hrvtrans HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION HEARINGS 1996-10-15 WINELANDS 2 CT/00440 NORMAN PETERSON CATHLEEN WILLIAMS [half sister] SHOT & KILLED https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=56135&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/hrvtrans/wineland/ct00440.htm MS GOBODO DR ORR CATHLEEN MARGARET WILLIAMS Duly sworn states DR ORR ADV POTGIETER Thank you Wendy, Ms Williams good afternoon. And welcome once again, I will try and do this as quickly as possible. I think you will hear a bit better if you use the headphones, try the other one. UNKNOWN The witness can hear the interpreter. ADV POTGIETER Your evidence is about the incident of Norman Peterson, that is the - your step-brother who died in a shooting incident in March 1987. Would you like to tell us what happened please? MS WILLIAMS We identified the body and they brought the corpse through to Paarl. ADV POTGIETER Thank you very much Madam, I know you asked us to minimize the questions so I will do that. But just so that we can gain a bit more clarity - in 1982 Norman disappeared. Did he belong to any political organization? MS WILLIAMS He was a member of the ANC. ADV POTGIETER He was a member of the ANC? MS WILLIAMS Yes. ADV POTGIETER Was he also a member of the Military Wing of the ANC, Umkhonto we Sizwe? MS WILLIAMS Yes. ADV POTGIETER And he was killed in a shooting incident with the police? MS WILLIAMS Yes. ADV POTGIETER Could you ascertain where it happened, could you ascertain where it happened? MS WILLIAMS I was told it was in Gugulethu. ADV POTGIETER Did Norman have any family or children or dependence? MS WILLIAMS No, he was still very young when he left. He was approximately 16 or 17 years old. ADV POTGIETER 16 or 17 when he disappeared in - when he left in 1982? MS WILLIAMS Yes. ADV POTGIETER Is it correct that it seemed as if he had been shot in March 1987? MS WILLIAMS Yes. ADV POTGIETER Is there anything in particular which you would like to focus our attention on, any request from the Commission? MS WILLIAMS What hurt me the most was that his mother was still alive and we looked for her - we tried to - to - to track to - to - for her to come support me. Allen Paulse looked for her and we found her and Oom Kaas took her with to go and identify the body and she deny - up until she came to the house of the body that it was her child and I - I stood there for him as his mother and his sister because my mother passed away in 1983 and took responsibility for it. ADV POTGIETER MS WILLIAMS No. ADV POTGIETER Is that all would have like to say? MS WILLIAMS Yes. ADV POTGIETER According to the official report the shooting incident took place after a planned "anti-terrorist action" in which the Riot Squad - the Safety - Security Police and other members of the Security Force were involved. And there was an inquiry into this matter at Wynberg Court which - over which a Magistrate W Van Greenen presided in December 1987 and where it was found that the deceased died as a result of multiple bullet wounds which came from a police action. And that no one was responsible for the death of the deceased and that according to the medical inquiry - the postmortem which was conducted, there was several bullet wounds to the body. The report also says that "multiple penetrations of bullets" - had several bullet wounds and the final conclusion was that this shots were fired at close range and that was the result of the post-mortem. This is the information which we have at this stage but the matter is still being investigated and we will get back to you. MS WILLIAMS ADV POTGIETER So you say you were prohibited from opening the coffin to - to look at his face one last time? MS WILLIAMS Yes, we were prohibited from opening the coffin. ADV POTGIETER Thank you very much, that is all I wanted to draw your attention to, I thank you. We know that you are not feeling to well today, thank you very much. CHAIRPERSON