Human Rights Violation Hearings — Durban — 1996-08-29

COMMISSIONER: (Inaudible) ... you hear me through the earphones?

MRS MABELE: Yes, I hear you.

COMMISSIONER: Who is that with you on the stage today?

MRS MABELE: It's Ntombifuthi.

COMMISSIONER: Is that your daughter?

MRS MABELE: No, it's my sister's daughter.

COMMISSIONER: (Inaudible) ... is that right, and you have come to tell us about the disappearance of Mkazimulo Mabele, who is your nephew.

MRS MABELE: That's correct.

COMMISSIONER: The brother of Ntombifuthi.

MRS MABELE: No.

COMMISSIONER: Before you tell us story please can you take the oath.  There's no need for you to stand, because I can see you're having difficulty with your crutches.

MRS MABELE: (Sworn, States)   (Through Interpreter)

COMMISSIONER: Mrs Gcabashe will assist you now.

MRS GCABASHE: Good afternoon, lady.

WITNESS:   Good afternoon to you.

MRS GCABASHE: I see that you don't walk properly, but I still want to thank you for your patience to wait up to this time.  We would like a briefing about your family, and we have your children here, Zakile, Vuwisile, Mkazimulo, all those.  Are these your children?

WITNESS:   Yes, they are my children, but Zakile is late.

MRS GCABASHE: The father is still alive?

WITNESS:   Yes, he is still alive, but he is ill.  He has fits and heart attack.

MRS GCABASHE: You've come here to relate the events of the 23rd August 1992.

WITNESS:   Yes. We'd like to know.  You may get started.   ---   We hadn't gone to our bedrooms to sleep yet.  It was at night.  We heard this noise, and this noise scared us.  There were people who were there who were watching, children, and saying that they were children who had joined UDF.  And when we heard this noise we thought those are the people who were guarding in the area.  We did not know what was happening, and we all woke up, thinking that all - I was with every member of my family trying to run away, but Mkazimulo was left back at home.  I thought we were all together.  I did not realise up until after some time that Mkazimulo was left at home.  When we went back home, trying to go back home after hours, after a long time, that's when I discovered that Mkazimulo was not with us, and he is not there, and I kept asking even the neighbours that, "Where is Mkazimulo?"  I was asking everybody, "Where is Mkazimulo?" and no one could tell.  Mkazimulo disappeared that way.  We even thought maybe those people who were guarding the neighbourhood are the ones who took Mkazimulo.  And I thought that I will get a message or something afterwards to tell me and notify me about Mkazimulo's whereabouts, but up to this day that was to no avail.

MRS GCABASHE: Tell me about the people you say they were guarding the neighbourhood.  What were those people doing and who are those people?

WITNESS:   I don't know who those people were, but one thing I know is that they were Inkatha people.

MRS GCABASHE: Oh, they were Inkatha people?

WITNESS:   Yes.

MRS GCABASHE: Now, what did you do after you had seen that you cannot get your child, he is missing?  Did you report this?

WITNESS:   Yes, I did report the matter to the police, and I told them I will like their help, I will like my child to be found, but I could not open a case because there was no one I could open the case or accuse.  You know, things that were happening were hurting to me.  That even led to me leaving the place and going to another area.

MRS GCABASHE: Where did you go?

WITNESS:   I left one part - the other part of Makutha to another part of Makutha, but I am still in Makutha.  It's just that I changed areas.

MRS GCABASHE: Now, was there any case that was opened regarding the disappearance of your son?  As you have gone to the police did they do something?

WITNESS:   No, they did not open any case, because they asked me, "Would you like to open a case?  Are you going to open a case?"  I said, "I don't know who I can accuse," but what I would like for them to do is to help me find - recover my child.

MRS GCABASHE: So you never opened any case?

WITNESS:   Yes.

MRS GCABASHE: How old was your son at the time?

WITNESS:   He was 12 years old.

MRS GCABASHE: Oh, he was still young.  What you have told is so sad, what a young child to disappear at that age.  But did you ever get some rumours or probably hearsays from the Inkatha people as to where his whereabouts were?

WITNESS:   No, I had never heard a thing.  Even now I still keep thinking and keep hoping that he may come and just appear, and at times I will see people and think, "Oh, maybe he is with them."  You know, I just cannot get over the fact that my son disappeared.  Zakile was buried, and the body was exhumed from one other place, but I did see him being buried.  At least I can deal with that, but I just cannot deal with this other one.  Zakile was with his friends, telling himself he will come back later, and he never got back.  Now one day when we had started looking around for him, and after even reporting to the police, and we thought probably he got injured, or even something happened to him not knowing.  After some time we heard that there were people who were buried at some place, and the police exhumed the bodies, and that's how we found out that he was one of those who were buried after they had exhumed the corpse.

MRS GCABASHE: Mrs Mabele, what you experienced is difficult and it's sad.  Now I will ask you about Zakile now that you told us that he also disappeared in the same manner.  Did you manage to find out the reason leading to their death?

WITNESS:   No, I never got to know why they were killed.  I am still waiting.  Even though I did not open any case, but the police who exhumed the body did promise that they will try all and everything as to what happened, and find out what happened.

MRS GCABASHE: Where are those police coming from?

WITNESS:   From Khomhazi(?).

MRS GCABASHE: I think even you - I don't think your health condition is satisfactory because you are using crutches.  What happened?

WITNESS:   That's true.  I got a car accident.  I was involved in a car accident on the 3rd of this very month.

MRS GCABASHE: Did you experience some change of life or in health as a result of all that transpired?

WITNESS:   Yes, I had some problem with my heart, and the doctor told me that it's because I think a lot, I am always worried, and I have this arthritis.  At the hospital they told me that my bones have problems.  And the pain - and what I feel, even my head, I get such strange feelings.  I can't not even explain.  This is inexplicable how I feel.  I also lose memory.  I forget often times.  I even forget at times what I want to say.

MRS GCABASHE: I hear, Mrs Mabele.

WITNESS:   Also my husband.  I brought my child with because he cannot wake up.  He cannot even walk as a result of his health.  It's failing him.  He has treatment that he is taking.  Well, his feet, he is suffering from feet, but they do respond to the medication, to the treatment.

MRS GCABASHE: What about the children, the other four?

WITNESS:   Well, the children are healthy.  At times they will get depressed, you know, when they think about the past, and I will try to appease them and try to console them and tell them that God is there, and God is alive.

MRS GCABASHE: I hear, Mrs Mabele, but I think you should consult some doctors, or probably the health experts and psychologist who help those who have undergone the trauma.

WITNESS:   I will appreciate that.

MRS GCABASHE: Now that you have come to the Truth Commission, if you had a way what would you ask for from the Truth Commission?

WITNESS:   I would like the Truth Commission to help me raise my children, because all of them are not employed as a result of the unemployment rate in our country.  We live on one pension, on my husband's pension.  If the Truth Commission could look into this, and perhaps also go on further to help me get the pension as well.