Human Rights Violation Hearings — Port Elizabeth — 1996-06-26

LULU JOHNSON: Between 1982 and 1982 COSAS found itself reviving itself into an organisation which would take care of the students activities and Siphiwo was part of that process.  In the promotion of the development of the organisation because at that time because of the conditions of oppression at the time, it was an organisation that people did not want to associate with.
 People who should have been members of that students, therefore.  Under those conditions, in spite that the Boers did not forget about the objectives of COSAS and what its strategies were, so it became clear that the students whose leaders were leaders like Andile, were arrested.
 Now we mention people who were responsible for arresting them.  Those police people like Nieuwoudt, Magqeti, Bobele, Tungata, the Boers at the time brought up some charges against those 14 comrades.
 To make the case strong, Nieuwoudt tried to run around and cooked up some statements which accused - alleging that some comrades would testify on the side of the police.  People like Mntwung who were subpoenaed to appear in court, but they refused to.  We will remember that they were (indistinct) and Twaungu, because they refused to testify they were arrested.
 In October people were public - the leaders of COSAS were arrested under Section 21, which was under the Internal PORT ELIZABETH HEARING TRC/EASTERN CAPE
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Security Act, that's when a lot of leaders, comrades in COSAS were interrogated and the police who were involved were Tungata, Mtsitsi, Du Plessis, Van Wyk, Bezuidenhoudt, Hattingh, Mene, Faku, Gododuka, Nieuwoudt, Roelofse, Nodenis.
 After six months then came the charges from arson, damaged property to buildings and possibly taking people and these were the charges that were laid against these comrades.
 They were released in 1985 after some time.  I am just trying to say briefly comrades, to paint, to draw the picture of the conditions of those times.  Conditions that - in which Siphiwo were contributing in the struggle for liberation.  This condition continued of COSAS being harassed.
 It was intensifying and it was clear that there was a systematic planning - mostly someone, a gentlemen Mr Ebenezer, they came with some plans, very well planned, strategies to destroy COSAS.  Amongst the victims there was Lulu Johnson, who was president of COSAS at the time, Monopadela who was a journalist, he was also an activist at the time.  Xovisa Vapi was a COSAS activist and Mrs Ivan Xina, who was a member of the Port Elizabeth organisation.
 In 1985 COSAS of which Siphiwo was still a member and working, this was banned.  COSAS was banned because of its activities.  Under those conditions it became clear that the banning of COSAS did not silence the comrades because the comrades organised a boycott.  The Minister of Law and Order, Louis Le Grange, through newspapers and television he banned that protest march and at that time if you remember correctly, here in New Brighton all entries to New Brighton 
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and exists were closed, completely closed with barbed wire.
 And police were all over and this led to the intensification of harassment of COSAS and this all came to a point where the 14th of April, because it took another 10 since 1982 that COSAS officially declared that day as the day of Mtimkulu, a day which was adopted by COSAS and after some time it became clear that this was not really acted upon, but this was the decision that was taken.
 In conclusion Chairperson, maybe also another point that may invite questions, we tried to draw a picture of how we as comrades who were members of COSAS and comrades who are members of COSAS now, we want to make a plea to the TRC that these characteristics, these points should be taken into consideration.  They should be addressed and investigated.
 (tape starts) ... the return of the property of COSAS which was taken by the Boers must be returned to the rightful owners, COSAS.  Secondly investigation should be embarked upon with regard to the killing, the mysterious killing of people who were members of COSAS.
 And if we can set right from Siphiwo and Topsy Madaga we will mention Xolani Wonci who was shot at by a policeman called, who is still called Sergeant Baceqazi Tungata, he was killed.  Tungata today whom we still know is still an employee of the South African Police Service at Kabega Park police station.
 Secondly the fall of Lungile Tabalaza from the fourth floor of Sanlam which led to his death, which was the circumstances his death which to us are mysterious, should be investigated.  We know how far the case went, it didn't go any far, that is the case of Lungile Tabalaza.
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 Furthermore Xolile Maneli who was placed in Port Alfred under very mysterious conditions.  We discovered after some time that he had died, and we buried him.  Furthermore comrade Mzwandile, whose surname we can't remember who used to live at Madala, New Brighton, who after he was sentenced to two years and six months (indistinct) it was reported by the police, after six months it was reported by the police that he had committed suicide.
 There should be an investigation as to what happened to Mzwandile, because many comrades know him, that there was just a few of us who were trying to gather all this information without going deep into what his surname is, but the surname is known.
 Malawu Nqokwana who also was residing at Qamlana, who disappeared mysteriously in 1978.  Comrade Mobs Gqirana who also disappeared mysteriously towards the end of 1982.  We as people who were members of COSAS and together with the present members of COSAS - we have a request that many students at Phakamisa secondary school were killed by the Tungata's, Stanford's, Mene was there, (indistinct) was there, Faku was there, Codoka was there, Matsitsi was there also.
 Two of these policemen, Tungata and Mene were sentenced to seven years and twelve respectively, yet in spite that it didn't take long before they were seen in the streets as free men although they were sentenced to seven and twelve years respectively.
 The Truth Commission is being requested to investigate for us and give us a guide as to how far this can be taken at the end of the day.
 Finally we will request that all the other families who PORT ELIZABETH HEARING TRC/EASTERN CAPE
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lost their loved ones under mysterious circumstances should come forward and give their views and whatever they know to the Truth Commission.  They should go to the Itamaza office (indistinct), that is the conclusion of my statement, thank you.

DESMOND MPILO TUTU: Order please, order.  We are going to take a lunch break and hope that very soon after the lunch break we will be able to conclude this special hearing.  The other people do not understand when they are requested to do something.
 Are there no policemen at the door?  Nobody should go out please.  Again, mostly it is - there are two or three people who want to spoil this.  I am still requesting you and I am appealing to you that you should please behave yourselves.  
 Could you please abide by the request.  What we are handling now as ordered by the President of this country and we need to do our work under the proper conditions.  We know that this is a big crowd and we know the same magnitude of people was highly affected and deeply affected by what happened previously when this case had not been handled.