accident

by Wessel Janse van Rensburg

Although it was the least known of three big massacres in my area investigation*, it was special. We had evidence of police involvement.

Like all the other cases, the police investigation dockets were gone, just like the Occurrence Books or OB's as they were known. OB's were great big grey books that listed all the "occurrences" that took place in the area of its police station. In this area, the OB's had listed hundreds of killings.

But by some oversight the OB of the Riot Unit was overlooked. Maybe it was just "lost" in the confusion. The police had just set-up a temporary base to deal with the violence.

Much to our amazement it was still there. The Sebokeng Riot Unit OB of August to October 1990 period.

Sebokeng was one of a few of the black townships in the Vaal-triangle. The Triangle was an industrial area 60km South of Johannesburg. Its lifeblood was Iscor, the Giant state owned Iron and Steel Corporation.

Iscor had built massive hostels to house the Vaal's migrant black workforce. In the early '90's they became a focal point in a struggle between the African National Congress (ANC) and the Ikatha Freedom Party (IFP). Rumours abounded about of the involvement of a "third force". Soon the hostels were dubbed fortresses of fear.

September 1990

01:30 - M raporteer Sebokeng - Alles is stil en rustig.

[01:30 - M reports Sebokeng - Everything quiet and peaceful]

Really? - had Judge Smit not found in the inquest into the death of those 42 hostel inmates that the attack started at just after midnight?

03:30 - Sebokeng - Alles is stil en rustig. M

Another entry? Did the inquest not find that explosions could be heard from 01:00? Most were killed with automatic rifles. Hardly silent. The others were hacked or impaled on spears.

On Wednesday morning:

"So you heard the shots at 01:00am?"

Sgt. K:

"..yes"

"Who is M, was he dreaming? Could he not hear the slaughter?"

Sgt. K: "I don't know - he should explain that"

" Was he alone in his armoured vehicle?"

Sgt. K: "No I don't know"

"Does he still work at the riot unit?"

Sgt. K: "How should I know"

"Why are you so nervous?"

We had our man. Or lets say a man. But one man in such a precarious position always led to another. Or perhaps a dozen.

Friday was a blur. I phoned the Evaton police station after I had spoken to the head of the Riot Unit. Evaton had no record of a motor vehicle accident on Wednesday evening. How could it be. The head of the Riot Unit had just told me otherwise.

Phoned the mortuary.

"Yes definitely, we have a body here."

Phoned the police station again.

"Is that the station commander?"

"Yes"

"You realise that you have a body in the mortuary, a body that's not listed in your OB? A body for which there is no docket?"

"Impossible"

He said he'd phone me back.. less than a half and hour later someone did. "Who's this?" "I've just been appointed as the investigating officer."

He told me there was nothing in the docket. How could there be, he just opened it. I should get back to him. I did, think it was the same day. Yes, he told me. The vehicle was stolen. A police vehicle identified it as such, a chase ensued. The stolen vehicle careered of the road. Driver was killed. Were there photos taken at the scene, I asked? Yes, he said, but they failed to develop. Was it not against South African Police procedure to fail to open a docket with a body in the mortuary? How did you get onto this he asked?

I remembered the first call that day. I was looking for M.

"Is that the head of the Riot Unit?"

"Can I speak to M please?"

"No"

"Why not?"

"He died in a motor vehicle accident."

"When?"

"Wednesday evening."

* Nobody gave it to me, I chose it. Nothing was happening. What a waste. Got stuck in. Solved nothing.