Human Rights Violation Hearings — Bisho — 1996-09-10

ZUKISA HOWARD MBOYI: ZUKISA HOWARD MBOYI   Duly sworn states

MS MAYA: Zukisa, according to your statement your home is in Zakele in Port Elizabeth but during the march you were also in Bisho.  Did you come from Port Elizabeth?

WITNESS:  I was at Dimbaza.

MS MAYA:  How old were you at the time?

WITNESS:  I was 21 years of age.

MS MAYA:  Please come close to the mike so that we can hear you.

WITNESS:  I was 21 years of age.

MS MAYA:  I'll ask if you could summarise and tell us how you were injured on that day.

WITNESS:  When I was injured I was in the march at Bisho.  When we were going towards Bisho from the Victoria grounds we went up towards Bisho.  When the other people had already entered the stadium and we were still walking towards the stadium from your left, closer to the Radio Ciskei route.  When we were there we saw people entering the stadium.  We were hurrying and as we were getting closer an unexpected helicopter rose up.  It was yellow in colour.  As it rose up, it was facing towards the Parliament, towards Pick 'n Pay.  It then turned towards the Bisho police station.  As it was rising, people were running towards Bisho.  When it was up there we heard things like cricket sounds.  They were coming towards the Pick 'n Pay direction.  As they got closer we saw people running from the stadium towards us.  As we were coming closer to the gravel road we saw people falling ahead of us.  We then ran through the fence.  As we got closer we saw smoke.  As the smoke continued we saw a lot more people running towards us.  We then turned back and ran as well.  Next to me there was my colleague who was in standard seven with me.  As I was with him we parted in [indistinct].  All of a sudden something hit my thigh.  I did not realise that it's a bullet shot.  I thought it was teargas somehow but I thought that there is something definitely wrong with my leg.  As we tried to run towards Bisho, towards Red Cross, I came across marshals who were very shocked and I was shocked.  I then realised that I was shot and my leg was really not functioning at the time.  We were taken from there and we were treated by the Red Cross.  They put Savlon and used cotton wool on our wounds.  After that we were taken by ambulance to the Gray hospital.  At the Gray hospital they said that we must eat water with ice cubes.  We drank this water with ice cubes, I didn't know how it would help us.  They registered our names.  We went to a room where a nurse treated us.  They took out my bandage and put Savlon yet again on my wound and Betadine.  After they put Betadine on my wound they said I must come back the following day.  I went home and slept at home.  When I went back the next day they still put on Savlon and Betadine on my wound.  After they put on the Savlon and Betadine, they gave me a letter that I should take to Bisho and I said this is the very place where we were shot, I am not going there.  I then went home.  I never went to hospital again.

MS MAYA:  This leg that you were shot at, did it just heal on its own?

WITNESS:  Yes in almost two months it was healed.

MS MAYA:  Does this leg bother you at all?

WITNESS:  Before this leg healed it had a protruding.  This protruding I decided to cut off myself rather than go back to hospital.

CHAIRPERSON: Order please!  Order.

MS MAYA: Is your leg totally healed now?

WITNESS:  Yes it is but it bothers me, especially when it's cold.

MS MAYA:  What happens when it's cold?

WITNESS:  When it's going to be cold, I sense it from my leg.  It just hurts when it's going to be cold, especially towards my foot.

MS MAYA:  You said you were studying at Dimbaza at that time.  You said you were studying at the time, which standard were you doing?

WITNESS:  I was in standard eight.

MS MAYA:  Were you able to go back to school after you were injured?

WITNESS:  Yes I was.

MS MAYA:  What is your wish?  Do you have a wish Zukisa?

WITNESS:  Yes there is ma'am.

MS MAYA:  What is it?

WITNESS:  I am studying now and as I am studying I would like to continue.  If the present government could support me financially  ... end of Tape 1, side B ...  so that I could carry on with my education.  At the same time if I could somehow know that I would be able to go for medical treatment.

MS MAYA:  Is that all the information you want to give to the Truth Commission?

WITNESS:  Yes, I'm through.

MS MAYA:  Zukisa I have a last question for you.  As we are talking to you, how do you feel about the people who shot you?

WITNESS:  I don't know whether I'm wrong, I wanted them to be put in the guillotine.

CHAIRPERSON: Order please!  Order.

MS MAYA: Does that mean you are still bitter towards them?

WITNESS:  Yes I am.

MS MAYA: Thank you Zukisa.  I will take you back to the Chairman, maybe he will ask further questions.

CHAIRPERSON: Are there any people with questions?  Thank you Zukisa.  Order please!

TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION: BISHO MASSACRE - DAY 2 - 10 SEPTEMBER 1996

CASE NO: 7

SIYABULELA THEO MTHWA: SIYABULELA THEO MTHWA    Duly sworn states

MS MAYA: Siyabulela Theo Mthwa?

WITNESS:  Yes it is so.

MS MAYA:  Were you at the march?

WITNESS:  Yes.

MS MAYA:  Could you tell us what happened to you?

WITNESS:  On the 7th September 1992 we were marching as ANC members going to Bisho.  We got there during the day at about 1 o'clock.  As I was entering the stadium, I was ahead of most of the crowd.  We heard sounds and we were told to lie on the ground and we started crawling.  As we were crawling I sensed in my knee that it's very difficult to walk.  When I looked, there was a hole.  I was shot in my left knee.  I tried to get up and run but my strength just left me.  As I was trying to crawl on my right arm, I realised that my left elbow is bleeding, it had been shot.  I crawled on my stomach and there was a helicopter hovering, a yellow helicopter hovering.  The most bullets were shot from the helicopter.  I saw a lot of cars, I think they were the leaders' cars.  I tried to go towards them and I put in my head but my body was behind.  The leaders put us in cars.  As we were driving outside the stadium there were doctors from the Red Cross, they helped us and they took us in Kombi's with GCJ registration to the Gray hospital.  When we got there we were given pain tablets and we took them.  We went for x-rays.  I was told that my - I was fractured and that I was to be taken to the Frere hospital.  We went to Frere, we got there after five.  Dr Watt told me to go to bed.  At 8 o'clock I was going to go to theatre.  I went to bed and I was operated on my knee and elbow.  They took out the bullets.  When I went back to bed -  I stayed at Frere hospital for five weeks.  On the last week, it was close to my examinations.  I requested that I be transferred closer to Queenstown so that I'm close to my teachers so that I can write my exams.  I stayed at the Frontier hospital for five weeks until I wrote my exams.  I wrote in bed because I had to get bed rest because my leg had not healed.  I wrote my exams and finished.  I went back to Frere hospital.  I was checked and I was discharged on the 19th November.

MS MAYA:  What standard were you doing at the time?

WITNESS:  I was doing third year at [indistinct] Training College.

MS MAYA:  Were you able to finish your studies?

WITNESS:  Yes I wrote but I got a supplementary in two subjects.  I wrote those until I succeeded.

MS MAYA:  So you are a teacher?

WITNESS:  Yes I am.

MS MAYA:  Did your arm and leg heal completely?

WITNESS:  Yes they've healed but it's just not the same.  My one knee is bigger than the other and it's twisted.  It doesn't bend properly.  My arm as well, my elbow doesn't function well either.

MS MAYA:  Do you think that you need to go to a doctor?

WITNESS:  After I was discharged from Frere, I asked them what to do.  They told them I should go to them if I need any further help.