hrvtrans HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, SUBMISSIONS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 1997-04-08 MESSINA 1 JEANET RAMAKOKOVHU 4006 https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=55610&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/hrvtrans/messina/mesramak.htm DR RANDERA Sorry, can I ask Jeanet Ramakokovhu to come forward. Jeanet, good morning. MS RAMAKOKOVHU Good morning, Sir. DR RANDERA Can you introduce the person who is with you? MS RAMAKOKOVHU DR RANDERA JEANETTE RAMAKOKOVHU (sworn states) DR RANDERA Thank you. MISS SEROKE MS RAMAKOKOVHU MISS SEROKE In your statement you said that you were still attending school at that time and you were ... (interrupted) MS RAMAKOKOVHU MISS SEROKE You said you were an ANC member and you put on your uniform. MS RAMAKOKOVHU Yes, it is true. MISS SEROKE How old were you at that time? MS RAMAKOKOVHU I was twenty six years of age. MISS SEROKE .You seemed to have a consumer boycott. Was it made by the ANC and did everybody in the township respond to that? MS RAMAKOKOVHU It was very involving and then we were all affected by the way, how the boers were really handling us. Everybody in Messina was involved at the time. MISS SEROKE What other protests did, demonstrations did you have to put your about you, your, your pride in, in, in the township. MS RAMAKOKOVHU During that time, the boers could take dirt from the location to throw them in Nancefield. All the boers will take the dirt and throw them in Nancefield and there was a lot of dirt and you know, a lot of flies and we were fighting against that so that, you know, it should be arranged somehow. MISS SEROKE Annikie, just before you also talked about a march against, against VAT and what other methods did you use? There was a consumer boycott and VAT and what other marches were organized? MS RAMAKOKOVHU MISS SEROKE Were there also protest marches against the Black local authorities? MS RAMAKOKOVHU Well we, it was about the VAT issue. MISS SEROKE When you broke the things that the Zimbabwean women bought, did you ... (interrupted) MS RAMAKOKOVHU Well, I broke them because they bought them. MISS SEROKE MS RAMAKOKOVHU Well, I did break a lot of plates and glasses and I was about to destroy the soaps and that was the time when the police fetched me. MISS SEROKE And so your, you were represented by Mr Ntai in the case that followed this? MS RAMAKOKOVHU It was Ntai who represented me in this issue. MISS SEROKE Was Ntai the ANC lawyer or your own lawyer? MS RAMAKOKOVHU He was the ANC lawyer. MISS SEROKE But according to your statement that case just did not go any further and you were discharged. MS RAMAKOKOVHU MISS SEROKE I say nothing came out as a result of the case. You were not fined or charged? MS RAMAKOKOVHU MISS SEROKE Thank you. DR RANDERA Mr Manthata? MR MANTHATA Sorry, Jeanet. How long were you in detention? MS RAMAKOKOVHU Well, about the VAT, it was about three days and then regarding the destruction of the Zimbabweans goods it was just overnight and they released me the following day. MR MANTHATA When you were telling us how you confronted the Rhodesian, or the Zimbabwean people, you said, if they want to buy, they had rather go to Johannesburg rather than buy in Messina. Am I correct? MS RAMAKOKOVHU Yes, it is true. MR MANTHATA And yet you were protesting against VAT. Was there any difference between the VAT in Johannesburg and the VAT in Messina. MS RAMAKOKOVHU MR MANTHATA About other things that people seem to have been protesting against is the dumping, if I heard you well and then the VAT. Did you have any specific complaint against the Black local authorities in Messina? MS RAMAKOKOVHU MR MANTHATA Were you in any position of leadership in the organizations here, in Messina? MS RAMAKOKOVHU Yes, I was in the ANC leadership. MR MANTHATA MS RAMAKOKOVHU MR MANTHATA MS RAMAKOKOVHU No, not a specific thing. MR MANTHATA For the three days that you were in detention, what is it that the police did to you? MS RAMAKOKOVHU MR MANTHATA Nothing caused you particular fright or you lost nothing with regards to what you ought to have been doing to the family at the time? MS RAMAKOKOVHU MR MANTHATA Thank you, Jeanet. DR ALLY MS RAMAKOKOVHU Could you repeat the question please? DR ALLY MS RAMAKOKOVHU DR ALLY MS RAMAKOKOVHU Yes, it is true. DR ALLY MS RAMAKOKOVHU DR ALLY MS RAMAKOKOVHU DR ALLY DR RANDERA MS RAMAKOKOVHU DR RANDERA And my second question is just, I think Tom touched on it earlier on. This question of you being unemployable because of your political records and activities. Does that still apply? MS RAMAKOKOVHU DR RANDERA So you are working at the moment? MS RAMAKOKOVHU DR RANDERA MS RAMAKOKOVHU Dankie.