CHAIRPERSON: Thanks for coming, please relax and we are all ears, we want to listen to your story, your testimony and Mrs Seroke will help you with that.
SONNY MOFEKENG: (sworn states)
MS SEROKE: I greet you Mr Mofekeng. Are you going to testify in English or in Sotho?
MR MOFEKENG: I will speak in my home language so that I can express myself very well.
MS SEROKE: We thank you for coming before us to tell us your side of your story. We are very happy that we will get a clear balance of the conflict that existed in the Vaal area. We will request you to briefly tell us what happened on that day.
MR MOFEKENG: I will start by saying in July up to the 30th of August I was not present. I had gone to Copenhagen. I only came here on the 30th of August. I stayed, that is Saturday and Sunday the 1st and the 2nd, on the 3rd when I was at home in Zone 3 and I was in the house when I heard some noise outside. And the distance was about 500 metres. I went outside to investigate as to what was happening. I saw a group of people coming towards my direction and they were shouting. I listened to them and they were saying they wanted Sonny Mofekeng and I tried to get a look at those people. They were armed with pangas as well as knopkieries heading towards my direction.
And I went into the house. I told my wife what was
happening outside. I also told my three children that I had seen people armed and coming towards my direction singing that they wanted Sonny Mofekeng and I warned them that we should escape for our lives. I opened the car, I put my children as well as my wife in the car because at that time my wife was expectant. I opened the car for her and we drove out and we took the direction towards Everton. And at approximately 500 metres I stopped because I wanted to see the people who said they wanted Sonny Mofekeng. When they got to my house it was quite a distance from where I was and they were pelting my house with stones. I realised at that moment that it was not safe for me and my family to be in that place. We had better escape. And I drove off in my car heading towards Houtkop.
When I got to Houtkop I reported the matter to the police. I told the police that my house was being stoned and I was requiring safety. And I was lucky enough because they accepted me at Houtkop, and as I was still at Houtkop I heard over the radio, they were announcing that Siza Mucheane and Chakane had been killed. At that moment I started panicking because I realised at that point that my life was also in danger so it was worth my while to escape at that moment. I stayed at Houtkop up till the evening. At about 9 o'clock in the evening I heard another announcement over the radio they were telling the public that my house was on fire and I asked the police at Houtkop to accompany me to my house because I wanted to really verify that it was burning. They told me that it was not safe for me to go to my house. But in any case they took me along. We went to Etan side so that they could take me to Zone 3. And when we got to Residentia, that is the bridge
that leads to Residentia, we stopped there and I had a good look. It was during the night. I saw the flames, very big flames emanating from my house, and I saw another fire, a big fire just next to my house and that was my father's house. That's where he stayed next to me. As we were still watching about 500 metres from my house, that's where my garage was, that is the filling station, I also saw it being set alight and I saw big flames looming at my garage. And I told the police that they should take me back to Houtkop.
MS SEROKE: Thank you very much for what you have just told us. I will just ask you a few questions. Do you want to continue with your story or is that the rest?
MR MOFEKENG: My story is very short, that's about the lot.
MS SEROKE: Were you in the ruling party or were you in the opposition party in the Vaal Triangle?
MR MOFEKENG: I was in the ruling party, LPP.
MS SEROKE: In your statement you've pointed out that your house was burnt down as well as your father's house who was staying next to you. They also burnt down your filling station, and that the people wanted to kill you. Why were the people so eager to kill you?
MR MOFEKENG: I can just explain it shortly. Because at that time we were busy holding meetings but I could not be present because the petrol company kept on taking me out of the country. I think the community had certain complaints and dissatisfaction. Basically their complaints was that the rents was rather too high. Their second point was that they did not want to see people entering into the Local Government election because the people were working within the system. That is how they phrased this.
MS SEROKE: Now as you knew the reasons that the rent was
rather too high, as well as the fact that the people didn't want you to work with the system you as the councillors how did you address the grievances that the community had? Did you feel that the grievances were impossible or they were justified or you felt that you could just continue with your work despite the fact that the community was dissatisfied?
