Human Rights Violation Hearings — Heiderveld — 1996-04-24

CASE NO: CT/00506

TESTIMONIES FROM: BUSISWE KEWANA [daughter]

DR BORAINE: Ms Kewana thank you very much for coming, I see you are - your really know what to do, so let's - let's do it and start straight away before I forget to ask you to take the oath.
BUSISWE KEWANA Duly sworn states

DR BORAINE: Ms Kewana you are - come to tell a very grim - grim story and we've heard some grim stories but this is perhaps one of the worst that we have heard.  The death of Nombulelo Delato, we want to thank you for coming, we wait to hear your story and my colleague on the Commission, advocate Denzil Potgieter is going to lead you and to assist you in telling your own story.   We welcome you.

MS KEWANA: Thank you.

UNKNOWN: Thank you Alex, good afternoon Busiswe.

MS KEWANA: Good afternoon Mr Denzil.

UNKNOWN: Thank you for coming and thank you for being patient.  Your - your evidence - your evidence - can you hear me?

MS KEWANA: No.

UNKNOWN: Okay, can you hear me now?

MS KEWANA: No.

UNKNOWN: Or perhaps the translation.

MS KEWANA: Ja I hear you now.

UNKNOWN: All right,  you'll hear if they translate.

MS KEWANA: Yes.

UNKNOWN: We'll try again, as the vice chairperson has indicated it - the matter concerns your late mother which is Nombulelo Delato who died in 1985 in - well the incident happened in Colesberg is that correct?

MS KEWANA: Yes.

UNKNOWN: Perhaps you could just give us some of your own - your personal background, what do you do at the moment.

MS KEWANA: Okay, my name is Busiswe Kewana, I was born at Hanover here in the Cape.  I left it in 1984 and I went to study at Queenstown.  That's where I studied and from there I came to Cape Town to study here.

UNKNOWN: Thank you very much, when this incident happened that is here concerned you were actually in Queenstown you were studying, you were at school is that correct?

MS KEWANA: Yes that's correct.

UNKNOWN: Now what actually happened?

MS KEWANA: What happened while I was still in Queenstown, I received a telegram it was from my grandmother in Cape Town.  It was telling me that my mother had passed away.  He has been burnt.

UNKNOWN: It's okay, we know it's very difficult.

MS KEWANA: After that, my grandmother and others tried by all means to find out what happened.  They went to Bloemfontein, to find out from that hospital where she was, to find out what happened.  Now there, they were told that she has died.  And she was burned while she was pregnant.
Now after that, we tried to make arrangements for the funeral.  Now we were prevented from burying her at Colesberg, I don't know why - we were never told.  My mother and my maternal aunt - my mother - they were buried by the Government in Bloemfontein, that's all I heard.

UNKNOWN: Now was there any indication given as to why this happened?

MS KEWANA: I tried to find out what happened, two weeks prior that I've - I met another sister from Colesberg.  After a long time when I have been trying out what happened to my mother, she when she saw me, she recognised me.  She asked me aren't you so and so's daughter.  I said yes I am.
I got curious and then I asked her, how do you know my mother, she explained to me how she know - she knew her.  So I told - I asked her what happened to my mother for her to be burned like that in Colesberg, so she told me what happened.  I wasn't satisfied, the reason why I am here, I want the Commission to help me - to help me try and find out why they killed my mother.  Because to me this is a wound that will never heal.  That's where I will end.

UNKNOWN: Can I just ask you,  you said that you were prevented from burying your mother in Colesberg, why - why was that and who - who prevented you?

MS KEWANA: Like I said that we were not personally there we heard rumours that my mother could not be buried there,  we don't know the reason, we were never told, until today.  Do you know whether your mother has been involved in politics in any way?

UNKNOWN: As far as I am concerned, my mother was - my mother was politically active he use to attend meetings no but now still, I don't understand why that happened to her.  The woman who told me this, she says they were looking for somebody related to my mother.  Now but because they couldn't find the person they were looking for then they took my mother and burnt her.  
 The people who were involved were they arrested, were they taken to Court?

MS KEWANA: Yes according to what I heard they were arrested.  But I don't know what that - the case - how the case ended.

UNKNOWN: Okay is there - is there anything further that you want to add to what you've said already?

MS KEWANA: No.

UNKNOWN: Perhaps I should just mention that with you on the witness stand is your grandmother.

MS KEWANA: Yes.

UNKNOWN: That's - is that Margaret.

MS KEWANA: Kewana.

UNKNOWN: Kewana and with you as well is a witness, somebody who at least knows what - what actually happened who was in Colesberg that's Thomzama Maliti is that correct?

MS KEWANA: Yes.

UNKNOWN: Thank you, and you would like her to present her evidence as well.

MS KEWANA: Yes sir.

UNKNOWN: Thank you, I'll just hear if my colleagues have any questions for you first of all.

CHAIRPERSON: Any questions, Dr Boraine.

DR BORAINE: Mr Chairperson I - I do have some questions, but I am wondering if it wouldn't be wiser to wait for the eyewitness or a witness because he may answer the questions, and it will save some time if I - if I don't ask them now.  But I'll reserve that for later, but could I swear the witness in.

UNKNOWN: Please.

DR BORAINE: Ms Maliti can you hear me all right?

MS MALITI: Yes.

DR BORAINE: You all right.

MS MALITI: Yes.

DR BORAINE: I have to ask you to take the oath like everybody else, so would you please stand.  I am going to ask you and then you can make your response.
THOMZAMMA MALITI Duly sworn states

DR BORAINE: Thank you very much please be seated, Mr Potgieter.

UNKNOWN: Thank you Dr Boraine, perhaps I must just hear whether the translation is coming through to you, you can perhaps just indicate, are they translating for you, is it coming through there.

MR MALITI: Yes.

UNKNOWN: Is it fine?

MR MALITI: Yes.

UNKNOWN: Okay, thank you very much.  Thank you for coming, and of being of assistance to the Commission.  Is it correct that you were - you presently living in Khayelitsha.

MR MALATI: Ja.

UNKNOWN: But in 1985 you were living in Colesberg.

MR MALITI: Yes that is true.

UNKNOWN: Thank you, and that you know the deceased that we talking about her.

MR MALITI: Yes I know him.

UNKNOWN: And you know about the incident that this case is about.

MR MALITI: Yes I know.

UNKNOWN: Can you still remember when it happened.

MR MALITI: Yes.

UNKNOWN: Can you give that date to us.

MR MALITI: It was the end of October - 10th of October 1985.

UNKNOWN: Can you tell us what you saw what happened.

MR MALITI: He was on his way to work, to young men - young men approached at him.  Now they were five, when they saw him, they chased him.  He went to hide in another house, and now they took him out of that house.
They took him - they took his overall; and they poured him with petrol bomb.  One of them held his feet and then they started igniting her - his - her feet.  They were beating him up - her up.