week he was assaulted by the same detective who then forced him to sign a confession. He is accused of murder and of stealing a bicycle. (IBI) CASE 190 Torture of a 17 year old Shapeville youth On February 15, 1993, Mr DT 17yrs) was arrested at a friend's house in Sharpeville "Police in a casspir and a combi came and drew guns through the windows of their vehicles and I then decided to run away....and they started shooting as I ran. As they were shooting I decided not to run any more and they arrested me. I was then taken to Vanderbijlpark police station where I was shocked At about 22 OOhrs I was taken out of the cells and back into Sharpeville where they said that I should take out firearms. At Sharpeville as I was denying any knowledge of the guns, a certain policeman said I was mad and he put a gun inside my mouth threatening to shoot me. I was then taken to Sebokeng where a bottle was put on my head and shot from my head by a white policeman. The policemen then drove with me to Sharpeville where I was shot in both thighs, and then I was taken to point out one of the ANC Youth League members who was ordered to clap (hit) me, and he did it for fear of being assaulted, and they laughed as he clapped me, and also hit me with the butt of a gun I was then taken to Vanderbijlpark hospital where I spent five days." The ANCYL member who was forced to assault Mr DT also described the incident; "The black policeman said Trap horn', meaning assault him. They were instructing me to clap Daniel. I therefore hit him with my right hand on his left cheek. Then Daniel requested that they kill him Two white policemen were manhandling Daniel, they threw him onto my bed. One of the white policemen pulled out a 9mm gun, unloaded the magazine and held it by its barrel. He said 'Jy pla die mense' (You annoy people). He then hit Daniel at a great impact on his head .... the policeman struck three blows on Daniel's head. From my looking I could realise the blows were painful. Daniel then said the weapons are at another person's house. He was crying at the times from the blows." Subsequent to his arrest and assault Mr DT was charged with armed robbery and was held in custody for two weeks. After appearing in court he was released into his parent's custody. It later emerged that Mr DT was being charged for stealing a wheelbarrow and a lawnmower. On May 10, 1993, Mr DT was found not guilty of these charges. On June 6, approximately eleven 153 policemen arrived at Mr DT's house in Sharpeville and shouted to his family inside the house that if they did not come out of the house they would all be shot. Mr DT was again arrested, this time for allegedly escaping from prison. He appeared in court on June 24 and the charges against him were withdrawn. Mr DT is sueing the police for damages. (Peace Action Report - "Alleged SAP Misconduct", 1993) CASE 191 Torture of Mr LH On September 2, 1992, Mr LH was arrested at his home in Boipatong by detectives who took him to what he has described as a stable in the veld. He says that his face was covered by a balaclava and he was shocked with an "old ring phone with two wires" on his abdomen and genitals.. He says that the torture lasted for some hours after which he was locked up in Sebokeng police station. He says that he was tortured intermittedly over the next seven days by the same methods. He appeared in court and was charged with arson. He was acquitted at trial. (IBI) CASE 192 Torture of Mr SH In September 1992, police came to his home looking for his brother (Lovers). He says that he was assaulted in front of his family and again at Sebokeng police station by policemen. He says that he was also beaten with a baseball bat. He sustained a number of cuts and bruises. He was charged with obstruction and given bail. He appeared in court four times and charges were then withdrawn. (IBI) CASE 193 Torture of Mr EM Arrested in 1992 and charged with murder. He was taken to Sebokeng police station where he was taken to a big room full of tyres. He was instructed to sit on a chair and his arms were fastened to the arm-rests. A piece of car inner tube was then pulled over his nose and mouth from behind, thus resticting his breathing, and was questioned about the murder of a KwaMadala resident. He was later taken to the veld where he was held by two policemen while a third assaulted him. One policeman apparently took a flying kick at Mr EM 154 causing him to fall back. Another policemen then throttled him until he lost consciousness. (IBI) CASE 194 •4 Assault and torture of Mr ET Arrested in July 1992, by policemen who said that he must point out the whereabouts of a particular individual. He was assaulted with fists and boots and had cigarettes burnt on to his body. He is currently charged with murdering an IFP member in Boipatong. (IBI) SASOLBURG Although Sasolburg is in the Orange Free State, it is generally regarded as part of the Vaal Triangle, falling within the urban connurbation of Vereeniging & Vanderbijlpark. Often crimes committed on "the other side" of the Vaal River are investigated by Vaal Triangle Units, based in Gauteng. It is however unclear as to what criteria determine whether units from Gauteng investigate cases in the OFS jurisdiction. CASE 195 Assault and torture of three alleged car thieves Three men were assaulted and tortured by members of the South African Police following their arrest on April 23, 1991. The three men were detained at Sasolburg police station until April 25, 1991 and then at Sasolburg prison until May 10, 1991. They were charged with motor vehicle theft and were found not guilty. All three were severely assaulted at the police station and subjected to degrading beatings and torture, including electric shocks, tubing, suffocation, & strangulation. These assaults took place in a room referred to as the "waarheidskammer". All three men are sueing the Minister of Law & Order for maliscious prosecution and damages caused by the assault. (R M Robinson) 155 WEST RAND WEST RAND HOUSE-BREAKING UNIT CASE 196 Torture and subsequent death of Mr ERK On June 2, 1994, Mr ERK allegedly collapsed and died during interrogation by members of the West Rand House-Breaking Unit. An investigation is underway following indications and allegations that Mr ERK was tortured and may have died as a result of this torture. An investigation is also underway into the a possible cover-up by other members of the unit and other senior policemen in the region. (PRO/CIU) KRUGERSDORP POLICE CASE 197 TEFO KELEBONYE & HEINRICH BOHMKE Arrested in April 1993 in connection with a handgrenade attack on the Roodeport offices of the Conservative Party, Mr Kelebonye and Mr Bohmke were allegedly tortured and tormented at police stations in Johannesburg, Krugersdorp and Brits. Mr Kelebonye alleges that he was picked up from his university residence in the middle of the night in late April. He was allegedly hooded and taken to a park where he was beaten and threatened with death if he did not reveal the wherabouts of another ANC member. He was taken to John Vorster Square, where he alleges he was taken to the 10th floor and forced to sit in an office chair. A wet towel was allegedly pulled tightly aound his face from behind whilst he was punched in the stomach. The next day, Mr Kelebonye says that he was taken to Krugersdorp police station and told that he was being detained under Section 29. The following day he was taken to a policeman's office in Krugersdorp where he was forced to lie on the floor. His hands and feet were tied together behind his back and a policeman sat on his back whilst suffocating him with the inner tube of a car tyre. He was allegedly kicked in the ribs whilst this was happening. The following week he was again hooded and taken to Brits police station. He alleges that he was forced to lie on his back. The pin was pulled out of a hand-grenade and Mr Kelebonye says that he was instructed to clasp the grenade between his teeth. With the grenade in his mouth wires were attached to his toes and he was subjected to electric shocks. "I screamed through my teeth, terrified that the grenade was not a dummy but really alive". Mr Kelebonye says that he was also taken to a farm where he was stripped 156 and made to stand in front of Brits policemen who appeared to be braaing and drinking beer there. They allegedly made him sit next to a security fence which gave him electric shocks when he touched it. Mr Bohmke who has yet to publically reveal details of his experience at the hands of the police is believed to have also been severely tortured. He is believed to have been tied to the same security fence whilst electricity was passed through it. (W/Mail-16/7/93 SlBI) WESTONARIA CID CASE 198 « .^ Torture of Mr SM On February 6, 1994, Mr SM was taken from his home in Zuurbekom, west of Soweto, by two members of Westonaria CID.