MR MOFEKENG: I can put it in this manner, that we had been voted by the community, the very same community that had put us into power the manner in which we were voted into power was that the very same community was supporting us at that juncture, and the very same people who had voted for us their aims were that some of the people were in agreement with us working with the system, but some seemed not to be satisfied. Some felt that their needs were being addressed but some felt that their needs were not being addressed. And people who were dissatisfied were quite very few. Most of them were satisfied with the work that we were rendering. MS SEROKE: What about those who voted for you, what percentage were they in the Vaal.
MR MOFEKENG: I will talk about my constituency. In my constituency I had been voted by quite a high percentage in Zone 3, and when you look back and check the statistics that is generally in Sebokeng, I had the highest votes, much more than the other councillors as well as the candidates who were contesting our seats as well as our votes. I had the highest votes. So this puts me in a position where I realised that in my constituency the people were satisfied, they supported me wholeheartedly.
MS SEROKE: Now in other words when the community required you to resign did you feel there was no reason for you to resign because the community was supporting you and the
people who wanted you to resign were quite a few people?
MR MOFEKENG: That is correct. There was only a few people that wanted me to resign.
MS SEROKE: Now what about the ones who were burning, where did they come from?
MR MOFEKENG: I do not want to start saying things but the people were coming from the direction of Residentia, and I could see them properly because if you are at my place, my place is a little bit higher up and Residentia is a little bit further down and when they come from Residentia I could see them.
MS SEROKE: Was Residentia not your constituency?
MR MOFEKENG: Not it wasn't my constituency, it was Zone 3.
CHAIRPERSON: Thank you so much. Mr Mofekeng it seems to me that Dr Randera and Dr Boraine would like to add to the questions. Dr Randera first.
DR RANDERA: Mr Mofekeng I just want to first of all ask, you lost three properties it seemed in that fire, or the burning. It was your own home, plus your father's home, plus your garage and a motor spares shop, were any people injured or killed in those instances?
MR MOFEKENG: I just want to straighten this, to clarify this, I never lost three properties, it was a lot. It was a lot. I also lost my cars as well as my caravan. That was a lot of property that I cannot even recover today.
DR RANDERA: Thank you for that clarification Mr Mofekeng, but was there any loss of life?
MR MOFEKENG: In my place as well as my father's place nobody died because we all escaped before tragedy could strike.
DR RANDERA: Now Mr Mofekeng you said you had to leave the area after that, how long did you leave the area for? Where did you stay? And have you come back to the area now?
MR MOFEKENG: I will answer the last question. I haven't yet gone back to my place, because it is still in ruins. I haven't yet gone back. From my place up to Houtkop it's a distance of approximately eight kilometres from my place to Houtkop.
DR RANDERA: Sorry, can I just clarify, where are you staying now?
MR MOFEKENG: Presently I am staying at Zone 3.
DR RANDERA: So you are back in the Vaal?
DR RANDERA: Mr Mofekeng I just want to go back to the period, I know you say that you came back from Copenhagen where you had been on a visit for a petrol company, were you not aware of the anger in the people before going or after you came back?
MR MOFEKENG: What I can say is that I was not very well vested with the situation because from time-to-time I used to go out of the country, so I didn't have full information as to what was actually taking place.
DR RANDERA: Can we also just go back to what one of your fellow councillors just said earlier on, that people were then subsequently given guns, some people were given money. There was also the President's Fund. Did you receive money from any of these, either from the administration or from the President's Fund? Have you received any compensation since your properties were destroyed?
MR MOFEKENG: Your Honourable One I am very grateful that you have asked me this question. I have been waiting for
this question for quite a long time. Let me say the money that was alleged to have been given to the councillors that money was money that we had loaned that you will pay that money thereafter. I personally failed to honour the agreement which was stipulated for me to pay back the money. Up till first time that day actually charged me up to such a stage where I had to speak to Lionel Mofekeng to help me repay the money. There was absolutely no money that was given out freely. It was purely a loan that we had to repay. We had to sign certain papers and we had to repay the money after a specific time. That is a blatant lie that we received the money. And I want to say that it is blatant...
CHAIRPERSON: I would like to appeal for order, for quiet please. Thank you very much. You may continue Sir.
