Human Rights Violation Hearings — Bisho — 1996-09-09

WITNESS:  Firstly, it hurts me that on that day there were people, so many people who lost their lives in that manner because on that day we were not fighting and to prove that there were no weapons being carried by anyone.  It was people who were suffering, who were utilising their rights to show that there's a  [indistinct] there afterwards Brigadier Gqozo and do so freely and I am certain that these people would feature in South Africa's history, that their names be mentioned.  It would hurt me to find that their names be overlooked and I would like there to be even a memorial stone that could be built where their names could be on there to just be a constant reminder that these are the people that lost their lives utilising their rights and making their contribution towards the freedom of our country, so that our children and future generations can see that here there was a loss of life from innocent people.  Here there were this type of victims and I would like for there to be a memorial stone which should be set up in memory of these people because they were not fortunate enough to see the change that came about after that tragic day of the 7th September.  Fortunately I was fortunate enough to, as a black person and a citizen of this country, to be able to vote and participate in the change in our country.

MS MAYA:  You had another request as far as the facilities in your area were concerned.

WITNESS:  Yes, I have a wish that there should be an improvement, especially as far as sports facilities are concerned because I am certain that there is a lot of talent but there are no appropriate facilities where this talent can be developed and that is where one finds that the youth ends up getting involved in other activities and I would like to make a contribution towards sport because I find that it is one of the things that could make our country a better place.

MS MAYA:  Is that all you would like to say?

WITNESS:  What I hoped would be the last thing is that I would like to ask this Commission or the justice departments of this country that they expose who was responsible for shooting us and secondly, why we had to be shot at and also who had instructed them to shoot at us because for now, we do not know who they are.  Fair enough we know that Brigadier Oupa Gqozo was in charge then and that we were against his regime but there were others who were behind this whole thing because I would like this Commission to expose who was responsible for it and we hope and trust that they will come forward because for now, the people that are coming forward, coming to share their pain, are those whose rights were violated, but the perpetrators have not as yet come forward for us to see who they are, and know who they are and I hope that all the people of South Africa are interested and have a desire to see these people who perpetrated these deeds.

MS MAYA: Thank you very much Ntobeko.    ... end of Tape 1, side A ...

TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION: BISHO MASSACRE - DAY 1 - 9 SEPTEMBER 1996

CASE NO: 2

VICTIM: BUZELWA EUNICE MATIKINCA [1]
SPUTSU CAMERON MATIKINCA [2]
 [husband]

<UNKNOWN>: ATTEMPTED MURDER [1]
MURDER [2]

MS MAYA: We are going to ask Ms Matikinca to come closer.
BUZELWA EUNICE MATIKINCA   Duly sworn states

MS MAYA: Ms Matikinca we greet you, how are you?

WITNESS:   [indistinct].

MS MAYA:  Ms Matikinca you say on this day you were with your husband Mr Sputsu Cameron Matikinca, you were together in the march.

WITNESS:  Yes.

MS MAYA:  Unfortunately when the shots were fired you saw him being fired and you couldn't help him.

WITNESS:  Yes.

MS MAYA:  Can you please tell us shortly on this time when he was shot.

WITNESS:  When I arrived at Bisho, let me first tell you I'm from Ndaba location here near town.  We went to the township from Ndaba township and we took taxis which were coming to the march.  We arrived in King William's Town in the stadium and after the meeting with the leaders in King William's Town we went to Bisho.  When we arrived at Bisho, what we saw is that in front of the Parliament there were soldiers and these soldiers were having guns but we didn't think that we were going to be shot because the march was a peace march.  When we looked back, when we faced the stadium we heard the shots and these shots were coming from the stadium.  We stood and we didn't know what was happening.  When the shots were again fired, when we were looking at the stadium because we were far, there was a wind and at that time we were being shot and my husband, other people were lying down in front of the leaders' cars and we were being shot.  Others were crawling and many people were falling on top of me and I couldn't see my husband at that time.

MS MAYA:  When did you see your husband?

WITNESS:  When we woke up because the shots were not fired at that time, there were comrades which were helping us because we couldn't stand up.  People were all over us.  We jumped the fence which was on the road.  When we were on the leaders' cars we saw that people were lying there and the teargas was also fired, and after that teargas was fired we were shot.  We tried to crawl, everybody was trying to crawl and these comrades helped me and they put me next to a tree.  When I was there and the shots were fired there was a  [indistinct] in front of us and I saw my husband lying next to the fence.  They were three and my husband had a cut on the left side on the head.  I called him three times and I said Zizi, he shook his hand.  I called him again and he shook his hand and then the fourth time the hand fell down.  When I went to him the other comrade helped me and he took me from my husband and I heard a shot passing by and it hit the comrade on the leg and it was taken by another one and I was crawling to him and other shots were fired again.  I cried and I couldn't stop because the shots were fired directly to them because they were three.  The other man was shot on the head and it was clear that he was dead and the other child who was 10 or 11 years was shot in the head and it was clear that he was dead also and the shots were coming to them.  When we were still shot the military cars came in with the soldiers and there was this helicopter on top of us and we couldn't see where the shots were fired but we just heard the noise and we were unconscious because there were many shots fired.  Then came the Red Cross car and they took me next to it and they tried to take us to that car and I was taken to that car to the Gray Hospital.  I was treated there.  I couldn't stay there because I asked where my husband is and they said he is in East London.  I thought it funny, went there to take me from the hospital and the car of the Indian man took us to home.  It is where we met with a road-block and we arrived at home at 7.  I couldn't sleep when I arrived at home.  People called a car and they took me to the hospital in Fort Beaufort.  I didn't know at that time that my husband was dead.  When I was at the hospital I was treated there and then in the morning at half past three I asked them to take me home because I was going to East London and then they said the doctor will not agree and I asked them to phone the doctor to release me and then the doctor agreed and Mr Nglangsi came to take me.  He came together with his wife and they took me home.  When I arrived at home the family of Matikinca were all there and I didn't know anything at that time but I thought that they came to see me and support me.  I saw Mr Nglangsi taking a Bible and they all sang and they told me about my husband's death on the 8th.

MS MAYA:  At this time of the death of your husband, was he working?

WITNESS:  Yes he was a builder.

MS MAYA:  Did you have children and how many were they?

WITNESS:  We have five children and one grandchildren.

MS MAYA:  How old are they now?