hrvtrans HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION HEARINGS 1996-10-16 WINELANDS 3 CT/00258 VUYISILE NTANJANA MATSILA NTANJANA [mother] SEVERE ASSAULT https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=56119&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/hrvtrans/wineland/ct00258.htm DR ORR MATSILA NTANJANA Duly sworn states DR ORR MS GOBODO DR ORR The Reverent will lead the evidence. REV XUNDU MS NTANJANA My name is Matsila Ntanjana. REV XUNDU What is your clan name? MS NTANJANA My clan name is Mamputing. REV XUNDU And what is your marriage name? MS NTANJANA It my ...[intervention] REV XUNDU Feel free and relax and come closer to the microphone so that we can hear your story clearly. I want you tell us briefly about what was happening in Ceres when your son got injured. MS NTANJANA It was at night and I was at home - then I was called. Then I was told that policemen were beating up the children. REV XUNDU Now it was - was it a time when there was a consumer boycott? MS NTANJANA Yes. REV XUNDU Then did that make the people not to go and buy in the shops and the policemen felt that there were people behind all this. Which organization was responsible for the consumer boycott? MS NTANJANA REV XUNDU Then you heard that the children were being chased? MS NTANJANA Yes. REV XUNDU Continue and tell us what happened there after. MS NTANJANA I was at home at the time, when the children were being assaulted and then I was told that the children were assaulted and I decided to go there with my husband. On our way we met the policemen who told us that we who were previously living farms were responsible for sending our children to go and throw stones at a particular shop. And we therefore decided to run away and another daughter of mine came to report that Vuyisile had been assaulted and needed to be taken to Hospital. The police took him in a van and we went to Hospital. REV XUNDU Did you see how injured Vuyisile was at the time? MS NTANJANA He was unconscious at the time. REV XUNDU Where was your husband? MS NTANJANA He was there to. REV XUNDU Did you identify any of the policemen who were assaulting the children? MS NTANJANA Yes, I did, even Vuyisile still knows the one who was beating then severely. REV XUNDU Do you know their names? MS NTANJANA Yes, I know them. REV XUNDU Do you want to name them? MS NTANJANA REV XUNDU Was he a policeman? MS NTANJANA Yes, he was. REV XUNDU So when you got to Hospital with our son unconscious as he was, what happened? Did you lay a charge? MS NTANJANA Yes, because there were many others who were arrested. And then we were compelled to go to a lawyer so that our children could be released. And so they were released but the court case continued but the lawyer could not understand and asked what was the charge laid on the child. But the policeman could not state exactly why the children were arrested. REV XUNDU Then what was the outcome of the case? Were they sentenced? MS NTANJANA No they were not. The lawyer represented them. REV XUNDU So in your statement you say your son became mentally disturbed after this incident. Was it as a result of the assault? MS NTANJANA Yes. REV XUNDU Did you perhaps go to see any who make a medical - made a medical report on this. MS NTANJANA REV XUNDU Now you see your son now is dependent and therefore you need some disability grant. MS NTANJANA REV XUNDU Is there any one - if you were to get assistance would you appreciate that ? MS NTANJANA Yes, I would. REV XUNDU Then once more I want to say I find out whether he saw some specialist? MS NTANJANA No he just went to general practitioners. REV XUNDU Would you perhaps like that he should be referred to a specialist so as to see the extent of the damage? MS NTANJANA Yes. REV XUNDU What would be your wish to this Commission? MS NTANJANA I would like that he should get attention for his health. REV XUNDU Does Vuyisile have some children? MS NTANJANA No. REV XUNDU Is he married? MS NTANJANA No. REV XUNDU Are those your only wishes? MS NTANJANA Yes. REV XUNDU MS NTANJANA Yes. REV XUNDU Though he also says he cannot remember do you still go to him? MS NTANJANA Yes. REV XUNDU MS NTANJANA Yes. REV XUNDU MS GOBODO Thank you Ms Matsila, over to you Wendy. DR ORR MS NTANJANA DR ORR What kind of boy was Vuyisile before he was assaulted? MS NTANJANA He was a young boy when all this happened to him. DR ORR Was he at school, what was his behavior then? MS NTANJANA Yes, he was still at school but he could not continue with his education. DR ORR Thank you I have no further question. PROF MEIRING Only 2 short questions. I want to know how big is your family, how many other children do you have? MS NTANJANA PROF MEIRING Are the girls older or younger than he is? MS NTANJANA They are older than him, then there is only one that comes after Vuyisile. PROF MEIRING Last question, you have to support your son you said - what is your income every month? MS NTANJANA PROF MEIRING Are you still working or is that a pension? MS NTANJANA PROF MEIRING Thank you very much. MS GOBODO We know that you also want some answers but we therefore promise that as a Commission that we are going to ask the Reparation and Rehabilitation Committee that is responsible for the reparation of the victims to consider this situation and also give some answers to all these questions that you have. We thank you for coming all the way to come and share your pain with us. Your hearts are - our hearts are with you. MS NTANJANA Thank you.