hrvtrans HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION HEARINGS 1996-06-25 WORCESTER 2 CT/00756 WESSEL LONDON WESSEL LONDON SHOOTING https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=56173&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/hrvtrans/worcest/ct00756.htm BEGINNING OF TESTIMONY IS MISSING MR LONDON The nurses informed us that we are to be taken to Donges, there were some other comrades who were just rushing and coming in - the others were just slightly injured and they were just given treatment and they were discharged. We were transferred to Worcester at Donges Hospital. I was admitted with the adults, I was next to Ntando and there was another one who was also injured. DR ORR Is this the Ntando who was in the witness stand now? MR LONDON DR ORR Here in the hospital? MR LONDON There were policemen who were just coming in and out the hospital. We were under the police guard, you can just imagine I was handcuffed whilst I was admitted. DR ORR By the time you were shot and you were in hospital I trying to say you were handcuffed your feet were cuffed to the bed - by the bed? MR LONDON Yes. DR ORR You are being handcuffed. MR LONDON DR ORR Were those the police? MR LONDON No, it was the doctors, they called one of the police and they communicated with him. We could see that the police was looking at our directions and then he came and removed the handcuffs from us. I was admitted for about three months, and the doctors were trying to look where the bullet was located I had skin graphs I was operated on and they tried to restore the condition of my arm. They took out a 9 mm bullet and they said they are going to do a skin graft. They asked me, did I prefer the skin graft to be taken from the thigh or from the rectum. I refer to come from the thigh and then they did the operation that where I received my skin graft. DR ORR How long did you stay in hospital? MR LONDON I came there on the 23rd of May, I was discharged on the 25th August - it was on a Friday. When I was discharged I was informed that I would be taken to a place, but I could feel that I was not well yet. You could see that the wounds were septic. I made inquiries about why they could discharge me whilst I was still septic. They stated that I would receive continuous treatment at the Out Patients Department in the clinic in my location. So I used to go every day for treatment. A van came and I was collected by the police, and then I was taken to the police station here in town at Worcester. I could see that there were policemen around but there was one who was a Coloured. He asked me whether I was under police guard in the hospital and I said yes. He said I must not give this information to the Captain because I would be arrested again. Mr Dodson took me. I had a letter from the hospital. I did not know the contents of the letter because they just informed me that I should open it when the police wanted to arrest me. Mr Dodson took me to Ashton, I was at the back of the van. I was informed to wait for Mr Joubert, I waited for him. He was the Captain during that time. I waited for Mr Joubert outside the police station. By the time he entered inside and he saw that it was a black person saying kaffers you throwing stones and swear at me badly. After I heard that he was insulting me I gave him the letter that I was supposed to give him. He opened this letter and read it through and then he swear at me again and then he told me to go - to go home, I am sorry to say so. I was taken by Mr Dodson and he informed me that he is taking me home so I took my goods and go home. When I arrived home I sat and rest. After a month my mother took me to Mach that is lawyers in Montagu. We went there and my mother told me that we were making a claim. DR ORR Who was the name of the lawyer. MR LONDON DR ORR Where were they? MR LONDON They were in Montagu. DR ORR Was it a black lawyer or a white one? MR LONDON This person was a white person. DR ORR Is he still here? MR LONDON DR ORR By the time you were shot - I am sorry were you - you wanted to say something. MR LONDON Yes what I wanted to say is while I was at home the hospital wanted to refund me and the clinic, by the time I was being treated there I was supposed to pay some fees out of my own pocket, the hospital also, because I was getting medicine some pills and the bandages were being changed time and again, so I had to pay all those costs. DR ORR Are you still taking any treatment? MR LONDON No, not at all. DR ORR What was the treatment for? MR LONDON This was the treatment for my arm then while I was sick. DR ORR How is your arm now? MR LONDON DR ORR You also stated that this old lady passed away because she was old enough and yet she was a political activist. I am just trying to put things together to get an idea of how an 11-year-old being chased by an old man like the ones who were chasing you and shot you. Maybe you can clearly identify and clarify to me are you a relative to this mother who was also in a struggle. Why do you think these guys were chasing you? MR LONDON Mishak Jonas used to come to our home. He is a friend of one of the men who is living at my place. I have got a sister named Nombeko. Sometimes she used to ask him why he did this. He always defence himself saying he was not shooting at me, he was shooting to the comrade, I was shot mistakenly. DR ORR And yet you were under a police guard. What do you think the reason for all this situation. MR LONDON DR ORR Sometimes when we are asking you questions we need to clarify even the people who are listening, we want them to get a clear clarification. Most times we want a witness to tell what you were thinking of during that time. These men, Kokoloi, Matroos and Watu and even Koki, Panie Matrossi - are they related to each other? MR LONDON Yes, they are. DR ORR Michak Jonas who used to come to your home and Musak Ndabene , Golas Ndabene, Mulungi Seketsu and Tusuloo and others, are they still in Zolani? MR LONDON Yes, they are still there but Mr Koki and Matrossi passed away. But his family still lives in Zolani. DR ORR MR LONDON Yes, I do know where they are staying. DR ORR How do you feel to stay amongst people like this? MR LONDON As we are staying with them, no-one is giving them any hard time, they are just staying as happy as we are during this period. When you see them, what do you think of them? DR ORR When I see them what do you think of them. MR LONDON My sisters my brother and my mother was also unacceptable, the year then was 1985, my mother got arrested in one of the police cells and was detained and released again after some time. After a while my sister also was detained - her name is Jackie. DR ORR Maybe it is very difficult to stay with the people who were oppressing your family so much. MR LONDON DR ORR Thank you very much Wessel. MR LONDON Thank you very much. CHAIRPERSON As I was reading through your name, Wessel London, I thought you were coming to speak English and I thought you were from abroad. We thank you very much, because by the time you got shot you were still young aged eleven and the words you passed to your family, those were also treated badly during that incident - what and the fruits of the struggle that you were involved in - it was painful - it is still painful and yet we thank you a lot. The things that you are stating - putting forward to the Commission, we will try our best to help and assist you. Thank you very much, you may leave the stand. We are going to mention how is the Truth Commission, the procedure of the Youth Commission. People from rural areas do come forward and you give the statements to them. It is not everybody who is giving out a statement, who will be able to come and witness for what to the Commission. We are receiving a lot of statements. There are many people all over the country who would like to come forward and witness what they saw. We plead to you not to get bored or tired. And you must not ignore the way we are treating this situation. We are trying our best that in hearings like these we are trying to have as many examples as possible. Someone who may not have witnessed here should not consider that their written statement will be ignored. This is not so, the written statement will be a part of the eventful report to the President. Even if you have only made a written statement and not a spoken witness, your notes will also be referred to the Committee of Reparations even if you did not appear before the Commission in person. XHOSA - NO TRANSLATIONS DONE