April 23, 1996 — Sapa

POLICEMAN BURIED VICTIM'S BRAINS, TRUTH BODY TOLD

A Guguletu, Cape Town, woman on Tuesday told the Truth and Reconciliation Commission she had watched in horror as a policeman buried the brains of a boy, 15, shot dead during rioting in the Peninsula township in September 1976.

The rioting was triggered by the Soweto revolt in June that year. On September 16, the day of the shooting, crowds gathered in Guguletu, cars were stoned, barricades were put up and attempts were made to damage railway tracks to stop trains bringing workers home.

An inquest into the death of Sonny Boy Zantsi found he had been shot in the head by police after vehicles were stoned.

However, on Tuesday the commission heard a different story from 71-year-old Regina Gwayi, a neighbour of Zantsi's parents. She said she had been at home on the day of the riots when Zantsi and a second youth, in a bid to escape pursuing police, hid in an outside toilet behind her neighbour's house.

Gwayi said she had watched in horror as a policeman armed with an automatic rifle walked up to the toilet.

"This white man shot with his rifle. I saw him dragging two children. One of them was already dead. It was Sonny Boy. The other one was still alive. He was holding them by their legs like dogs.

"I saw him digging a hole for Sonny Boy's brains."

Truth commissioner Dumisa Ntsebeza said the security forces had waged war against children in which they were not prepared to take prisoners.

"Sonny Boy was one such victim. It is remarkable that such vicious state machinery ws unleashed on schoolchldren."


© South African Press Association, 1996
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