.... hit me, while I was still in the air. And outside they threw me on the ground and they said to me lie on the floor.
One of the soldiers stepped with his boots on my neck and they asked me where Moses Mokwena stayed. He was also one of the leaders, he was the President of the Huhudi Youth Organization.
I told them I don't know where he stays and there was also Mike, who was a Security Branch Officer and he said, Tiger knows about this person. The Security Police Branch knew me as Tiger and he said I know where this other guy is. When I told them I don't know where he is. When I told I don't know where this other person is they started assaulting me again and they put me into the van where my finger got hit by the police van's door. And they said I must show them where Moses Mokwena is and I know where he stays. I told them I don't know where he stays and they tried to threaten me again and I said I know where he stays.
And then I went to show them where Moses Mokwena stays. Before we arrived at his place other policemen were already there. When we arrived there the people from Moses Mokwena's home were also kicked and assaulted. Even the older women were being attacked.
Before that, at my place, really things were very bad because my father who was on pension, they also kicked him MMABATHO HEARING TRC/NORTH WEST
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around. And they removed him from the house also. Threw him outside and said to him, lie down on the floor. I was together with the younger child who was 15 years old and I heard the child screaming. When he reached the floor they stepped with boots on him. I also heard my cousin at home who couldn't hear well. He also couldn't talk, but he could talk a little bit, although he couldn't talk clearly.
When they entered his room they also attacked him and he tried to explain to them that he couldn't speak and they didn't care. They also made him to lie down on the ground.
When we were at Mokwena's place.. From Mokwena's place we went to Godfrey's place. Also at Godfrey's place they started slapping all the women and Mokwena's father was also assaulted and they made them also to lie down on the ground. From there they took us to Romotletse's place. There were very many police cars together with the ones of the soldiers. That is why I said there were many in numbers.
When we arrived at Ramothletse's place I saw them hitting Abraham's mother with fists. She was a very old woman and they also threw her on the ground and told her to lie down. They also took us to the police station.
At the police station there were units ready. There was a unit for Edward Ramorwagadi, for Edwin Moloanwa and for Moses Mokwena. Four of then were waiting for me. They picked me up. I couldn't realise were they soldiers or police, but they were white men. They put me into the boot. While they were putting me into the boot the other security branch man and he said, where is he? And they said to him, he is in the boot. And they took me out. They blindfolded me, they took me into their car.
They pressed against the ground so that I cannot see
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anything. We drove about five or ten minutes and they took me out of the car and they now used their hand to cover my eyes. They were pushing me. They pushed me into a house and there was a bed in that house.
As I have mentioned it was four white men. I can't remember if they were policemen or soldiers. They were heavily built. You could see they were trained to really assault people.
They started assaulting me, kicking me with their boots, slapping me and they said, yes we got you terrorists today. You will tell us where you got the hand grenades from. And I said to them, no we don't use any bombs, we don't use any hand grenades. They said you are just the same as the ANC, you are lying. And we said to them we are telling you the truth, we don't use any violence. We are not a violent group.
While I was talking to them like that they kept on assaulting me. They would hit you as if you have robbed them in the past. They were asking me where Kebukali was and I said to them no, I don't know his whereabouts. They asked me, when did you last see him? I said I saw him yesterday.
They kept on insisting that I should know his whereabouts. I said no, I don't know. They asked me where Edwin Molalwa slept on Friday. I said no, we were staying together with him at home. They said on Friday, Edwin was not at home and they thought it was on the day that bombs or grenades were thrown. I said no, he was at home.
They kept on assaulting me and they took a broomstick and they said we are now hanging you. Now they wanted to lift me up. They said to us, tell us where you exploded the MMABATHO HEARING TRC/NORTH WEST
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bombs. I said no, we don't use any explosions in our organization.
Continually assaulting us, they said you will tell us the truth and they were insulting me. The took the broomstick, they hit me until it broke.
They came with Molalwe but I couldn't recognise him, because they assaulted him in such a way that I couldn't recognise him. They said he was not at your place on Friday. I said to them he was there and they couldn't give him any chance whatsoever to defend himself. I told them that I was with Edwin the whole day.
They wanted to know from us why we were really chasing the Councillors. We said no, we were not after the Councillors. They asked us what the Councillors have done wrong to us because the Councillors are there for the people, they don't have to be pestered.
And we told them that the Councillors are placed there by the white people to increase their rents, not to give us
electricity and everything. And they said, right are you now aware that you are really chasing the Councillors. And I told them continually, gentlemen we are a non-violent group, but they continually assaulted me and this took about three to four hours. And they left me.
I looked outside and I realised that we were now on a farm because I saw cows outside. It was a very big house with many rooms but we were put in different rooms. We could only hear the cries from the different rooms.
