Human Rights Violation Hearings — Alexandra — 1996-10-30

MR LEWIN: If there are no further questions, Mrs Makajane I would just like to again thank you very much for coming to tell us the story which again ties up with others that we have heard and we will be able to, or certainly try and follow up on this to find out what happened.  I often wonder listening to these stories if one can actually say one case is worse than another case. I don't think one can for every case it is the worst.  Everyone suffers in the same way, whatever the circumstances when there is a loss within one family it is not something that you can put into words properly it is not something that you can quantify.  But I think that in coming forward to tell us this story you have shown courage, you have also described what has happened and  issued a challenge to us and to other people to find out
ALEXANDRA HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
6 MAKAJANE
what actually was happening and why these things happened.  And who made them happen and why they made them happen.  Because I think if we can discover that then yes perhaps we can move forward and live together better.  I would just like to thank you very much for coming.  Thank you.

MARIA DIMIKATSO MAKAJANE: I would like to ask one thing.  As we have been evicted from our houses why can't the government do something about these illegal occupants of these houses because the previous government managed to evict us and why can't the present government be able to evict - this government he rather go and build us houses in Lombardy East.  Why doesn't he build these people houses at Lombardy  East and reinstate us in our houses.  We had a meeting the year before last year in Sankopani and Mr Obed Bapela did say that won't be able to evict those IFP people because they are also human beings, they don't have accommodation. Are we also not human beings?  Do we deserve to be in that dirty place, the Council?  We also discussed this with Mr Tokyo Sexwale who said he would try his best for them to evict these IFP people but up to date there is nothing that has happened.  This present government is also not fair, it doesn't have mercy on us as well.  Those people must be evicted from our houses.  If they don't have accommodation where were they staying before they occupied our houses?  We want our houses back. No matter I cannot get my child back and the furniture and the clothes but the fact remains they must make sure that they evict those people so that we should be able to be reinstated in our houses.  We cannot afford to pay the higher rent whilst in those houses we managed to pay low rental.  We installed water and electricity.  I am suffering at the moment, I am suffering
ALEXANDRA HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
7 MAKAJANE
from heart ailments and blood pressure, I have got my child and my sister's and father's children.  I have got a lot of responsibility.  I cannot meet all my responsibilities because I am very short tempered, I don't even know, my life doesn't have direction and I won't be happy until I know who the murderers of my child are.  And yet there are people who know who these murderers are.  I would like them to come forward and tell us who are they, how did they kill him and why because at then we were scared even to run the funeral successfully.  Even when my mother passed away in 1991 they wanted to know who we are because they are the ANC.  We told them that we are Inkatha members.  They were not searching because all they were looking for was just to steal the video machines and televisions and they were accompanied by our neighbour but because God always takes care there was a strong wind that uncovered his face that was covered with a tracksuit and whilst he was accompanying them and the lady who was staying in one of the shacks said that these people were on their way to break into a furniture shop but they jumped your fence in order to try and steal your furniture.  And then I got a message that my mother passed away.  We didn't run my mother's funeral smoothly because at that very same day they attacked us.  Even my son's funeral didn't run smoothly.  Can the Truth Commission do whatever it can so that these people must come forward and explain why they did all these things.

MR LEWIN: Thank you Mrs Makajane.  Yes, we hear you.  I think you have put it very eloquently and it is something that will be heard also by the local community, by the local radio station, by the local media, which will help take it up.  That is the way to get your story out.  Thank you very much again.  Thank you for coming.