hrvtrans HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, SUBMISSIONS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 1997-05-06 ZEERUST JOHANNA M MOITOI JB3682 https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=56191&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/hrvtrans/zeerust/zeemoit.htm MRS MOITOI (sworn states) CHAIRPERSON Thank you. Professor Meiring. PROF. MEIRING Mrs Moitoi, welcome again. We are very happy to have you and we are privileged to listen to your story. It again takes us back to April 1989, when you underwent a very harrowing experience. Would you like to tell us in your own words, what happened on that day and afterwards. MRS MOITOI PROF. MEIRING Thank you very much for telling the story. Can I just start at the beginning again. Where were you working before, on the day, during the time when they arrested you? MRS MOITOI I was having a one year seven months child. I was still at maternity leave. PROF. MEIRING MRS MOITOI PROF. MEIRING So that was the reason why, that was what they wanted you to say. In your statement you say that when you were arrested, you together with five other people were taken to a tent and horrible things were done to you then. Would you like to tell us about that, or do you prefer not to tell us about that ? MRS MOITOI Being burnt while, whilst your looking, being burnt with fire whilst you were looking. PROF. MEIRING MRS MOITOI PROF. MEIRING MRS MOITOI PROF. MEIRING As the result of your being arrested. MRS MOITOI PROF. MEIRING MRS MOITOI PROF. MEIRING Children you have to take care of ? MRS MOITOI PROF. MEIRING How many children ? MRS MOITOI Four children. PROF. MEIRING How old are they ? MRS MOITOI PROF. MEIRING You are working at the moment as a sales lady in Zeerust? MRS MOITOI PROF. MEIRING MRS MOITOI Yes, there were, there were many. PROF. MEIRING Thank you very much. No more questions from my side. DR ALLY If I can ask one or two questions please. Your statement says that you were accused of burning down houses. Why would they make that kind of accusation against you ? MRS MOITOI They were just forcing you know, those kind of statements to me. It was because of the oppressive attitude that they had at that time. DR ALLY Were there houses that were burnt down in the area, in this village Lukubo ? MRS MOITOI Yes, many houses were burnt during that time. DR ALLY And you politically, do you, did you have, were you, were you politically active in any way ? MRS MOITOI Yes, I was a member of African National Congress. DR ALLY This is in 1989 ? MRS MOITOI DR ALLY MRS MOITOI I worked, I worked with them, from them, until now because they supported me all the time. DR ALLY So you mean, are you saying in 1989 were you a member of the ANC or were you just generally supportive of the policy of the ANC, or were you an actual member of any ANC structures, the ANC underground, in 1989 ? MRS MOITOI I was member of the ANC which was, which was public then. It was not underground then. I have their membership cards with me. DR ALLY MRS MOITOI They wanted me to force me to be a member of Boputhatswana, but when I denied, they said, which means you are part of those people who are burning houses. DR ALLY MRS MOITOI When they came to me they came to me with a person whom we were elected together to collect money, which means, they came with somebody who knew where I was staying. DR ALLY The money that you were collecting this was for, this was for a pension fund, but you were accused of collecting for other purposes ? MRS MOITOI We were collecting two rands from each person or each house. DR ALLY In your village ? MRS MOITOI DR ALLY And this money was going to be used for what purpose ? MRS MOITOI DR ALLY Special, was there a special committee that was appointed to collect this money ? Is that, is that how it worked or ... ? MRS MOITOI DR ALLY And this committee had a treasurer and, and proper records were kept and everything like that. Is that how it worked ? MRS MOITOI DR ALLY Now, the person who came with the police, was the, was also part of this committee collecting this money ? Yes ? MRS MOITOI DR ALLY Now what. Did this person, did this person give the police false information or what what was going on ? MRS MOITOI DR ALLY Was this person also tortured or any, anything happen to this person ? MRS MOITOI Yes, he was tortured. DR ALLY Thank you very much. MRS MOITOI Thank you, Sir. MISS SEROKE When you were testifying, you said, you were under Chief Sebogodi. MRS MOITOI MISS SEROKE MRS MOITOI MISS SEROKE What were the stands of Chief Sebogodi ? MRS MOITOI We took him, we regarded him as our Chief, as we knew that, that he, he was our Chief. MISS SEROKE When they came to you, they saw you because you were collecting monies from people. Were they young people or was it the whole community ? MRS MOITOI As we said we were the youth, we had our book and the old people had their own book. MISS SEROKE MRS MOITOI MISS SEROKE Did you tell the doctor what they did to you ? MRS MOITOI Yes, I did explain to the doctor and when I came back, I found the road block, then they teared up those papers. MISS SEROKE Thank you. CHAIRPERSON MRS MOITOI Repeat your question, Sir. CHAIRPERSON Conflict that was taking place in the area at the time. MRS MOITOI CHAIRPERSON MRS MOITOI Yes, it did surface. CHAIRPERSON The Chief was against, Chief Sebogodi was against incorporation whereas the other Chief seemed happy to go along with it ? MRS MOITOI I would say, Chief Molilwa, yes, agreed, because all meetings were held in his place, so which means he agreed that we should be incorporated. CHAIRPERSON And you said earlier on that there were many houses that were burnt down. Whose houses were being burnt down, and by whom ? Were they supporters of one faction against, or another faction, or was it police officers whose houses were being burnt down ? MRS MOITOI The house, I understand about the incidents, was the house belonging to Mr Selomi, when they inspected the damage it was found that it was the police who did that. CHAIRPERSON My last question is to do with the, this collection of money that you were, that you were involved in for the hall. Was that purely on a voluntary basis ? MRS MOITOI Yes, I volunteered because after seeing the suffering of old age people, because they were staying in the sun and in the rain. CHAIRPERSON MRS MOITOI Yes, they were volunteering in their contributions. CHAIRPERSON Now that brings to the end all the questioning. Is there anything else you would like to say ? MRS MOITOI You meant to continue ? CHAIRPERSON MRS MOITOI To continue, I would wish that those people who did all, who were victims as myself, their names should appear and that they should be taken care of by the Truth Commission. CHAIRPERSON MRS MOITOI Thank you, Sir. CHAIRPERSON