Human Rights Violation Hearings — Soweto — 1996-07-25

CHAIRPERSON: I will ask Ntombekulu Busang to stand up, please.

CHAIRPERSON: Which language are you talking, are you Xhosa or ... I will ask you to take the oath, please

NTOMBENKULU BUSANG: (Duly sworn, states).

CHAIRPERSON: I thank you.  I don't know, will you tell us and introduce, tell us as to whether the one who is accompaning you will say something as well.

NTOMBENKULU BUSANG: I can't hear, because this is not on. She is going to add the arrangements of leaving, because she is the one was in charge of doing that.

CHAIRPERSON: We will ask Joyce Seroke, one of the Commissioners to lead you when you go ahead.  Joyce Seroke, take over, please.

MS SEROKE: I greet you, Madam Busang and the one who is accompanying you. I will kindly ask that briefly tell us about your son's life, when he was still with you, living with you, just before he left for abroad, where he met this tragedy.

NTOMBENKULU BUSANG: This child of mine, first of all, he was going to school at Krugersdorp.

MS SEROKE: Please tell us his name as well, because in your statement I think you forgot to make mention of his name.
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NTOMBENKULU BUSANG: His name is Sandile Patrick Mvundla.

MS SEROKE: You may carry on.

NTOMBENKULU BUSANG: He attended school at Krugersdorp.  The school's name was Sandile.  When he got out of that school I got married and I left for Soweto and I was working.  I brought him as well to Soweto after he had passed his Std 6.  When he had passed his Std 6, coming to join me, he went to Dr Villegas, which is a school. He went to school there and passed his Form 3 and passed his Form 4.  As he was still attending school, the 1976 riots began.  In 1976 I was working but working away from home. So the sister was home with them.
 When the riots began in 1976, I was working at the flats upstairs, that's when I discovered that. I saw so much smoke in Soweto all over and I was wondering as to what was happening.  I asked if I may go home so I may see what is happening. I found out that Soweto was on fire, everything was burning. I spoke to Patrick. I said to Patrick please, your sister is still growing up, please look after your sister, don't be all over the the location with your friends.  Patrick said yes, mom.
 One day when I was still at work, when I was going to get a piece of paper, the newspaper, when I read from the newspaper that he was on the front page, leading the riots. I took this newspaper, I looked at it thoroughly. I was shocked and I was not too sure if this is my son.  I went to my boss. I asked her to take a look at this.  She also said yes, it is your son. I asked may I go back home.
 I asked Patrick, what do you want from these children.  I didn't know what was happening. I said to him what do you want.  He said to me no, mom - right then boers came looking SOWETO HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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for him.  They were looking for him. He was running away up to the time when they got him and arrested him.
 When went to his trial he was discharged.  No, he wasn't in prison for long.  When he got out he came back.  He went to Kagiso.  When he went to Kagiso we just heard that the school burnt down.  The school burnt down.
  He came back home the Wednesday night.  When he got home he slept.  Right then suddenly police came. I said Patrick, here are the police, what have you done now.  He said to me open for them, mom.  I opened for them.  They took him.  He just walked so easily with them.  He left with them. 
 He was in prison in Krugersdorp.  When his case was on at No 4, I went there as well.  When the case was on he was discharged, because his uncle was an attorney so he was set free.
 After that I asked him Patrick, what is happening, what are you doing. He said to me mom, please sit down, I want to explain to you as to what is happening.  Patrick sat down and explained to me everything.  Now I got to understand what was happening, because I was in the dark, I didn't know what was going on.  
 After that, boers were often coming to my place, day and night all the time, until they arrested my daughter as well for some book that was in her briefcase in her schoolbag.  That book was Patrick's book and they arrested her.  They took her to Protea.
 When she was at Protea I left with the lady that I was working for. We left for Pretoria to release her and she was set free.  After that the brother was nowhere to be found.  Actually he was in Durban.  The boers came back again, they 
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were 19 in number.  They surrounded the house, looking for him.  He was not around, he was in Durban.  He called me at work just before he came back. I said to Patrick, Patrick, things are bad here, I don't know where to take you now because they came, they came.  He asid no, mom, it is okay, I will see what I will do, but I will come back.  I said don't come home, because when you come home they will arrest you.  
 He arrived and I went to meet him at the station in Johannesburg.  He left for Showela.  He arrived on Friday, in 1979 ...

MS SEROKE: Please, give her a chance to compose herself.

NTOMBENKULU BUSANG: When he had left, Norman came back. When he got here he had toilet paper and on that toilet paper, it was actually a letter.  That's where he wrote messages like mom, I travelled well, I arrived safely. I was happy, but I was also worried, because we didn't know where he was or where he was going to.
 Aroung 1978, no, I mean, it was in 1987, it was 1987.  He sent someone, a girl. He sent this girl to my home.  When he had sent the girl to let me know that he is still alive.  He said mom, we will make arrangements that you come to Botswana. I said how can I go to Botswana, because this police here said that I should not take any passport, I should not take anything.  Each time I get a call from you I must let them be aware. Then I was confused how can I do this. 
 Fortunately there was another girl who was getting married in Botswana. That's how I managed to go to Botswana to meet my son in Botswana.  I arrived and I found him there.  He was so fat, he had gained so much weight.  He had SOWETO HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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gained so much weight. I said Pat, he said to me mamma, you know what, when I have seen you I am so happy, we are just nearing to coming home, we will be back home soon. I said Pat, we were talking through the night. We did not sleep that night.  We were there, it was in 1979, we were with him until we came back.

MS SEROKE: Excuse me, ma'am, you meant to say 1987, isn't it?  Because you are saying every time you went to Botswana, you said 1979 mistakenly?