‘Like nothing I had seen before’

Ex-cop on Haffejee torture

FOR the past 44 years, Mohun Deva Gopal has struggled with the memory of how Dr Hoosen Haffejee, an anti-apartheid activist, was tortured by the apartheid police.

Gopal, who is now 68, was a young policeman serving with the Security Branch in August 1977 when Haffejee was arrested. At the time of his arrest, he was 26 years old and practising as a dentist at King George Hospital. He was taken to the Brighton Beach police station on the Bluff where he was tortured.

“It was like nothing I had ever seen before and was a grotesque feature of a horrible nightmare,” said Gopal, who this week testified at a new inquest into Haffejee’s death.

“There were a series of fists, blows, open palm slaps, kicks, punches, on every part of his body. It was completely physical. Dr Haffejee was busted. There is no other way to describe it. He was hit so hard that he was screaming out for his mother.”

Twenty hours after his arrest, Haffejee was found dead. According to the police, he hanged himself with his pants from the grille door of his cell.

An initial inquest in 1978 ruled Haffejee died by suicide. It was based on a report from the State pathologist who found the cause of death consistent with hanging.

However, a pathologist hired by Haffejee’s family determined the cause of death was suffocation.

In 1996, Haffejee’s brother, Yusuf, testified at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in a bid to find the truth.

Two years ago, Michael Masutha, the former minister of justice, signed an order recommending the reopening of the inquest. It is currently being heard in the Pietermaritzburg High Court.

During his testimony, Gopal said he did not believe Haffejee had killed himself.

“I will never believe he took his own life because with all the beating he received during the day and into the night, I do not believe he had the energy to twist himself to death.”

Gopal is the only surviving member of the police who were present during Haffejee’s interrogation and torture. In May 1997, he applied for amnesty at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Amnesty Committee for his involvement in assaults perpetrated on Haffejee and Joseph Mdluli, both anti-apartheid activists.

He admitted that he, together with James Taylor, PL du Toit, and others kidnapped Haffejee and drove him to Brighton Beach police station. He admitted he was present when Haffajee was interrogated and tortured. His bid for amnesty was denied.

On Monday, Gopal said he joined the Security Branch in 1975. This police unit was set up to track down, detain and torture those who opposed apartheid, and included Haffejee.

Gopal testified that they were contacted by one Matheevathinee Benjamin (known at the time as Mathee Govender). He met her at a restaurant together with other members of the unit including Major Ben (previously known as W/O Moonsammy), W/O Moodley, W/O Perumal, Sgt Govender and VR Naidoo.

“We were told a doctor was giving out lectures on the manufacturing of chemical bombs.”

Benjamin was taken to the Security Branch head offices in what was then Fisher Street in South Beach. He testified that she later became a paid informant.

“It started off at R400 but rose up to R600-R700. In 1977 that was a huge amount of money. I, with a matric certificate, was only earning R92 a month,” said Gopal.

Based on the information provided by Benjamin, the police bugged the flat Haffejee lived in and monitored him over a four-month period. They were able to enter his flat because Benjamin gave them a key. She was in a relationship with Haffejee .

At some point, the police heard conversations about bombs being manufactured and decided to arrest Haffejee.

They pounced on him in Overport on August 2, 1977 and, according to Gopal, caught Haffejee by surprise.

“I still remember Haffejee’s eyes – he was shocked. The God’s honest truth is that he was not arrested – he was kidnapped.

“There is a manner in which you arrest someone. You tap them on the left shoulder, which means you are taking them into your custody, and inform them of the charge against them. But none of this happened.”

The police took Haffejee to Brighton Beach police station hoping to find out more information about the training he had received in India, other associates in Durban as well as the lectures he was giving in making bombs.

Gopal claimed that as a junior constable he stood at the door of the room where the interrogation happened. Those inside the room were Jimmy Taylor, PL du Toit and Sgt Govender.

Gopal testified that Haffejee was stripped down to his underwear and beaten.

“I had never seen an interrogation like that before. I just stood there. If I had to pull Dr Haffejee away, they would have taken me out. I had to live with this traumatic incident for 44 years.”

At some point during the night, Gopal testified that Captain Jimmy Taylor took Haffejee to the toilet.

“He held him by the neck and escorted him to the toilet. I was behind Jimmy Taylor. He forcibly pushed Dr Haffejee’s head into the toilet pan and told him to drink the water. Dr Haffejee was obviously resisting and pushed back his head. At some point Taylor let go and Dr Haffejee’s head hit the wall. He was then dragged back to the interrogation room.”

Gopal testified that despite the torture, Haffejee did not provide police with any information they believed was useful. Later that night he went home, believing the interrogation would continue the next morning.

However, upon his return to work, he discovered Haffejee had “committed suicide”. He testified he did not believe that was the case.

During his testimony Gopal said he had also read files on people like Fatima Meer, her husband Ismail Meer, Pat Poovalingam and Paul David.

He claimed he had never interrogated anyone but had watched others do so.

“I would see an officer have a rubber truncheon and hammer somebody’s head and say, ‘oh so that’s interrogation’.

“The most famous was the helicopter method where you would stand up, stretch your arms out, raise your heels and balance yourself on your toes. A ruler is placed on your head and then you crouch down. After a few minutes you start to shake and if the ruler falls off your head, you would be kicked brutally all over.”

Electrocution, he said, was also a common form of torture.

“The most common places on the body these were placed on were the nipples, the genitals, the anus, on the side where the kidneys are located, the ears, the nostrils and the back of the head to disorient you.”

The inquest continues.