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

NOMONDE CALATA: In May Fort was not around, he was in Johannesburg to see the physio 
authorities because he had a frozen shoulder.  On the 27th of May in the early hours, I was 
woken up by the knocks and the lights of flashlights right in the house, and I went to open 
the door. I saw Mr Venter and Mr Gouws as well as many other policemen, horses, 
SADF, just full of military.  They entered my house and said they want to search. They 
searched my bedroom for UDF documents and took everything.  In their search Mr Venter 
asked me where my husband was.  I told them that he was in Gauteng.  He asked this in 
Afrikaans and he said, "The day we find him he's going to be in very big trouble."
 I was worried and scared but brave at the same time.  I kept quiet looking at him.  
 He stood up and said, "What is this bad after all?"  After that they left my house, Matthew 
arrived and he said that they had visited all the executive members, taking all the 
documents from them.  In April before Fort went to Johannesburg for his physio 
treatment, he arrived from the UDF meeting at night, I was already in bed and he woke me 
up.  He said,"Nomonde, I have to tell you this."  I replied, "Speak".  And he said "WE 
were detained with Matthew for a few hours in Port Elizabeth.  We left Sparrow in the car, 
we left Sparrow because we didn't want the car to be seen, Matthew and I were taken to 
SANLAM building in Port Elizabeth.  A security branch section was sitting there waiting 
for us. There was EAST LONDON  HEARING TRC/

EASTERN CAPE: 9

NOMONDE CALATA: one of them who said, 'Lieutanent, can we do it?'  They asked questions after saying this.  
Matthew at the same time was being asked such questions" He was clever enough to tell 
Fort that one guy.......  (end of tape)  ..... yes he was able to explain and said, "I think they 
plan something very big about us". We took this lightly but we were unhappy and 
uncomfortable while we slept.  He kept on thinking about this incident in Port Elizabeth 
where they planned this and expressed that he was shocked about what he had heard.
 In May, when he was still absent, they didn't want to give him a driver's licence, so 
he was always escorted by someone,  when he was not there, his younger brother, Robbie 
was driving for him.  Roy came to inform me and told me and told me that when they 
were away with Mr Calata, the police came and stopped them.  He was the driver and they 
asked Matthew where Marai is.  He asked who Marai is?  And then they asked Fort if had 
forgotten his wife, Fort, sarcastically.  They said, "We will get you again, you and Marai."  
Matthew was cheeky and then he just regarded them and got into the car.  It was in May in 
the time.

MR SMITH: 1985?

NOMONDE CALATA: Yes.  On the 27th of June informed me that he and Matthew would be 
going for a briefing in Port Elizabeth.  Matthew  came in at about 10 o'clock, he was with 
Spiro, with Sicelo and Fort was the fourth one.  They went together as usual.

MR SMITH: Were they returning?

NOMONDE CALATA: Yes he mentioned when they'll be coming back because they usually 
came back at eight but today he came in at 10 o'clock, but he said also, "We think that 
we'll be coming very late, maybe at 11 in the evening, I'll be here", EAST LONDON  
HEARING TRC/

EASTERN CAPE: 9

NOMONDE CALATA: I'm certain about that.   And then this kept on. At 11 I was anxious and unable to sleep 
because my husband was not yet back as he had promised.  I knew that he was always 
being followed and harassed, even when he went to OK, wherever he went, he was 
harassed by the police force.  
 There was a reverend who visited our place during that weekend and I woke up 
and felt that I was uneasy.  I went to the reverend's room who was a visitor and said that I 
was anxious because my husband had not returned.  He reassured and told me that he 
would probably come in the morning because it was very late. Still I felt this was unlike 
him as he reports when he is going to sleep over somewhere.  He doesn't just act without 
informing me.  
 So I kept on, I was awake suffering from insomnia.  When I looked out, there was 
a caspar and vans. The casper was on the other street but not a single car moved around as 
they usually did.  This was also an indication that something was wrong.  I had this 
premonition and I was very expectant at the time.  I still had insomnia.
 The following day I woke up but I was working under pressure because I was 
hopeful that probably the reverend's reassurance might be true.  The day went on, Mrs 
Goniwe came to visit in the afternoon and she said and said that she went along to search 
for her husband.  We exchanged information and she had been to known places to see 
whether her husband had not come back. She went to the Somerset pump station but she 
was just informed that they had just seen those men at about 12 and they were in a rush. 
She said she came back after hearing this and she could see that the atmosphere had 
changed. If they went out the police were carrying guns and so they rather came back. 
EAST LONDON  HEARING TRC/

EASTERN CAPE: 10

NOMONDE CALATA: We started to feel very unhappy and uneasy, we were really in the dark. We slept 
uneasily on Friday as we did not know what happened to our husbands.  Usually the 
Herald was delivered at home because I was distributing it.  During the time that it was 
delivered I looked at the headlines and one of the children said that he could see that his 
fathers car was shown in the paper as being burned.  At that moment I was trembling 
because I was afraid of what might have happened to my husband, because I wondered,if 
his car was burned like this, what might have happened to him? 
 I started distributing the papers as usual, but I was very unhappy.  After a few 
hours some friends came in and took me and said I must go to Nyami, who was always 
supportive.  I was still 20 at the time and couldn't handle this.  When I got to Nyami's 
place Nyami was crying terribly and this affected me also.   (sobbing)

MR SMITH: Mr Chairman, may I request the Commission to adjourn maybe for a 
minute, I don't think the witness is in a condition to continue at the present moment.

CHAIRPERSON: Can we adjourn for 10 minutes please?

OBSERVERS SINGING: What have we done?  What have we really done?  What 
have we done?

MR SMITH: Mr Chairman, may I be allowed to proceed, please?   Thank you.  Mrs 
Calata, you're ready to go on, are you feeling better?

NOMONDE CALATA: Yes.

MR SMITH: You were still telling us, after you saw in the Herald after the 
disappearance of your husband and saw the burned car, that you went to Mrs Goniwe's 
house.  Can you please proceed from that point.

NOMONDE CALATA: Well of course, I arrived with other women at EAST LONDON  
HEARING TRC/

EASTERN CAPE: 11