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14 September 1976
A policeman (constable, South African Police) who handled the dog the children killed. He was also armed with a revolver.
Witness:
… On our way to Jabulani there were — on our way to Orlando from Jabulani there were several groups of children along the road… Thousands in all these different groups.
Advocate:
Would you continue please?
Witness:
When we arrived at Orlando, we were then divided and we were under Lieutenant Brandt.
Advocate:
Right, you have told us that.
Witness:
We were then bus patrolling to see what was actually going on…
We went and then joined the other group under Colonel Kleingeld. We then held still behind them. Meanwhile we were still there, children came along, threw stones at us. We only applied our teargas to them. We then went up along Khumalo Street as far a Phefeni Station, turned around there, came along Vilakazi Street down. We held still in our convoy. There came these groups of children from all directions, east to west, south, north, threw stones at us. We were then ordered to get off our vehicles and to let our dogs frighten them, to frighten them with our dogs.
Advocate:
How many were in your party altogether? More or less.
Witness:
Roughly 20. I cannot say the correct number.
Advocate:
And how many dogs?
Witness:
Six.
Advocate:
And you were all completely surrounded by what you have termed thousands of children throwing stones?
Witness:
Yes.
Advocate:
Did you feel that you and the members of your party were in any danger?
Witness:
I had already thought that I am dead already.
Advocate:
Notwithstanding that did you use your revolver?
Witness:
I started using my dog.
Advocate:
Yes, but did you use your revolver?
Witness:
I did.
Advocate:
Did you use your revolver then? Did you shoot?
Witness:
Yes, I did shoot… In the air after the colonel had fired.
[…]
Advocate:
Did the use of the teargas bombs have any appreciable effect on the marauding children?
Witness:
Not at all, it had no effect whatsoever. [note choice of words]
Advocate:
You got out of your vehicles with your dogs and tell His Lordship in your own words what happened?
Witness:
I then went in the direction towards the east, where the children were in great numbers. I had my dog I would say a distance of from here to up to that wall.
Advocate:
About 10 yards.
Witness:
I was just directing it that it must frighten them.
Advocate:
Frighten the children. Did you have the dog on a leash?
Witness:
Yes.
Advocate:
And you were holding it?
Witness:
Holding it.
Advocate:
Were the others doing the same?
Witness:
Similar.
Advocate:
Right, carry on please.
Witness:
One of the children got hold of the rope behind the dog. It is then that a mob of the children came to me, caught hold of me, pulling me this way and that way, holding the rope in order that I must let it loose. Meanwhile the rest were throwing stones at the dog. Hardly a few minutes' time the dog was dead. Children came along to me, threw a stone at me, this knocked me below my left eye and on my chest as well. I had no other means to do. It is then that I pulled out my firearm in the air started shooting. It is then that I got a chance to run away. When I arrived where our vehicles were parked, I saw the school children picking up that dog and take it at the corner in Vilakazi Street. They set it on fire… Thereafter I could not do anything else, I started looking for a place to hide.
[…]
I had already thought that I am going to die this very moment.
Advocate:
At the head of the children did you see anyone in particular?
Witness:
Not at all. I could not even make good observations of these children, because everything was muddled up.
Advocate:
Were there any adults there that you may have noticed?
Witness:
Yes, there were a few adults but the school children were in the majority.
Advocate:
How many of these adults were there?
Witness:
Approximately 3 or 4.
Advocate:
What were they doing? Were they male adults or female or both?
Witness:
Men that I saw.
Advocate:
What were they doing?
Witness:
Each time when they noticed that the children were being terrified, they called them back.
Advocate:
Urged them on?
Witness:
Yes.
Advocate:
And did the children obey their commands?
Witness:
Yes, they obeyed their commands.
[…]
Advocate:
And any liquour stores?
Witness:
Oh, I had forgotten them. They started with them first. … They carried them [contents of the liquor stores] away, took them home, enjoyed them at home.
Advocate:
In other words those liquor stores were plundered?
Witness:
Yes.
Advocate:
Did you see any of them drink of the liquor?
Witness:
Yes, quite a lot of them but I had not much power to go and deprive them of the drink.
Advocate:
No[,] quite. And what effect did the liquor have on those who drank it?
Witness:
It worsened up everything. Some of them were just walking along the street, passing water, meanwhile walking, urinating. … Yes, it [the consumption of liquor] increased the violence.
[…]
Advocate:
Who took out the contents [from grocery stores]?
Witness:
A mixed up group of school children and those who were not school children and even elderly people carrying away.
[…]
Advocate:
You say this [plundering of clothing stores] was done not only by the school children, but by those who were not school children and adults.
Witness:
Yes, it was a mixture of all.
[…]
Advocate:
… Have you ever come across the element known as the tsotsi element, the idlers who do nothing and just roam?
Witness:
Yes, I have seen quite a lot of that.
Advocate:
Are there a lot of them in Soweto?
Witness:
Yes, in great numbers.
Advocate:
Are you able to say whether any of them took part in the uprising and the plundering of the stores?
Witness:
Yes, there were.
[…]
Advocate:
By Friday the crowds who did all these things, were they still the children?
Witness:
Yes, from the 16th up to that Friday school children mixed p with the other non-going school people.
Advocate:
School children mixed up with others?
Witness:
Yes.
Source: Anonymous witness, testimony, 14 September 1976, SAB K345, vol. 139, file 2/3, part 1, Commission Testimony vol. 5.
