hrvtrans HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, SUBMISSIONS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 1997-04-10 TZANEEN SAMSON T TIBANE 3220 https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=55989&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/hrvtrans/tzaneen/tzatiban.htm DR RANDERA Our next witness is Samson Tibane. Mr Tibane, good afternoon. Mr Tibane ... (interrupted) MR TIBANE Thank you. DR RANDERA Could you stand to take the oath. SAMSON TIBANE (sworn states) DR RANDERA MR TIBANE DR RANDERA Mr Tibane I have only one question to ask. From what you have said already your son was very heavily involved in the political situation in this part of the country. Influenced by the launch of the UDF. In 19 ... (interrupted) MR TIBANE That is the truth. In 1986. DR RANDERA I understand the UDF was to be launched here in 1986. Can you just tell us how old your son was? Was he still a student at the time ? MR TIBANE He was sixteen years old and he was still at school. DR RANDERA How many children are you left with Mr Tibane ? MR TIBANE I only have five children. Those are the surviving children. Only five. DR RANDERA Thank you very much. MS SEROKE Tate Tibane, you say that the police disrupted the funeral. Had they told you how many people should be at the funeral or you were just allowed all to go to the funeral ? MR TIBANE MS SEROKE MR TIBANE There were restrictions so there were only family members who came. A lot of people who had wanted to come were prevented from coming, because there were road blocks by the previous government. MR MANTHATA Mr Tibane, did you take the matter up with the police ? MR TIBANE MR MANTHATA Was there ever an inquest? MR TIBANE MR MANTHATA Had you instructed any lawyer to act on behalf of the family ? MR TIBANE MR MANTHATA Thank you.. DR ALLY Mr Tibane, this is one of those cases that have repeated themselves so often in the history of our country where people are shot and killed at demonstrations and particularly where people were demonstrating against structures, the governments which were imposed upon them. Homeland governments or community councils and the police and the army would often come in and there would be a confrontation and there would be live ammunition and your son is one of those tragic victims. And we certainly hope and believe that people like you son, people like Wilson who was killed in the prime of his life, sixteen years old, will be some of those who will benefit from this kind of recognition of the youth. Thank you very much for coming to us and sharing what is obviously still something very painful. Thank you again.