hrvtrans HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION HEARINGS 1996-06-24 WORCESTER 1 CT/00823 WILLIAM DYASI MBEDLE DYASI SHOT DEAD BY POLICE https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=56176&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/hrvtrans/worcest/ct00823.htm DR BORAINE We are just waiting to make sure that the headphones are in place so that the witnesses can hear both in English and in the language of their choice. DR ORR Mr Dyasi can you hear me? MR DYASI Yes. DR ORR Mr Dyasi, are you the only person who is going to give evidence today? MR DYASI Yes, I am the only one. MBEDLE DYASI Duly sworn states DR ORR I now hand you over to Dr Boraine to lead your evidence. DR BORAINE Again Mr Dyasi to yourself and your wife a very warm welcome. You have been sitting in the cold hall waiting for your turn and you have been very patient and we are very glad to see you. We know that the story you are going to tell is a very sad one and we want you to know that you are amongst friends who care about you who are going to listen very carefully to what you have to say. MR DYASI I thank you very much doctor. When we arrived at the police station there was one policeman. I plead with him asking him and telling him the story of my son and I told him that I need some assistance if he could please help me take my son to hospital. But there was an interruption whilst I was speaking to the policeman, I heard the gunshot. I was still right inside the police station and the policeman said to me just wait a while - the Station Commander is on his way. We waited there for a long time for the Station Commander. When he arrived I told him the whole story as I had told the policeman before. I told him that I was there to ask for an assistant and he asked me do I know where he is and I told him yes I do and he said we must get into the van - then we left. DR BORAINE Take your time there is no hurry at all - just relax. MR DYASI I was standing next to my son. I had nothing to do feel helpless and I was also quiet. After a while the policeman was standing there - it was a very long time that we were standing there aside and I was standing next to my son, they took my son into the van - I also got into the van. By that time he was not saying anything just quiet and I was also dumbfounded. And then the following day I went to the house where my son was shot. Because while I was arriving there, there were two women. I asked them how did my son get out of the house because I left him in the house whilst I was going to the police. How did he manage to get into the street. And the women told me that the policemen came in and kicked the door, they said these words - that this is the one we are looking for and they took him. DR BORAINE I just want to be absolutely sure that I understand when you heard that your son was shot from the neighbour, you went to the shack - you went inside the shack. Your son was lying there he was alive and he could talk to you. Is that correct - thank you? MR DYASI Yes. DR BORAINE [indistinct] - the police station - when you went back to the shack your son was lying in the street and he was dead - he had been shot again, is that correct? MR DYASI DR BORAINE How old was son? MR DYASI He was 18 years old then. DR BORAINE Was he involved in any youth organisation - any political organisations - was he active in the struggle at all? MR DYASI DR BORAINE [indistinct] was he - I mean obviously the church is very important for you and your Minister was the first one you looked to for help and he is with you now. Was your son involved in the church at all? MR DYASI DR BORAINE According to the medical reports your son had more than 21 pellet wounds in his body, some in his back, some in the front which fractured a number of ribs - tore into his liver and penetrated the lung and the kidney. He was very badly injured but when he was in the little house - in the shack you told me that some women saw him being dragged out by the police. Do you still remember the names of the women? MR DYASI Yes, I can remember their names. DR BORAINE MR DYASI I can give you the names. One of them was a visitor Lena Plaatjie and the other one was Elizabeth Harding - Hardy. DR BORAINE Thank you very much, that will be very helpful to us. Now Mr Dyasi the - there was an inquest. Do you remember that at all? MR DYASI Could you - could you please repeat your question? DR BORAINE There was a court case and there was an inquest [indistinct] can you remember what happened, did you attend the inquest? MR DYASI Yes I did attend the court case that started in 1985 up till 1987. DR BORAINE MR DYASI I saw this policeman while I was in court so I knew he was involved in the shooting of my son. DR BORAINE [indistinct] information - the report from the Magistrate sent to the Attorney General for prosecution. The Attorney General declined to prosecute and when he was asked by your lawyers to give a reason for that he refused. Have you any idea as to why this was? MR DYASI I had no idea. DR BORAINE One of the things that the Commission can do is to go back to the Attorney General and ask them to give reasons, we have every right to do that and we will do that, and if we have anymore information we will obviously tell you about that. Is there anything else you want to tell us about the death of your son. MR DYASI Yes there is something that I would like to say. After the death of my son - there was a - he impregnated a lady so as our custom to pay something known as sort of lobola - so I was forced and bound to pay that amount. During 1985 my wife had a heart attack and high blood pressure. Ever since then my wife has not been okay - he is going to and fro the Hospital, in and out admitted because of the heart problem that she is having. DR BORAINE [indistinct] take a note of that. I just want to ask you one last question about the court cases. I know that through your lawyers and the Legal Resource Centre because the police were found guilty or - yes were found to be responsible for the death of your son. You tried to claim from the State but they refused because it was the State of Emergency. So that were not liable I assume for prosecution and they finally paid a very small amount I think it was less than R700,00 for the funeral expenses. Is that correct? MR DYASI Yes, yes, it is like that. I received some funds and it was only R687,34 I still have the receipt, I kept it, that is the only money I got for the funeral fund - for the funeral. DR BORAINE MS BURTON Mr Dyasi, I would just like to know your first name. MR DYASI My name is Stephen. MS BURTON [Question inaudible] DR BORAINE We have heard of your needs and of the condition of your wife and we will remember that and we will consider it when we try to see what the Commission can do to help you. There are so many difficult things happening and it is very hard to find the words to express what is in our hearts but we want you to know that we care about you very deeply and that we are most grateful that even despite the pain and the horror you were able to come to this public place and tell us something about what happened in our country. And the Commission is trying to do everything it can to make it possible that future young boys and girls will not have the same experience as you have had yourself happen. Thank you again for coming and God bless you. MR DYASI Thank you very much, I would like to say last words. I would request the Commission - is there anything that you can do like something like a financial support because the child is living with the grandmother because there is no-one to support her. DR BORAINE [indistinct] thank you very much. We have made a note - my colleagues have taken notes of what you have been saying and the needs you have expressed and we will certainly do everything we possibly can to help - thank you.