Human Rights Violation Hearings — Alexandra — 1996-10-29

NOMAKWEZI BUYA: I was not in the leadership, it was just the way we used to do things.  If there was something people would go door to door and ask for co-operation so you were forced to be members of any organisation.

MS MKHIZE: When you say you were not in the leadership when you think the way they arrested you and they placed you in a place where you were not allowed to meet people, when you think about that what do you think was the reason for that?

NOMAKWEZI BUYA: I don't know but I think they were trying to kill me.  I don't know the reason but the way they were treating me it was obvious that they wanted to kill me.

MS MKHIZE: You have told us about the food and your
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harassment.  Was there anything that they were saying that could trigger something on your mind that what is it that they were looking for?

NOMAKWEZI BUYA: Maybe they were saying if you don't tell us about this we are not going to release you.  When they put me in the van they said I must go and burn the cell.

MS MKHIZE: You said you tried to live in P.E. but it was difficult because AZAPO and UDF were fighting.  Why didn't you go and stay with your relatives?  You said in your statement it looked like you wanted to stay somewhere else but in that particular place the UDF and AZAPO were fighting.

NOMAKWEZI BUYA: Yes, I went to Port Elizabeth and UDF and AZAPO were fighting.  I couldn't stay there because I knew that Cradock and P.E. is almost the same thing and the police are working together.  I knew that it might happen that the police from Cradock could find me there in Port Elizabeth.

MS MKHIZE: When you arrived here in Alexandra, as you said that the police fired, were you a well known person in the struggle or you just remained silent?

NOMAKWEZI BUYA: I looked for a job, I was working as a domestic worker, I couldn't cope there because if the weather is changing I become sick.  I couldn't hear properly but now I am better because I am seeing a doctor.  I continued with the struggle, even here in Alexandra.

MS MKHIZE: I am going to hand over to other commissioners to ask you questions but just before that, after you were out of the shack did you get some help, maybe counselling or did you go to a clinic here in Alexandra to help you get through all this?

NOMAKWEZI BUYA: I couldn't go to the clinic because I was in
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hiding.  I was afraid that if I go to people the people would know what was happening about me, I was afraid.

MS MKHIZE: Thank you very much.  I will hand over to the other commissioners.

MR LEWIN: It must have been a terrible experience being in the shack on this farm and you mentioned, you said that it was haunted by a ghost, the shack.  Can you tell us about that.

NOMAKWEZI BUYA: Yes, there was a ghost because there used to be some light and heat.  I used to see a light as if a lamp was on and it used to be hot, at the same time it used to be dark. There was a metal bucket, this bucket used to make a noise.  I used to talk to this ghost, I used to feel that there is somebody who is standing next to me but I couldn't see that person.  The ghost used to kick this bucket.  What makes me to be so sure that there was a ghost I asked them what was happening during the night, they told me that there is a ghost there.

MR LEWIN: It sounds as though it didn't scare you.

NOMAKWEZI BUYA: I was afraid but there was nothing I could do because it was the way that I was being treated because others have died, I accepted this treatment.

MR LEWIN: And you also mentioned that Mbulelo Goniwe had been given the same treatment.  Was this at the shack itself, this Motema farm that you mentioned.  Was that the same place?

NOMAKWEZI BUYA: He was in Motema, I was in Middleton.  Mbulelo was in another one in Motema.  Even that one I was told about, the police there told me that Mbulelo is in Mutemo.  I was in Middleton.

MS MKHIZE: We thank you very much that you came to tell us
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about this painful story.  It is one of the most difficult stories that the commission is facing that some of the women have gone through this treatment.  We also hope that you are going to take care of yourself to see to it that you get counselling so that your mind could be normal again as you were staying in the dark place with strange things during the night, all those things can affect the mind of a person.  We thank you.  We are going to give all this to our investigation unit.  We know that all the people that you have mentioned here before December will be appearing in front of the amnesty committee.  They will be telling about all their actions of the past and their aims.  Thank you very much.  When you are opening up to ventilate about the atrocities that you have been through that also does touch other people like some of us here.