Human Rights Violation Hearings — Pietermaritzburg — UNKNOWN

MR DLAMINI: We'll write that down as one of the things that you wish the Commission to do for you.  As we have been saying throughout the week that when we take your wishes, your harassments, we are not saying that there is anything that we're going to do for you, we are just doing it to make sure that when we take back the report the President and his Cabinet will be able to get all your wishes.  Do you understand that?

WITNESS:   Yes, I do understand. On your statement you are a member of the African National Congress.  Despite that you are a member to the ANC do you belong to any other organisation?   ---   Before I was a member of the Crisis Committee.

MR DLAMINI: The one that Mbongwe has just talked about and he was a member of?

WITNESS:   Yes, we were together with him.

MR DLAMINI: Can you tell us briefly about your harassment, starting from December 1998 on the 2nd of December.  Tell us exactly what happened.

WITNESS:   Is it 1988?

MR DLAMINI: Yes, 1988.

WITNESS:   On the 2nd December 1988 I wake up in the morning at Emobeni, where I was sleeping.  I went back to feed my dogs and chickens.  Went I went through to see one of my chickens have laid some eggs.  I took it out.  When I get out of the place I went to my mum, and then she said I must wait so that she can prepare breakfast for me.  After she gave me breakfast, and while I was still eating, she told me that I must come out, there was a police car coming on a hill, coming down the hill.  While we were still watching that, not knowing what was happening, when I started eating too, one white policeman came.  When they arrived they greeted us, they asked me how old I were.  I told them, "I am 35," and then the other white man said, "No, let's leave him behind."

MR DLAMINI: The other one said, "No, let's take him."  My mother asked where are they taking me to.  They told her that, "Don't worry, he's coming back," and then we went off.  And then they put us into these big cars and they took us into the field.  They didn't tell us why they took us in the field.  When we tell them, "We want to pee," they told us, "You can pee wherever you're standing."  They put some machines.  One of them was a camera and the other one was just a writer.  When you talk you tell them who you were.  The machine was writing, and also they were shooting us some photos.  There was a kombi, and we couldn't see who was inside.  They were just telling you whether he got the right side positive or negative, and then we were divided, positive and negative.  Then during the day they told us the Inkatha people must stand on one side and the ANC members must stand on the other side.  When they put us the other side we, the ANC members, Brian Mitchell came and hold me on my back and throw me to the other side, and he went to pick Mfana Mbongo and put him on the other side too.  There were some young boys, about 10 of them.  As we separated they told the Inkatha people that they should go, and they leave the ANC members there.  And then they started hitting us with sjamboks.  They hit all the young boys and they started running away.  And they said to us -they took us and loaded us into the big trucks.  They told us to sleep on our stomachs, and we don't have to turn our heads, and they were trampling on their feets.

MR DLAMINI: How many were you, the people who were taken to the trucks?

WITNESS:   This was a very big truck.  We were about 11.

MR DLAMINI: Do you still remember some of the people who were with you?

WITNESS:   Yes, I still remember them.

MR DLAMINI: Can you give us their names?

WITNESS:   One I can mention is my brother Mfana Mbongo, who died.  He was there.  Newbridge Khanyile.  I can remember well this young man.  Mbo Malinga.  I can't remember well the names.  The other one it's from the Mthembe family.  I can't remember them well.  Newbridge Khanyile.

MR DLAMINI: We know it's a long time and you might not remember them well.  And then you started then.  From there you were lying on the truck.  Where did they take you to?

WITNESS:   They took us to a police station in New Hanover.  They locked inside and made us to sit down.  They told us not to look at them in their faces.  They took statements, and they started to search us and took out our watches.  From there they had to lock us.  They took us into a separate cell.  Before we could get into the cells there were two plates of porridge, and it looked as if they had been put there since from the morning.  Then there were some lot of things and dirty, and they told us to eat the food.  And then we refused to eat the foot, and then they hit me on top of my head with a donkey phiri, and they said, "He is going to eat."  When I tried to taste it it was bitter and it looked like it was rotten.  And then they hold me and throw me into the cell.  And then they just lock us and they leave the food outside the cell.  When we were still inside the cells they used to come to count us, and also ask us why are we there.  And we told them we don't know that.  "We don't know anything.  It's up to you."  And then we just continued like that and we were not happy.  When it comes to sleeping arrangements the clothes that we used to sleep on they were full of lice.  We tried to tell the station commander.  We told him we couldn't sleep because the lice are biting us, and they said no, we came with the lice.  And one day they tried just to give us some milk, and we took all the lice and put them into a carton, and give it to one man and tell him to put it in his office.  And he took it and put it in the office.

MR DLAMINI: Whose office is that?  Is that the station commander's office, Brian Mitchell?

WITNESS:   Yes.  When he came Brian Mitchell into his office and see these lice in his office this might have angered him, and from that day he have changed and then he treated us well.

MR DLAMINI: What was the surname of this white policeman who took the lice to Brian's office?

WITNESS:   His name was Trutotts(?).  He was working at the station.

MR DLAMINI: Can you continue.

WITNESS:   We stayed there.  We wished to go out and sort of like go out for sunshine.  We were always complaining that we're sick in order so that we can go out even to get a cigarette.  When you get out of doors it's like as if you were flying, like you couldn't remember even the sunshine.  It continued like that.  The situation continued as it were, and then we have to tell them that we're hungry in the cells, they have to give two slices cheese - with cheese and tomato, and there was nothing to sort of drink.  We decided if we don't try and make a plan we'll die, let's cook some phuthu in order to eat.  They tried to sort of like - tried to bring some food, bread and some milk, and we became better.  The problem started because I was arrested while wearing an overall.  It was teared like it was becoming old at the bottom, and also on my knees.  Because if you ever have to wash it you have to take it off, wash it, and wait for it to dry, so I couldn't wear anything, I was just staying naked.  Since there was no one who was allowed to come to visit me at home they were very afraid. Even while others were able to come.  These Indians from Patricia they took me.  It was on the 6th.  They said I must go and point the homes of those other guys we were arrested with so that we can get one person from those families who can sign to be able to visit.

MR DLAMINI: These Indians you are talking about, were they policemen?

WITNESS:   Those were the Flying Squad, yes.

MR DLAMINI: You can go on.