Human Rights Violation Hearings — Nelspruit — 1996-09-05

CHAIRPERSON: We welcome you, Mrs Ngomane.  Can you explain to us who is sitting next to you?

MRS NGOMANE: Next to me is my husband.

CHAIRPERSON: Can you tell us his name? Is he Samson Ngomane?  We thank you, Mr Ngomane, we welcome you.  I will request that Mr Malan should lead you in your story, but he should first ask you to make an oath.

MR MALAN: Mrs Ngomane, will you please stand up.

SAMARIAH NORAH NGOMANE: (Duly sworn, states).

MR MALAN: I think Mr Lewin is to lead this witness.

CHAIRPERSON: As is usual, I will request one of the Commissioners to assist you in telling the story.  Your husband requested that we should pray before you say what you want to say. We will give you that opportunity to do so.

MR NGOMANE: In all what happened, I am happy that I have lived up to this time, where I can say whatever I want to say, that I am innocent, despite all the difficulties I experienced. In Jesus' Name, I thank you.

MR LEWIN: Mrs Ngomane, could I ask - would your husband also like to testify, because if he does, then he should take the oath with the Commissioners.

MRS NGOMANE: I think he is going to say something. He is actually the owner, he is the person who gave the statement.

MR MALAN: Could we then take the oath, please?
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SAMSON NGOMANE: (Duly sworn, states).

MR LEWIN: Thank you.  Mrs Ngomane, if I could speak to you first, please, because that is the, it is your story that we have, involving yourself and your husband and his imprisonment.  But if you could please tell us in you words what happened.  We are referring here to events that took place after June 1986.  Thank you.

MRS NGOMANE: It so happened in June 1986, on the 17th. In my home I saw some soldiers approaching. They had clothes and we were busy reading the Bible. On their arrival there they came in and they said they wanted some boys.  My husband said what's wrong?  They said well, something has happened.  They did not explain anything to us.  They started searching. They could not find anything. They found some boys and they searched and they said they wanted guns. They went out. They took a big torch. We had a cart then.  We were using that towards Mooi River if our car is out of order.  If perhaps there is something wrong with our car.  They took that torch. They forget their gun on top of our bed. Then my husband took that gun, and running after them, he wasn't aware that they took the torch with them. Now in the morning, on the following day, it was on the 18th, he was going to meet them somewhere, because they were just driving up and down.  That's where he discovered some CID who arrested him.  I was not there when they arrested him.   There was a child who came from the chief's kraal, he said your husband has been arrested and has been beaten.  It was about sunset.  It was round about four or five o'clock. I slept.
 Now the following morning I went to the nearest police station.  On my arrival there I spoke to the police 
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officers. I said to them I want my husband, he was arrested the day before.  The police said I must go back, that person has been killed, and if I walk around here, they will kill me.  They said the comrades do not want the women here. I went back home, I slept.
 The following day again I went back.  I went to Malelane police station.  From Malelane I went to Louw's Creek.  From Louw's Creek to Nelspruit.  From Nelspruit to Lekazi.  In all those places I could not find him. I went further, to Capmaiden.  I could not find him even there. 
 The following day again, I went to Komatipoort. That's where they told me that he is dead, but he is now being transferred to Tonga, I could not see him.  I got a lift, went to Tonga police station.  At Tonga I happened to see him through the window. He was bruised in his face, he could not even see properly.  There he had to appear before the magistrate.
 When I went back home I discovered that they said to me that all the goats have been driven by someone and they don't know where to.  Then I asked the children.  They said they saw some men driving those goats. We slept then.
 During the night, some soldiers came back again. They came in, they broke the door, they broke the windows. They said to me I must wake up. I heard them knocking.  They said why am I not opening the door. I said well, I am afraid.  Then I stood up in the passage.  They came in, ransacked my house and turned everything upside down, kicked everything.  They said to me they wanted a boy by the name of Patrick, because he is a comrade. I said to them well, he is not here, he is attending school somewhere.  Then they hit me with the gun here, on my forehead.  Then we sat there.  
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Our neighbours told us that we will be killed, because we were sleeping outside in the veld for a whole month. We only came home during daylight in order to make food for us and go back and sleep in the bush.  Then at last we thought no, we had better bail my husband out.
 After my husband was bailed out, I think he should be given the opportunity to explain further.  Then he had to contact organisations, the Council of Churches. That is the organisation that actually assisted us.  After that my husband was actually sentenced.
 I think the soldiers came three times to my house.  They came again to search and ransack my house.  They could not find those guns.  I was in a very difficult situation. I could not even continue with my business. I was selling meat, but I had to leave everything.  
 During that time everything disappeared. My herd of cattle disappeared and it was difficult to send my children to go and look after those cattle, because we feared for our lives.  We remained at home and we had nothing. 
 As we were busy cooking one day we saw our car which was parked outside, it was on fire.  People were there.  We could not see the person who set that car alight.
 After that as we were seated there, we were actually being troubled and we could not continue selling anything.  It was almost three months after my husband was sentenced, when the furniture people came and collected all our belongings from the house. I think I will have to end there and then I will request my husband to continue.
 I just want to share with you the experiences which I experienced in the absence of my husband.

MR LEWIN: Thank you, Mrs Ngomane.  Before your husband
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speaks, could I ask just some questions to clarify some points which you can answer.  Could you tell us some more about your family? You say Patrick is your eldest son. How many other children do you have?

MRS NGOMANE: I have six children.

MR LEWIN: Where do you actually live?

MRS NGOMANE: We were residing at Ngobodi Trust, but now due to these problems, we are now in Barberton.

MR LEWIN: At the time when you were there in Ngobodi, the cattle and goats which you mention, how many did you have?  Did you have a small place or quite a big place?

MRS NGOMANE: I had 24 goats and I had 35 herd of cattle.

MR LEWIN: So when you mentioned someone saying all the goats have been driven away, those were your goats, were they?

MRS NGOMANE: Yes, they were all mine.  They dropped all those goats and only three remained.

MR LEWIN: You also mentioned in your statement that it was a butchery which you ran.  Was that based at the house itself?

MRS NGOMANE: Yes.

MR LEWIN: Now this attention that the police and then the soldiers gave, looking for your son, Patrick, can you explain a bit more to us? I mean was Patrick involved in political organisations?

MRS NGOMANE: They said that he is a comrade, that's why they were looking for him.

MR LEWIN: What did you say?  Did you know about him?