MR MOFEKENG: Up till now there is not even a single cent that I received. That is why all my places are still like that. There is no money that I got. I went to the administration quite a number of times explaining my situation to the town clerk. At no stage did they ever want to listen to me up till this moment. All my things are still in ruins. My premises are still in ruins even where I am staying the place is still in shambles.
DR RANDERA: Thank you Mr Mofekeng, I have no other questions.
CHAIRPERSON: I hand over to Dr Boraine.
DR BORAINE: Just a couple of questions. To make absolutely sure you said that you had received some money from the administration but this was a loan and you had to repay that, is that right?
MR MOFEKENG: That is correct. It is true I personally
loaned the money and I failed to honour the agreement to repay the money.
DR BORAINE: I see. And then we heard earlier that some people who had lost homes or property were paid out by the State President's fund. Now we already asked you that, but could you just make it clear that you never received anything from the State President's Fund either?
MR MOFEKENG: I never got anything, up till today I haven't yet got anything.
DR BORAINE: Thank you. Can you tell me are you employed at the moment?
MR MOFEKENG: Yes I am employed.
MR MOFEKENG: I am working at a butchery.
DR BORAINE: What family do you have now ...(intervention)
CHAIRPERSON: May I again ask for order, for silence please.
DR BORAINE: Do you have members of your family living with you?
DR BORAINE: So you are on your own?
DR BORAINE: I have two more questions and then I am finished. During this time of unrest and political upheaval when they burnt your house down and threatened your life did you resign as a councillor? Did you stay on? What did you do?
MR MOFEKENG: I don't want to tell you a lie, I never resigned, up till the term of office expired.
DR BORAINE: And the last questions is last year for the first time in South Africa we had what we call a democratic
local government elections, how do you feel about those elections and the one that took place before?
MR MOFEKENG: I felt very encouraged and I would have liked to have been part of the elections because I realised that my country is now back to normal and now this was an opportunity for us to take part. But under the circumstances, let me just say, under the present circumstances I realised that I could not contest, it was a very difficult situation for me, the reason being that I have never been accepted by the community. And I had told myself that when time comes or when the time is ripe I will be very happy to participate if an opportunity arises then I will be able to contest.
CHAIRPERSON: Thank you very much Mr Mofekeng. Mrs Seroke still wants to add another question.
MS SEROKE: Mr Mofekeng Mr Ntsoereng told us that you who were in the ruling party you were given guns as well as fire extinguishers, were you part of that, did you get that from the administration?
MR MOFEKENG: I don't want to tell a lie again here. I have my own gun that I got in 1963 when I was still in Meyerton. That is the only gun that I have. I never got any firearm from the administration. I have been having my own revolver all the time.
MS SEROKE: Were you aware that others got the guns? Did you see it happening or did you get to know about it?
MR MOFEKENG: Yes I saw people in possession of firearms but that is a personal matter for a person and you can't ask a person how did you get the gun, how did you get the firearm because I had my own. We used to go to Vanderbijl Park for shooting lessons. If I am not mistaken we got
training for three years. I was just practising with my own gun.
MS SEROKE: Did you get a chance to use your gun during that violent era, or did any of your people ...(intervention)
MR MOFEKENG: Can you please repeat your question.
MS SEROKE: I am saying with regard to the violence, with the burning of houses, chasing away of people, throwing of stones, did you ever get a chance to use your firearms to defend yourselves, did you ever get such a chance?
MR MOFEKENG: I want this question to be personally directed to me so that I can answer it. I have never used my revolver, not at all, I have never, that is why I decided to take my children, to take them to a safe place. Most of the time I spent in Houtkop because we stayed in J C Knotze Hall for three years, and most of the time I would be sent out by the petrol company.
CHAIRPERSON: Mr Mofekeng once again may I say thank you ever so much that you came to us, that you presented us today with your testimony. Your testimony also is very valuable to us to help piece together the whole picture of what happened in Vaal Triangle in those difficult years. I am under the impression of the suffering not only from the community but the suffering from the councillors' side, the pain and the anguish the families must have gone through, when you talked about your father's house that was also burnt, about your children, we have very much sympathy with you, not only the loss of property but the danger that you lived in. And I do hope, I really hope that the time will come soon that you will be able to go back to your place to
rebuild it and to find your place again in your community. Thanks for coming again and I wish you well. You may leave the podium, thank you.