Human Rights Violation Hearings — Pietermaritzburg — UNKNOWN

WITNESS:   At the present moment it's very difficult for me because I have to take care of myself and the whole family, but if any moment I can get a chance to go back to school I would like to finish it.

MR LYSTER: The last - I want to find the whole picture about your family.  After you were so harassed did you ever get some counselling services?

WITNESS:   No, we never got such services, but myself while I was working for the ANC the work that I was doing at that time used to keep me busy, and I stopped working for the organisation in 1994, and I worked for the national Government.  At the present moment I have time to sit and think about things of the past, and in my mind this has affected me very much because I had at once to go to be admitted in hospital.  I can't explain it.  I was under a post ... (incomplete)

MR LYSTER: You mean that if ever we want the records we can get them?

WITNESS:   I went to this hospital, and then I ended up at Greys.

MR LYSTER: Thank you very much for your explanation.  Our duty is to listen to the harassment of people, their wishes and requests.  What we do is we take over your requests and wishes to the national Government.  These are the people who will decide what they can do.  We just make some recommendations.  And I should make that clear.  I wish God can help you so that you can get some counselling.  That's easy because we are in the process at the present moment where we'll be able to sort of like make you have some contact with some counselling services, and we will have to sort of like hand you over to Dr Mkhize and get some psychiatrists and psychologists so that they can meet you and help you.  Thank you very much.

MR LAX: Mr Dlomo, just for the record it's important to put to you what the police said at the inquest just to see whether you agree with that or disagree with that.  But the police version of what happened that night was that they came to your house, they knocked on the door, you fired shots at them and your mother tried to attack them with a panga.  What do you say about that?

WITNESS:   That is not true.  At the time when they came it shows that they did not come peacefully because they came at dawn whilst we were sleeping.  Nobody saw them.  Even the cars, according to eye witnesses, people who were working at the College of Education, the cars did not have their lights on and they didn't park in front of my yard.  It was not the first time that they were doing that as they had already said that they were afraid, they did not know the place.  They had got prior information from one of their trusted informers that we had kept arms for the ANC.  I totally deny what was said by the police in the inquest. When my mother died she was 57 years old.  The policemen who shot her was Constable Booysens, who was 21 years old.  /According

MR LAX: According to him he shot the first time in the air.  That was a warning shot, but he says my mother had a bush knife with her.  Even when my mother heard the R1 rifle she continued to attack Constable Booysens, and Constable Booysens realised that he had to shoot my mother.  I don't believe a 57-year-old woman hearing gunshots with a knife could go on and shoot a person who had possession of a firearm.  I flatly don't believe that, because thereafter they continued to search.  They raided my place, they never found anything.

MR LAX: (Inaudible)

WITNESS:   That is totally not true.  At that time I was not armed, I had absolutely nothing.  There's not even a piece of ammunition that was in my place.  That is just their way of trying to absolve themselves.  I never shot them.  We were the ones who were shot.  I woke up to gunshots and I ran away.

MR LYSTER: (Inaudible) ... was shot in her own house in her nightdress, totally unarmed, shot dead by an armed policeman.  It is difficult to imagine a more callous act committed by someone whose job it was to protect the community, but so often did the opposite, and persecuted, intimidated and harassed communities.  In fact your mother's case is quite a famous case, and there have been many attempts to persuade the authorities in this province to prosecute the person responsible for your mother's death, without success.
In so many cases that we have heard over the past few days, and indeed over the past few months, it is the women of this country, innocent women, who have often suffered most in the sad history of our country, and your mother was one of those women.  It is a sad burden for you to have to carry, the death of your mother, and we hope that by telling your story today in public has assisted you in some way in coming to terms with the death of your mother.
We thank you very much again for coming to share your story with us, and we wish you strength and courage as you go.  Thank you.

MR LYSTER: Can you hear me and understand me through the headphones?

NOMZAMO NYAWOSE: Yes, I can hear you.

MR LYSTER: The other people on the stage with you, I recognise one as - it must be your sister.

NOMZAMO NYAWOSE: They are all my sisters.

MR LYSTER: (Inaudible) ... who is going to relate the story, is that correct?

NOMZAMO NYAWOSE: Yes, I am going to say whatever I know, then I'll hand over to one of them to elaborate on whatever I have said.

MR LYSTER: We don't have a statement from anyone else other than yourself, so if one of your brothers - if your brother or one of your sisters does say something please could they just make it brief and to confirm what you have already said.  Thank you.   (Inaudible) ... up and take the oath.

NOMZAMO NYAWOSE: (Sworn, States)

MR LYSTER: My colleague, Dr Magwaza, will assist you with your evidence.

DR MAGWAZA: Good day.  May you please introduce yourselves as a family.  We know Nomzamo, but we wish to know you all.

WITNESS:   My name is Nobahle Nyawose.   ---   I am Lindiwe Nyawose.

DR MAGWAZA: We thank you very much for having been able to come here to come and tell us about what happened to your parents whilst you were still very young.  We know that this is going to be a very painful moment for you, but you must know that we are here to support you.  Nomzamo, I can see that you are being emotionally carried away.  Are you prepared to speak?  Just tell us about your family.  Tell us how many you are at home.

WITNESS:   We are four at home.  The first one is Ntombenhle.  She is the first-born.  She is followed by Lindiwe, then it's me, then the last born is Philani.

DR MAGWAZA: Yours is quite a different story, because you lost your parents when you were outside the country, you were not even in South Africa.  I will ask you to just give us a brief explanation as to how your family landed up in Swaziland.  Just tell us what happened, how come you left this country.