Human Rights Violation Hearings — Umtata — 1996-06-20

MEMBER OF PANEL: Mr Acting Chairperson, I would like to call upon Mrs Makiwane.  Mrs Makiwane, before I can request that you can take an oath I would like to confirm the statement that you have given me.  I would like to state that we are prepared to listen to your presentation so that if there are things that you would like us to attend to we should pay attention to those.  We are referring mostly to the people who had problems during 1960 to 1993.  We know that so many people's human rights were violated and that is why now we are here as a Commission so that we can meet the needs of such people.  I hope that we will be able to assist you just as we have promised the others so as to satisfy you and be able to meet your needs as well.  I would like you take an oath.  Could you please stand up.

ALBERTINA NOMFANELEKO MAKIWANE: (Duly sworn in, states).

MEMBER OF PANEL: Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: We would like Dr Mgojo to guide you Mrs Makiwane so that you can, your presentation would be facilitated.  Over to you Mr Mgojo.

KHOZA MGOJO: Thank you Mr Chairman.  Mrs Makiwane, I would like to guide you so that we can finalise this issue as quickly as possible.  We would like you to please state when you cannot understand what I am saying because I am Zulu speaking.  Thank you.  Could you please take us back and
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inform us about the family background.

ALBERTINA NOMFANELEKO MAKIWANE: I am Albertina Nomfaneleko Makiwane.  My maiden name is Kobela.  I was born in the Bawa village at Butterworth at Gashluma.  We originally come from Butsolo and the other family members originate from Tsolo.  I was married to the Gambo family and our origin is from Tsolo at Ekanglano.  My father-in-law bought a site at Nambilana.  I am his daughter-in-law.  My father-in-law is Thomas Ntsele Makiwane.

KHOZA MGOJO: Is Ntsele your husband?

ALBERTINA NOMFANELEKO MAKIWANE: Yes, Ntsele is my husband.  I have come to present his case and his younger brother's case.

KHOZA MGOJO: In your statement you state that your husband before he died.

ALBERTINA NOMFANELEKO MAKIWANE: No, my husband is not late.

KHOZA MGOJO: Where is your younger husband?  Has he died?

ALBERTINA NOMFANELEKO MAKIWANE: Yes, he has died.

KHOZA MGOJO: Which organisation did he belong to?

ALBERTINA NOMFANELEKO MAKIWANE: He belonged to the African National Congress and then he went in exile.  He stayed for years there and his whole family was in exile.  He had two daughters, two children, a boy and a girl.  They came back during the time when the Transkei was already independent.  I do not have details of why did they come back, but they stayed next to the nearby street at my place.  They have a house there.  I would like to be brief.
 There was a certain day, it was in the evening.  He was busy painting his house.  Sister Nbisotho Salie came to visit him and then he paused with the work that he was doing which is the painting and then when the sister went away he continued with the painting.  Whilst he was still busy he 
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was just shot.  Even when he was still on the ground they continued shooting him.  I could count six bullet holes on the walls.  The others just got through the door.  I think it was on a Tuesday, if I am not mistaken.  The previous week we were burying Stodo who was my younger brother.  
 The following week we received a message that Xola has been shot dead.  We were very happy when he came back from exile.  The whole family gathered to welcome him.  All this happened whilst he was still jubilating.  We learnt about his death and my husband then heard about this.

KHOZA MGOJO: Okay, can I just take you back to the fact that you said your husband was an ANC member and also his younger brother was an ANC member.  Did he also go to exile and then came back to the Transkei?

ALBERTINA NOMFANELEKO MAKIWANE: Yes.

KHOZA MGOJO: In other words ANC was a banned organisation in the Transkei?

ALBERTINA NOMFANELEKO MAKIWANE: Yes.

KHOZA MGOJO: In other words he was not supposed to come back to the Transkei?

ALBERTINA NOMFANELEKO MAKIWANE: Yes.

KHOZA MGOJO: Now, what did the brother-in-law say to you?  Did he state he was still a member?

ALBERTINA NOMFANELEKO MAKIWANE: Yes, he said he was still a member of the ANC, but he was communicating with my husband and I gathered from the husband that he was still a member of the ANC.

KHOZA MGOJO: So they came back so that they can overthrow this Government?

ALBERTINA NOMFANELEKO MAKIWANE: I tried to get a document so that I can present it before the Commission.  My husband is in hospital.  I think he is the one who knows where this
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document is.  This letter explains about the nine men who were supposed to overthrow the Government at the time.  My husband also gave me this information.  We asked how could he be the person who is eating at the same table with the K D Matanzima family who were the people who are against the ANC members.

KHOZA MGOJO: So in other words you meant that he could not befriend them because they were enemies?

ALBERTINA NOMFANELEKO MAKIWANE: Yes, that is what we meant because we regarded them as enemies because we knew that they were against any ANC member.  That is why I was asking how was he welcomed and my husband said he cannot explain either also.  He stated that there were nine of them and they were all welcomed by the Matanzimas.  My husband and I also are members of the ANC.  I am also in the SADTU, which is the South African Democratic Teachers Union.  I am in other organisations like South African National Civic Organisation and in other organisations as well.

KHOZA MGOJO: When did you become a member of the ANC?

ALBERTINA NOMFANELEKO MAKIWANE: I think it was in Port Elizabeth in 1962.  I was still very young at the time.  My involvement became very strong when I was in Butterworth when Chief Sabata during their burials, we were there.  We were making arrangements and we were busy showing our following to the and our support to the ANC and during the time when Chris Hani was killed we were also busy making preparations.  We know that, I can just site an example.
 Some of the houses were taken from the people and at the end I was the only one who was fighting against what was happening.  I am that Mrs Makiwane who always, who was always publicised for her efforts to fight for the people's 
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rights.

KHOZA MGOJO: In other words your brother-in-law died?

ALBERTINA NOMFANELEKO MAKIWANE: Pardon me please.

KHOZA MGOJO: After your brother-in-laws death were there any investigations?

ALBERTINA NOMFANELEKO MAKIWANE: Yes, it was always said that nobody was yet arrested for the incident.  We only received messages that there were still investigations made.  I will not say much about what I am going to say now.  When my husband received the message that his younger brother died I did not understand him very well because he seemed to be mentally affected.  If he was a person who was taking any type of alcohol I would say he was drunk, but because I know him to be a teetotaller I cannot say he was under the influence of any alcohol, but you could see that we can associate his condition with the tidings that he had received.  We made arrangements and the elder brother was the only person who was responsible for all the arrangements because my husband was just a parcel.  He did not do anything because he was really affected.  I took him to Dr Eloff and said he had a shock.

KHOZA MGOJO: What did he do?

ALBERTINA NOMFANELEKO MAKIWANE: He was given treatment.

KHOZA MGOJO: What was he doing?