LETLHOGONOLO GABORONE
I thank you once for offering me the opportunity to appear before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to present my story.
 I have very limited knowledge which I will try to put before you the way I know the facts.
 I will start by saying, according to Tswana tradition we don't usually speak about what happened in families and how a child is born.
 What I want to say first is - this sounds like a story but I know that I only have 30 minutes to say what I have to say, but I won't speak more than 30 minutes.
 A child was born under emergency and he was given a name.  He grew up as any other child under good care. Maybe he was taken care of better than his friends.  That is, this child was very lucky.  Luckier than his friends.
 The difference is he wasn't told about some things regarding his birth.  Was this made intentionally or not,  people don't know even now.
 The second thing is he didn't experience or get any civilization from his father.  The child was not able to ask about the way in which he grew up, because grown-ups don't just have children, because of their traditions. This was a very humble child and he was not proud at all.   Because the child never knew, or wasn't told who his father was, or MMABATHO HEARING TRC/NORTH WEST
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where his father was.
 Even now, the child is facing very new challenges now.  He has not been lucky to be brought up as other children.  If you have any experience you will realise that this person went short of a father who could guide him.   
 Because of this the child realised that he must travel on his own, and in this struggle he didn't have any assistance.
 The child's questions were not answered.  No one could answer these questions.  Really he didn't receive any answers about the way he was brought up, because every time he asked where his father was he wouldn't be told.   
 Now, for this child to come here today, is to come and ask for assistance. To help him with this burden he is facing.  And the problematic way in which he grew up.  
 And his plea is, he wants to know where his father is.  This question was not answered on many occasions.  I have asked this, but no one has answered me this far.  Maybe because different people couldn't answer me.
 Is my father still alive?  Because when different organizations were unbanned, such as the ANC at the beginning of 1990, people came from exile and they came home, but this child's father was not among those who came back home.
 If the father is still alive, why doesn't he appear before the child?  Like I have already said, many people came from exile and I think some of the Commissioners were also in exile but they were able to come back.  They are 
with their family and relatives now.
 If he is dead, I mean the father, what killed him or who killed him?  Even now I can give an example. We know MMABATHO HEARING TRC/NORTH WEST
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that Mr Chris Hani was killed and we knew that he was killed by Januz Walus.  But who killed this father of mine?   No one cares to know who killed this father of mine.   Why was he killed?    That is what I want to know.  Because sometimes you could get killed and no one would care why you got killed, but in other instances, when you are killed people would want to know why you were killed.
 Those who know about his murder why didn't they consult his family or his children to tell them about the death?   
 Before I ask these questions and these questions couldn't be answered, this small boy of the man will lead his life under the feeling that he didn't have a father.   This boy's life would be spent without knowing how his father died.   
 Therefore, I would like to end this report about the disappearance of a man, by the name of Bethlomo, who might be my father.  
 It seems as if he left in 1976, I was small by that time.  I think I was three years old by then.  I didn't know anything about his disappearance.  And that is all I can say to you.   That is what I can present to the Commission.   
 I thank you.