Human Rights Violation Hearings — Port Shepstone — 1996-08-13

KHOZA MGOJO: Now I would like to ask you, the three of you, the last question.  You are still very young, you are still young men.  I have already heard from the other one, he said he wanted pension.  I am not saying there is anything wrong with that, but you are still very young.  If you were to be sent back to school, because you are still young, now there are many ways of going back to school, I mean many ways of learning.  You cannot be going - I mean education is not the book, but you can also learn some skills.  You are still very young for pension.  Why don't you ask something in this regard?

WITNESS:   You see, I haven't got an opportunity yet to explain my position, but my request is that I would like to learn some skills, to know at least some skills for work.  If the Commission would assist me in this regard I will appreciate, yes, to learn something I could do with hands.

KHOZA MGOJO: And what about you?

WITNESS:   What I will request from the Commission, as my uncle has died, and he was the breadwinner at the same time, and helping my grandfather and the family at large. I don't hear you.  What are you saying?  I am trying to put you in a condition where you will be helpful to your families, because you are very young, so be clear, talk out.  What is it that you are saying?  We do trust and hope that we could help you, and as you were harassed, and you are still very young at the same time.  The other one already has asked for some help that he wants to go back and learn something, gain some skills, and what about you?  That's the very question I am asking you.  Then talk up.   ---   Well, I think I will also appreciate the very same thing he has said, because I am not working, I am just home.

KHOZA MGOJO: And what about you?

WITNESS:   I wish the commission could help me in this problem because I can't get anything done myself.  I just wish that the Commission could help me.  I still want to go back to school.

COMMISSIONER: Sithembiso, Thembinkosi, Kayiya, we thank you very, very much for coming in today.  We are glad that you could be here together.  You suffered together, and it is very good that now that that period of harassment is over that you can share your experience here before the Truth Commission.  You have been here today the whole day, and you will have heard most of the stories that have been told.  Most of those stories have been about specific incidents which took place on a specific day, whereas you have all given us a description of life over a period of a year, or more than a year.  1991/1992.  You have told us what it was like to live in that area of Murchison for a long, long time, and it's given us a very clear idea of what life was like there.  You have also named the names of a policeman whose name has come up many times from other witnesses, Major Fourie.  His name has been mentioned by other people, and from what you have told us it seems that he, Major Fourie and his fellow officers, in co-operation with certain local IFP members, set out to destabilise that area of Murchison in order to prevent and discourage any political activity in that area which was critical of the Government or was opposed to the Government.  And this action of theirs, this coalition between the police and certain Inkatha members, caused very extensive disruption in Murchison, as it did in many other areas, and it cause many hundreds of people to flee their homes.  And, as we have heard, many people also lost their lives.  And you are amongst those who had to flee from Murchison to other areas.  So, as I have said, you have given us a very clear picture of what life was like in those days, and when we write our report, as I have said to earlier witnesses, you can be sure that the people of Murchison and their stories will feature in that report.
You have also made certain requests to us in response to Dr Mgojo's question, and we will be making recommendations to the Government as to how we think that you could be assisted.  So again thank you very much for coming in and explaining your stories to us.  Thank you very much.