Human Rights Violation Hearings — East London — 1996-04-16

NOMONDE CALATA: I'd be very glad to know this person.  If I can know the individuals who 
are responsible for this I will be able to understand why they did it.  Most of the time I can 
remember that this child, the third born, Tommy does not have a picture of his father and 
the last born has no idea at all and they always ask how he was and what he will be doing 
at this time.  Tomani, the last born is a child who always wants attention, always wants to 
be hugged, and even if he's playing with the other children and talking about the others 
who always say that their fathers are coming at a certain time, you'll find that when he 
comes back he doesn't know what to say about his father.
 As a mother I always to play the roles of both parents  but I'll be really glad if I can 
know what happened so that EAST LONDON  HEARING TRC/

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NOMONDE CALATA: my children can get an explanation from me, so that I can say it is so and so and so and so. 
This will probably make me understand. I do not know the reason for their cruelty, but I 
just want to know and my family will also be happy to know who really cut short the life 
of my husband. Not to say that when they are old I'm just teaching them to retaliate or to 
be revengeful, it's just to know who's done this and who changed our lives so drastically.

MR SMITH: Anything else that you want to ask this Commission to do for you?

NOMONDE CALATA: Yes there is something that I can request. Because I have these children 
that are still at school, they have to survive with inadequate means, even if everything is 
worn out they report to me like any other child, "Mama I don't have any shoes any more", 
I just ignore them because I know I am unable to do anything about it.  Sometimes they 
would say, "Ooh we've at long last got new clothes, I've been wearing these for quite a 
long time."  That hurts me very much because I believe that if the father was here, he 
would provide.

MR SMITH: Thank you very much for the evidence.  You have done very well. Mr 
Chairman that concludes my questioning of the witness, thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you very much Mrs Calata, thank you John, are there any 
questions?

PANEL MEMBER: Mrs Calata, if I may just ask you one very simple question which 
you may be unable to answer for me and then a second one.  The first one is, are you able 
to tell us the name of the minister who came to your house that day to bring you the news? 
And the second question is ...(indistinct) the time that your husband was in 
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NOMONDE CALATA: Diepkloof and you visited him on two occasions.  On the first occasion, how did you find 
him, did he describe the conditions in the prison to you?

NOMONDE CALATA: It was not a proper, or the person that I know - he was swollen about 
the face.  Although he didn't 
mention that he was assaulted, you could see that he was disfigured.

PANEL MEMBER: Is that on the second visit?

NOMONDE CALATA: On the first visit?

PANEL MEMBER: And on the second visit?

NOMONDE CALATA: On the second visit he was alright but he was very disturbed because he 
was expelled from work.

ANOTHER PANEL MEMBER: I would like to know the name of the bank from which 
the money was taken?

NOMONDE CALATA: The Allied Bank in Cradock.  The money was all taken.  No it was us 
who had taken it because he was just trying to explain to us, to show us our position.

CHAIRPERSON: Is there anyone who would like to ask a question?  Thank you very 
much.

DESMOND MPILO TUTU: You must know because we are here we are listening attentively 
and we are very very impressed by the way in which you carry yourselves, and the 
strength with which you carry the burden, and this has also been noted because you have 
been able to come and present your cases in front of everybody. We are very and grateful 
for your efforts, thank you.  I think we'll break for lunch and we'll come back at two.

COMMISSION ADJOURS FOR LUNCH: EAST LONDON  HEARING TRC/

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MR SMITH: Mr Chairman, may I proceed to lead the evidence of  Goniwe Mkhonto?  
Good afternoon Mrs Mkhonto.

SANDISWA MKHONTO: Good afternoon.

MR SMITH: How are you?

SANDISWA MKHONTO: Fine thank you.

MR SMITH: You're not nervous?  Are you nervous?

SANDISWA MKHONTO: No.

MR SMITH: Okay I am going to be assisting you, so you don't have to worry.  If you 
forget about things, important things, I've got your statement here and I'm going to alert 
you to them. Okay?  So I just want you to relax and tell the story to the best of your ability 
and recollection, okay?
 Can you tell us something about yourself first?

SANDISWA MKHONTO: I am Sindiswe Mkhonto, I was born at Cradock, I studied there, my 
husband is the late Sparrow Mkhonto, he was also born in Cradock, he went to school 
there and he worked there. We gave birth to a boy, Nonabo Mkhonto, he is 17 years old 
and is now doing standard nine.  Sparrow Mkhonto gave this name to this son after having 
a few things.  He was involved in the struggle and he said one day we will really relax.

MR SMITH: When did you get married to Sparrow?

SANDISWA MKHONTO: I got married to Sparrow in 1972.

MR SMITH: Mrs Mkhonto, what are you doing at the moment, are you employed?

SANDISWA MKHONTO: At this moment I'm working at a creche.  I'm teaching at Lelindhle 
Creche.

MR SMITH: When did your husband become involved in politics?

SANDISWA MKHONTO: My husband Sparrow Mkhonto was involved in 
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SANDISWA MKHONTO: the struggle from 1983.  Cradock during that time, people 
were speaking with just one voice. They were fighting the tyrants.  Sparrow was one of 
those people who were elected by the people.  At that time they were actually fighting the 
rents. Sparrow was elected in the second meeting that was there, he became the 
chairperson of Cradock area. The organisations were Cradora and the other one at that 
time.  Sparrow was working at that time at the Railway, he was not satisfied as he was not 
feeling secure.  Sometimes he would be taken from his job and assaulted at SANLAM.  
He would come home in a bad condition.  Sometimes he'd be re
moved and detained for two days.  Sometimes I'd go searching for him but to no avail.

MR SMITH: You said that Sparrow was working at the railways at the time.  What was 
his employers' attitude to his political involvement?

SANDISWA MKHONTO: In 1983, when he was working at the railway, his bosses arrived and 
called him to their office and said to him that they are releasing him from his duties 
because they cannot work with a communist who is busy spreading a bad image, firstly by 
calling meetings and gatherings during working hours.  Then my husband left his job.  I 
was working at a saloon close to SANLAM police offices.  When I was still working, I 
was released late in May. I was also informed that I am dismissed because my husband 
was a communist.
 We stayed together unemployed and this affected us very much and he was 
dependent for maintenance on his parents who were pensioners.  That time the pension 
was available monthly and we were very miserable.  My child was three years old.
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MR SMITH: Mrs Mkhonto, during the period after your 
husband became involved in politics and before 1985, was he arrested on numerous 
occasions by the police?