MATSILISO PAULINA MONAGENG
I am Mrs Paulina Mabesela. I was working for Steiner company.  My son who is Jacob Mabesela was born on the 11th February 1966.  He was a student at Minerva.  He was a SRC member.  As he was still there a student being a SRC member in 1985 when the state of emergency was declared it was him and the others, they were wanted because they were the SRC members.  They were to be arrested.  It happened in 1985 that he was detained.  He went to Johannesburg prison.  While he was in Johannesburg prison I was not able to see him, to visit him.  When I tried to go
ALEXANDRA HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
2 MONAGENG
there we were told that we are not supposed to see them.  They decided to go on a hunger strike.  After that hunger strike he was released in December.  Even though I was unable to see him, when he was released I could see him.  He told me that, he said Mama I don't know how my life is going to be.  I asked him why.  He said his life was so difficult and the police had told him that they are going to kill him after his release.  I said to him what are you going to do about that.  Within a short time - that was June, on the 9th June they left.  I went to a funeral of my brother's child who was killed in the train.  While I was there at the funeral I was surprised to see him coming in - to see his father.  I asked him where is my son, he said I don't want to talk any more.  I asked him what was the reason.  He said my son was dead.  Now we were facing two funerals.  My brother's son and my son also.  (Witness crying).