Human Rights Violation Hearings — Durban — 1996-08-28

WITNESS:   Peter Shamase, not Shangase.  Peter Shamase poured petrol over her, and Mapipi set her alight, and they were pointing firearms at me at that time.  They forced me to watch my mother being set alight, and they wanted me to watch her burning until she burnt to ashes.  I saw her burning until she crimped, she decreased in size.  When I closed my eyes they said I should open them and watch my mother burning.  They wanted my hands to be on my sides because they did not want me to close my eyes with my hands.  Then she burnt down to ashes.  Just as my mother had burnt they started running.  Then the other one said, "Why aren't we killing this one, because she is an eye witness and she is going to see us and identify us and we should kill her?"  The other one restrained them from killing me.  At that time I turned back to check as to what was happening at the house.  When I turned around I saw that the house was on fire.  I went to the back yard to try and see as to whether I could not help my father.  I heard my father screaming inside the house, and I tried to kick the door, but the door was shut from inside so I could not open the door.  And there was a pot.  I tried to pour water, but the flames just go worse.  My brother said we should try to rescue my father.  I tried the door handle because I wanted to help my father.  They had actually locked the door from inside, and he was burning inside, he could not get out.  I stood there very confused, and I went into the street.  I was very confused, very disorientated.  I didn't know what to do.  I was just running, not knowing where I was heading to.  I left my father burning inside the house and I left my mother burning at the gate.  I did not know where the children were because at that time my mind was not

KHOZA MGOJO: /had pushed

KHOZA MGOJO: functioning.  My sister told me at a later stage that they had pushed her and kicked her outside the door.  Somebody screamed at me and said I was naked.  It's only then that I realised that I was not wearing anything, and at that time somebody was having a Balaclava, and this person gave me a shirt to cover my mother.  I asked his person who he or she was, but he said he would not tell me who he was.  I went out, and when I came back they also came back to pour petrol on my mother for the second time, and they were burning her for the second time.  I could not see my mother, it was just ashes, and I could only see her feet.  I could not see the rest of the body, it was in ashes.  I just saw the feet.  And I went away.  I don't know where I was heading to, and I was very scared at that time.  I went to F Section.  I was told later on what I had said, because I was not functioning properly.  They said I came and I told them that my parents had died, and I went to F Section to report the matter to the police.  They said we came back and we saw the ashes of my mother, and the house was still burning.  Then we went into the bedroom.  My father had stuck.  I just saw the frame of his ribs, as well as pieces of burnt flesh, because I got a telephone call that I should come and fetch my fathers remains.  They were taken.

KHOZA MGOJO: Where was your mother?

WITNESS:   She was also ashes.  Only the feet remained.  My father only the skeleton was left, his frame.  They were taken to the mortuary at Verulam.

KHOZA MGOJO: Was there any case that was held with regard to your parents' death?  Was there any inquest?

WITNESS:   Yes, there was an inquest, as well as a case.  The matter was investigated by different people, but at the end of the day certain perpetrators were arrested.  They were sentenced to 30 years' imprisonment, but they were released within three months.

KHOZA MGOJO: Were they released?

WITNESS:   I don't know how they got released because the matter was held at the Supreme Court.  They appeared at the Supreme Court, and Attorney Bagwa was about to institute an appeal.

KHOZA MGOJO: Was the attorney Mr Bagwa?

WITNESS:   Yes, it was Mr Bagwa, as well as an Indian attorney, but I've forgotten what his name is.

KHOZA MGOJO: What about Detective Mthembu?

WITNESS:   He was the investigating officer in my case.

KHOZA MGOJO: Now, what you are telling us is that all the people are outside now?

WITNESS:   Yes.  The only person who died was Big Boy.  He was shot by the police at Ntuzuma.  He was shot whilst he was trying to steal a car.

KHOZA MGOJO: What about the other ones?  Are they still at their respective homes?  Even if we want them could we possibly get them?

WITNESS:   Yes, the last time I knew they were staying at their places, because the other one went out and he ran away.  I never saw him thereafter.  He never even appeared at court.

KHOZA MGOJO: It is obvious that you have been severely traumatised.  When you hear other people relating their stories the gravity of the trauma seems to increase with each and every victim that testifies before this Commission.  It should have been a very traumatic experience for you to have watched your parents being killed right before your own eyes.  This is not supposed to happen in a healthy community.  It doesn't matter who does it, whether it's the IFP or the ANC, this is not humanity, this is just animalism.  People have now turned into being animals.  Now, as you have come to the Truth Commission to relate your story and tell us about your pain, what is it that you expect from the Commission?

WITNESS:   What troubles me even more is that the baby who was sleeping at the time, I think she was traumatised.  She is 13 years old now, but she is still doing second year.

KHOZA MGOJO: What is the child's name?

WITNESS:   It's Silindile.  It's my sister's child.  I think she was very traumatised, because when you talk to him he just doesn't answer what you are saying.  He has changed totally.  Also Nombuso is showing signs of emotional as well as psychological trauma.  The other one got heart problems ever since this took place.  He got very ill.

KHOZA MGOJO: What about the other ones in the family?  What happened to them?  Were they affected?

WITNESS:   I think the ones that I've counted, especially the two, Thandazile as well as Phindile, their problem is that - even though they don't speak to me is that they did not know what was happening to their parents.  They met me when they were coming towards home.  This happened whilst they were at school, and they were heading towards home for the holidays, and when they got to the taxis they were told that they should go back.  They were not told the truth about their parents.

KHOZA MGOJO: How are you feeling?

WITNESS:   I don't know how I feel.  I really don't know.

KHOZA MGOJO: Are there some things that are troubling you emotionally, physically or ... (incomplete)

WITNESS:   I like staying alone.  I am some sort of a social recluse now.  I am very sensitive, and I am not sensitive to the children's needs.  I am just short-tempered.  I am supposed to be listening to the children, but I just don't know because I never ever have the patience.  And the picture remains with me.  As I've told you about this I will not sleep, because the picture comes back so vividly as if it happened yesterday.

KHOZA MGOJO: What else would you like the Commission to do for you with regard to the investigation?