They took us back to the police station. They wanted to take our names down. They asked us who the members of our families were, they asked about our girlfriends. They asked us where we got money from to buy beautiful clothes. MMABATHO HEARING TRC/NORTH WEST
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They were writing that kind of information and they left us.
One other thing that happened to me. It was when I was working at the Northern Cape Development Board. I was a cashier. When they came to pick me up it was in 1985. I was promoted to a relieving supervisor. They arrived at about half past six. They have spent three weeks searching for me and they couldn't find me and I was able to come to work normally and then leave after work.
When they arrived at half past six it was very early and you couldn't see people in the streets because of the mist.
I had to be at work at nine but I always were there at half past six and work and then come back at three o'clock to find out whether they were there to search for me. Because at that stage the leaders of the people were wanted by the police.
They then came at half past six, it was Strydom, he was a manager, and Maritz. Maritz was the Superintendent. I was shocked to see that the Superintendent was also a policeman. They were full and in large numbers clearing R1 rifles. And I asked Strydom, Mr Strydom what is the matter now? And he said to me you have to go to the brewery, the manager wants to see you. I asked him why does he want to see me. And he said, you will hear from him.
I went to wrap up what I was doing and then he said, please go. And then I went out to get Solomon Modise who is one of the supervisors and he said he will complete the job that I was doing. I was glad that Mr Solomon Modise saw me when they picked me up.
And they took me to the Municipal Offices. When we arrived there I asked them, gentlemen where are you taking MMABATHO HEARING TRC/NORTH WEST
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me to? Didn't you say you were taking me to the brewery? Strydom left us and then he went to continue with his work.
The police left with me and took me to the police station in the city. When we arrived at the police station they didn't even take me to the charge office to write my name down or to tell me that they were arresting me. They went through the corridors and they put me in an office.
I was alone in that office. Mabilo came and he asked me, what do you want here. And I said, no I don't know that they wanted. He asked me what my name was and I said, Edward. And he said what is your other name and I said, Tiger and he said, that is you Tiger. He said, someone will come for you, just stay there. And then he left me.
And then we went to an open space surrounded by the cells. While I was still sitting there Mabilo came and he called me. He said are you Tiger? I said, yes I am Tiger. He started giving me two slaps on my face. I said to him, why do you have to slap me? He said, you guys give people orders to burn other peoples' houses.
After 30 minutes Strydom came in, not the Strydom I work with but the Strydom from the police department. He asked me who I was and I said Edward and he said your other name? I said Tiger. Hearing that I was Tiger, he got furious. He said I thought that Tiger was a very hefty person but I am shocked to see that you are so mean. He started hitting me with fists. He started slapping me. He kicked me and then he hit my head against the wall. He said you burnt Tobias's house. I said to him no, I don't know Tobias. I don't go to other peoples houses. He said we have been told that you burnt Tobias's house. I said to
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him, bring the people who told you that and I will tell them the truth.
I said to him why don't you just lay a charge against me and take me to court. He said we are going to handle you today seeing that you are terrorists. He put me underneath the table and said I should squat. I squatted under the table for about an hour.
There were two white policewomen with heavy thighs. I was just looking at their thighs, you know, while I was underneath the table. I spent an hour just looking at this
picture. They were listening to the news on the radio about the violent areas in the country. And they continually spoke to each other, saying listen to what they are saying. They said to me, can you hear what they are saying? And I said, yes.
After an hour they said I should wait outside. After five minutes Strydom came again. The two Strydoms came back. These people were so heavily built and I said to myself, o God I am dying today. And while I am still sitting there I planned.
Two men came before them and they said, Tiger are you here? They said you told them that I have got a Freedom Charter. Why don't they tell me like that? And they said to me burnt Tobias's house. They never said that to me, because by that time they were not allowing the Freedom Charter. Thereafter they left me there and I planned on what to do.
Strydom told me that here are you two colleagues, who are coming to deal with you. And then they left and said they would come back. They stood next to the office and they were conversing.
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I went away at that time. I ran into the direction of the gate. When I were there I stood looking and I saw a Security guard and the cars were also leaving the place. I was also with the two guys they said I had given the Freedom Charters to. I had a pint of milk and half a loaf of bread. I was eating it along my way, because I was afraid that people would kidnap me.
These other security opened the gate and then I walked out of the gate. I walked alone. When I turned at the police station, I closed my eyes and ran away. I was running very fast by that time and I went past the soldiers' camp. I also went over the Kimberley Road and then went to the UDf offices. There I met Chris Naidoo who came for this case.
DR RANDERA: I wander if you will please tell us now about the time that you were working for GAWU and what happened during that time.
