hrvtrans 1 H LEKGARI, HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, SUBMISSIONS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 1996-07-08 MMABATHO 1 HERMAN LEKGARI https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=55663&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/hrvtrans/mmabatho/lekgari.htm DR RANDERA Johannes, welcome. You have come to talk about your son, Johannes Lekgari, who at the time of his death, was 24 years old. HERMAN LEKGARI (sworn states) DR RANDERA Will you please in your own words and in your own time tell us what happened to your son? MR LEKGARI My son was on leave on that day. There was a march at Drihatsi, where he was. He was a soldier but on that day he was on leave. When he was together with his friends, one was shot and he was shot with the teargas. When he tried to run home he fell on the way and the attackers killed him and he didn't reach home. That is what happened to him. DR RANDERA Mr Lekgari is that all you want to say before I pose a few questions to you? MR LEKGARI Yes, I am through because that is the only thing that happened to him. Up until I buried him, there was no investigation and nothing happened also after his burial. Up until now I came to the Commission and reported to the Commission. But the truth is he was killed by teargas. DR RANDERA Mr Lekgari, just tell us a bit more about Gwaneng. I know you say he was a soldier, but was he involved in any of the political structures in your area? MMABATHO HEARING TRC/NORTH WEST 2 H LEKGARI MR LEKGARI Yes, he was active in politics. DR RANDERA Can you tell us a little more, when you say he was active in politics. MR LEKGARI He worked together with the political organization when they were at the rally, but he also had his full time job. DR RANDERA Which political organization was he working with? MR LEKGARI He worked for the ANC. He was a member of the ANC. DR RANDERA I want to come back to this tear gassing incident. He was coming home from a rally when this happened. Is that right? MR LEKGARI He was shot with the teargas at the rally and when he tried to run home, he fell because of this teargas. He didn't reach home. He fell along the way. DR RANDERA Mr Lekgari can you please tell, us was your son - did he have any chest problems? Did he suffer from asthma or bronchitis? MR LEKGARI No, he didn't have any illnesses in him. DR RANDERA He was completely healthy? MR LEKGARI Yes, he was healthy. He never had any illnesses. DR RANDERA Thank you, Mr Lekgari. MS SEROKE Mr Herman, did the call you to come and see him? MR LEKGARI He fell close to Mr Voji's house. When I went to see him he had already been removed. I went to see him in the hospital. They took him to Mr Voji's house and they took him to hospital. They also realised that there was no life in him and the police came and they took him away. MMABATHO HEARING TRC/NORTH WEST 3 H LEKGARI MS SEROKE Was there a post-mortem conducted? MR LEKGARI Yes, there was a post-mortem at the hospital. And then I buried him without any help. MS SEROKE Did you receive a letter, stating the post-mortem results? MR LEKGARI No, I didn't receive any letter. MS SEROKE I thank you. MR MANTHATA It is cruel to experience that in a family. It is very hurtful. And it is also very hurting when that comes the way it approached to you. You didn't know how your child died or who killed him. We might say it was the police who killed him because by that time people were from the rally. We sympathise with you for what he went through and we will try to find out what really happened to your child and to make sure that the investigations are being conducted. We would like to thank you.