Human Rights Violation Hearings — Heiderveld — 1996-04-23

DR BORAINE: Before  we start I want to make absolutely sure that you are hearing my voice and much more importantly then you are hearing the translation into Xhosa.
 Is that all right, can you hear the translation - good - good.  Well then I would like to welcome all four of you to the Commission and on behalf of the Chairperson and my fellow Commissioners to express first our appreciation to you for being willing to come to the hearings.
 We have said many times and we have to say it again that we - we understand that it's not easy.  That - to go back and think again of the deep grief that you have endured, takes a great deal of courage and spirit and commitment.  And we want to thank you right at the very beginning.
 Ms Ngewu I am going to start with you as the chief witness, but all of you of course are important and have your own stories to tell.  And I am going to ask you Ms Ngewu if you will stand please so that we can take the oath.
CYNTHIA NGEWU Duly sworn states

DR BORAINE: Where are you were living, about your children - about who you are.  Just to - so that we can get to know you before we start with the story of what happened in 1986.  Would you - would you mind doing that please.

MS NGEWU: Yes sir.

DR BORAINE: Thank you.

MS NGEWU: I am Ms Ngewu, I stay at NY54 no 8.  Where I come from is Alice, but I got married in Transkei in Khombo location.  I have four children, the fourth one is the one who was shot by the boers.  I have six grandchildren, I now live with my husband here in Guguletu.

DR BORAINE: Now Ms Ngewu I want you to take your time,  I don't want you to hurry, just talk at your own pace, I won't interrupt you unless I want more information and I want to take you back to the 3rd of March 1986.  Can you tell me what happened on that day.

MS NGEWU: Yes I remember.

DR BORAINE: Please tell us.

MS NGEWU: In 1986 on the 3rd of March, I think it was Monday if I am not mistaken.  It was in the afternoon I was at home, comrades arrived, it was four or five of them.  They were asking about Christopher who is my son.  I told them that he took money from me telling me that he is just going to work.
 So they told me that some children have been shot at Marais, so I told them no I don't know anything but he just took money from me and said he is going to work.  So they said go to the police station and check it out.  So I went to the police station, I asked the police about the shot people, I just want to find out about my child, I want to find out if my child is one of the shot children.
 So they said they don't know, they'll check the books, they don't have the list of the shot children, I must go to the mortuary at Salt River.  I immediately went to Salt River mortuary.  Even there I tried to tell them I am looking for my child, because I heard there were shot children.  They asked me if I can be able to identify him, I told them yes I can.
 So they say so go, I saw the trolley which was next to the door, the trolley had him in it.  So I identified him, they asked if I was sure, I said yes.  I saw that he had a wound - a wound shot on his head, and there was blood coming from his ears.  So I said okay please tell us the details of your - of your son.  So I wrote everything.  I went to the house, back to my house, so I told everybody that yes I identified my son, he is also one of the Guguletu 7 - the seven of us, myself and these woman next to me.
 I told everybody else   I to my kids let's - let's watch all this on TV because we don't really know what happened, maybe they will have it in the story on TV.  Now before I went to the mortuary I just heard rumours  about this - about these shootings.  It's that time that I realised - let met also find out about my child.
 While we were still watching, the seven o'clock or six o'clock news, I saw my child.  I actually saw them dragging him, there was a rope around his waist, they were dragging him by the van.  I said switch off the TV I've saw what I wanted to see, just switch it off.  Okay we stayed until it was late that day and we told everybody about what happened.
 Two or three days later the boers kept on coming.  Some would just stand outside - some would come inside.  Barnard arrived he was a policeman accompanied by other police.  He was very rude to us, and he was actually laughing about this whole matter.  Asking where is - where is your son, where is this Christopher.  But we didn't answer  him.
 A week before we buried my son, we were told not to - we were told to bury my son - there is a letter from the Magistrate, the Magistrate said that we must bury all this children a time - a while before we wanted us to do this.  We are still waiting for our relatives coming from the rural areas to come to the funeral.
 But the boers said to us, no the Magistrate says you must bury these people now, no but we refused.  We took this matter to the lawyers and the lawyers said if you don't  want to bury your children, at the time that the Magistrate wants this, do it at the time that you want.  I was with these woman next to me, we said we cannot bury these children yet, we are still waiting for our families.
 When we ended up burying them at the time that we wanted to, while we were still waiting there were these policeman patrolling around and after 
the funeral - a week or two after - I can't remember well, the police came arrived in this morning, it was around half past six.  I heard a knock on the door, my daughter answered the knock, just before she was - she went to work.
 They said we are the police, we looking for your mother, so she woke me up and I woke up.  Put on my gown and I went to them, I said what is it.  They said we want you to take - to make a statement, what statement when you have killed my son.  I don't know what statement to give you, I wasn't there when you killed my son, you are the ones who killed my son, you are the ones to make the statement.
 Oh! I got ready, my full - my house all of a sudden was full of detectives.  When I was from the toilet, I saw that there were police at the backyard with guns, I asked them what are you doing here.  They didn't tell me anything, I said are you here to shoot me.  Now you have already shot my son, now you want to shoot me.
 I saw five or six police vans in front of my yard, I asked them what are you doing here, and one of the detectives his name was Blackie he said mamma what is it, I just want to know what are these police doing in my yard, get out of my yard.  You have already killed my son, now you want to kill me.  Mr Blackie scolded them and told them to leave, but they went to the vans and 
just stayed in - into their vehicles.
 After I got ready, I knelt down and prayed, one of the police asked you all - there is this candle that's been on all the time she asked what is it about.

DR BORAINE: Just take it easy don't rush, are you all right mamma.

MS NGEWU: Yes.

DR BORAINE: Sure would you like some water - some water.