MR RAMORWAGADI: Whilst I was working in General Allied Workers Union this company met with other unions, because it was liquidated at that time. I volunteered to work in Saru which was another union, which met together with Gawu. While I volunteered the other security branch offices, that was in 1987, after we were released under the State of Emergency.
In 1987 the Security Branch came to me and said, they hear that I have been sending membership cards from Saru and I am also an organizer for the workers so that they could join the union. I told them I don't know anything about that. I haven't received any cards from Saru and also not received their forms. But it was true I had received such documents. They took me to the police station.
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At the police station they told me that Mandela will never be released from prison and also that Mbeki they will also not leave jail. They are also the same as you. I heard you were influencing the workers so they can strike. I told them, no I am not doing that. When I refused that I was not doing that they started assaulting me.
They used to bang my head against the wall and kick me. Whilst they were doing that Le Roux entered and he told me that, you influence the workers to strike. Do you know that is communist activities? I told them there is nothing Christian you could find from someone who was looking for independence.
Thereafter, I stayed for about nine months without being able to eat. I was only eating soft diet.
DR RANDERA: As I said, you have given us a very long and detail statement. I just want to ask you a few questions.
Like so many young people from Huhudi, we have heard repeatedly over the last two days how you were picked up, put in jail, hit, even electric shock treatment. And that has been the story of so many young people that have come to the Commission over the last two and a half days. But at the same time I want to take us back to that period, it is a period of intense activity in Huhudi.
You have the Huhudi Youth Organization on the one side, the UDF on the other side. There is also the attack, and in your own statement you say at one stage you were questioned about the bombing of one of the Mayor's homes. And the Mayor's wife was injured. You also say in your statement that the Huhudi Youth Organization was a non-violent organization.
I just want us to get a perspective on this. Remember MMABATHO HEARING TRC/NORTH WEST
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that we are not in a court of law here.
Yesterday when asked Mayor Galeng said that he was
responsible for taking ANC or young people across the border and back into the country as well. He saw that as part of the struggle.
Now when I look at your statement it seemed like you were arrested for standing up against the tricameral system, you were arrested for giving out leaflets or documents and the Freedom Charter, you were arrested for being against the increase in rents, but can we really get an idea from you about yourself and what happened in the area, what the activity in terms of what the activities really was from you people. Were people really involved, were young people really involved in attacking the homes of Councillors, were young people involved in attacking policemen in that area?
MR RAMORWAGADI: We as the leaders of the youth organization, we usually encouraged the youth not to use violence. Among the youth there were those who were interested in reading, in studying, those who knew that apartheid is a crime and they knew that the whole world was against apartheid. And they knew that apartheid had to be fought in different ways to be brought down.
People felt they were oppressed. They were supposed to use anything at their disposal to destroy the apartheid government. Some of the youth have told themselves that they will do anything possible to destroy this government that was hated by most people.
DR RANDERA: But that included, I am sure you would agree, attacking Councillors, burning down houses, if the houses
belonged to Councillors, perhaps throwing bombs at these houses as well.
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MR RAMORWAGADI: Yes, that happened, but I am not saying that it was done by the youth. I will only testify that I was not a witness, I did not see that happening with my own eyes.
DR RANDERA: But it happened Edward.
MR RAMORWAGADI: What happened?
DR RANDERA: What you have just said. You may not have been a witness, but it happened. Huhudi is not an area that is spreads over miles and miles. It is a very small area, so everybody knew what was happening in Huhudi.
MR RAMORWAGADI: Yes, that happened, Councillors' houses were burnt, the police were ... actually the police were fighting the people, the people did not fight the police. Now they were actually protecting themselves against the police.
DR RANDERA: Thank you.
MS SEROKE: Edward, you said your manager had a gun in his hand when he picked you up.
MR RAMORWAGADI: According to the rumours I knew him as a reservist.
MS SEROKE: While you were taken to the brewery you saw along the road that you were not taken to the brewer, you were going to the police station. Did you ask him where he was taking you to?
MR RAMORWAGADI: Yes, I asked him and the bar was also the way that went to the brewery. Along this road there is another road that goes to town and the other one is the one to the brewery. Even if you are in town you can find the way to the brewery.
MS SEROKE: You said again, the other Strydom who was a security, he also punched you until you bled. Did you stop MMABATHO HEARING TRC/NORTH WEST
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the blood that was flowing from you?
MR RAMORWAGADI: Yes I did that.
MS SEROKE: We heard the programmes we've been through when you tried to bring peace in Huhudi. And it is quite clear in what you did achieve probably what you wanted to achieve. We saw what the activities of the youth were and we want to tell you that all he experiences that you went through we'll try to help you.
We thank you and your family and we say to you we will try and find help for you Thank you.
