOOKA As is customary we have appointed a Commissioner to assist you with the leading of your evidence. He is Commissioner Dumisa Ntsebeza who is sitting on my left hand side and he will take you through your story. ADV NTSEBEZA Good afternoon. MS MOKONE Good afternoon. ADV NTSEBEZA Firstly I would like us to hear about yourself, where you grew up, where you worked, how many children you had and then you could then start to tell us about this fateful day when you heard about the death of your son. MS MOKONE I'm Elizabeth Mokone, I'm married, I have three children. I live in Vergenoeg. It was on the 25th of May 1993, I went to a funeral - my son was on his way to school. When I came back from the funeral and I asked if my son is not home yet and they said no. And I sat and waited and at about 4 o'clock I asked one of his friends haven't you seen him yet and they said no. About half past four there was a knock on the door, it was Ms Ruth Mompati the General Mokaba and other people I don't know their names. They told me that there have been in a march in town and there was a bomb explosion and my son had been killed in the explosion. I went with them to Transvaal Road and I identified my child there - he had a mark on his chest, quite high up on his chest - his T-shirt was full of holes - were full of holes and his face as well had marks and holes, and we then went home again. ADV NTSEBEZA Do you still remember the date on which Ruth Mompati and Mokaba came to you, was it the - was it on the same day that there had been a march, the 25th May 1993? MS MOKONE Yes, Ruth Mompati and General Mokaba came to me on the 25th to come and tell me about my son's death. ADV NTSEBEZA What I wanted to find out, were you told about your son's death on the very day that he died? MS MOKONE Yes. ADV NTSEBEZA Now what was the occupation of your son, was he a teacher? MS MOKONE He was a scholar. ADV NTSEBEZA Now after you had seen your son's body what happened then thereafter - after you had identified him at the mortuary? MS MOKONE We went home, and people came to us on the 27th - ANC people and they told me that they would share the burial expenses half of it they would pay and we waited and waited and they never arrived. And the week after that on the Tuesday evening there was a night vigil in a tent and while we still sitting there we saw people running into the house - tear gas had been release in the tent and the people ran into my house - also into my backyard and there was lot of damage caused. And the next morning we were told that the soldiers had used tear gas and these people never arrive and we then just carried on and buried my child. ADV NTSEBEZA Now, you have told us that Ruth Mompati and Mokaba came to tell you that your son had died because there have been an explosion during the march there. MS MOKONE Ja - ja. ADV NTSEBEZA Did they tell you how that explosion had come about ? MS MOKONE No, they didn't. ADV NTSEBEZA [indistinct] had come to know how the explosion came about as you sit there today. MS MOKONE I read in the newspapers and that's how I found out that - and after the funeral I read in the newspaper again that the matter was proceeding and there would be court case. I went to court and I went to listen to the testimony and to the case. ADV NTSEBEZA [indistinct] who were charged and what was the outcome of that court case if there was any? MS MOKONE ADV NTSEBEZA [indistinct] and now those two people - do you know where they are now - the people who were in court on the day that you went who were being charged with the death of your son. MS MOKONE I saw them, I think they still in prison. UNKNOWN The interpreters cannot hear the person. MS MOKONE I think they still in prison. ADV NTSEBEZA [indistinct] or perhaps it is difficult for you to answer the following question, but can you tell us how you felt when you first heard about the death of your son? MS MOKONE It was very-very painful I still can't actually believe it, I still can't believe that it happened. That - that morning when I left home he was still there and he was on his way to school and that was the last time I saw him afterwards I was just heard that he was dead. ADV NTSEBEZA MS MOKONE No. ADV NTSEBEZA In your statement you said you were promised to be assisted with funeral expenses by the ANC, is that correct? MS MOKONE Yes. ADV NTSEBEZA [indistinct] also made the point that you never got those expenses is that correct? MS MOKONE Yes nothing-nothing happened. ADV NTSEBEZA If it is possible for the Commission to do anything what would you want it to do? MS MOKONE ADV NTSEBEZA Anything else that you would like this Commission to assist you with if possible. MS MOKONE We would like to know who the people were because there's some many confusing stories. I would - I would like to know who did this to my child. ADV NTSEBEZA There are so many confusing stories, you free to speak out what you have heard whether it is true or not because that will ease your pain. Because if you bottle up anything inside you, you will never find peace. What is it that confuses you - what are the stories further than the fact that two people were charged, is there still another story? MS MOKONE Yes. ADV NTSEBEZA Okay. MS MOKONE Sometimes you just hear no it wasn't them, I can't actually explain. ADV NTSEBEZA [indistinct] who it was that it was said it is. MS MOKONE No. ADV NTSEBEZA [indistinct] that true that it wasn't them, it was somebody else, would like to know? MS MOKONE No, I didn't actually hear that there was somebody else. ADV NTSEBEZA [indistinct] then just finally if in any event there are more stories to be told in order for the truth to be known - you would like that to happen, is that right? MS MOKONE Yes. ADV NTSEBEZA MS SOOKA