Human Rights Violation Hearings — Nelspruit — 1996-09-02

YASMINE SOOKA: We will ask Miss Mkhize to assist you with your evidence.

MS MKHIZE: I greet you, Mr Mahaule.  Can you tell us briefly about yourself.

MR MAHAULE: Yes, I can tell you.  Although I feel very bad because this thing actually reminds me of certain wounds.  I was actually working for the Department of Police SAPS. South African Police Force.   I was stationed at Malalane.  One of the days there came a person, there was a police officer who was working at Nelspruit known as Sergeant Masheko.  He was working under the special branch division.  Masheko was actually a stout person, similar to me.  Masheko had arrested some of the boys who were actually belonging to the ANC organisation and then they thought as if it was me.  On the 30th April, I think it is 1980 or 1981, I was doing the night duty during that time.  My home it is at Bosfontein Trust.  I just went to work as usual.  I worked there.  Early in the morning there came a message and I was told that my house has been burnt down.  It was petrol bombed also.  Then I reported this matter to my superiors and they called people from the special branch division, from Middelburg and we went home and on my arrival there at home I found that it was petrol bombed, they threw in the bomb through the window.  Fortunately the window through
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which they threw the bomb it is where my wife is actually sleeping and that very day he did not sleep on top of the bed, he slept on the floor.   Now when these whites came to come and check here and this bomb was hitted actually everything that was in that house was smashed.  And then they asked my wife what made you to sleep on the floor on that day and then my wife said well I dreamt I saw something coming from above, from above.  This thing was a white thing, something that came and it hitted here, right - that is the reason why I could not sleep on my bed, I slept on my floor.  And then this boer said no there is something that why you did not sleep on top of the bed and these people actually were found, the perpetrators.  And if I look this side I can see one of the perpetrators is also here and I feel very much hurt and these people were actually arrested and they said - gave their names as Johannes Shabangu from Middelburg.  He was actually attending school at Selamafa High School.  The other one it was - he had a Sotho surname Totetsi.  These boers actually - I want to tell the Commissioner something which I never heard before.  And these whites said to me I am actually collaborating with these people who are doing this and then they said I would give them R24.  They gave me R24 and they said it was agreed at the Court that I should get information and they made a mistake.  They did not check whether it was Mr Masheko or it was myself.  That is why they were mistaken and they burnt my home down.  They burnt the whole home.  In 1986 on the 5th May I had a shop then and it was licensed.  There was stock inside the shop and I had a combi then.  These boys actually when they were doing this thing they said nobody should go to work it is a stayaway and at that time I was
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stationed at Tonga and I was told that I must take some young boys so that we can go and check what is happening, why people are being stopped of not going to work.  I went there with those boys and we asked even some assistance from Komatipoort station, it was two people and two whites.  Two blacks, two whites.  On our arrival at Driekoppies they said to me I must take my colleagues to Schoemansdal and the whites will remain behind at Driekoppies and boys actually at that time were violent and they put some blocks to block vehicles.  At round about 12 o'clock I heard over the radio that someone has been shot dead and the name of that boy was the son of Paulus Mabuza.  He was shot by Mr Ntiwan who was the police officer stationed at Tonga.  And I was surprised because the same thing happened that took place because Ntiwan was shot a boy and they still say it is me.  As I was sitting at home and then they said I was told that he heard that they are going to burn my home now they are going to burn my shop.  Then I asked some of my police officers so that they must accompany me to go and check at home what is going to happen.  And then we took some of the proper belongings from home to the shop because they said they are going to start at home and burn there.  And he actually were playing.   And those people on their way they said no we should not go and burn his home, let's go to actually the wife does not have anything to do with us, the person whom we are targeting is the husband.  They went to the shop, they burnt the shop.  They went inside, they took everything that was inside.  If I estimate that stock I think it is plus minus R20 000.   My combi which was parked next to the shop it was a combi I had just recently bought it, they took out the radio cassette and the radio inside and I heard
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about that that they removed those radios and the cassette from the other colleagues.  The stock alone inside that shop I think it can be estimated at R60 000 something.  What hurts me most it is something that I bought on credit and then people actually who were my creditors refused to sort of understand my situation because they say my children were also part of that violence.  What worries me is that the people who were actually perpetrators and these people who actually did a lot of damage and some of escaped the country, they went to Tanzania and they are now back here and they are actually - they are back now in the country.  They are now driving luxury cars but I am here to sort of to forgive them and ask God, because I don't have anything against them.

MS MKHIZE: We thank you Mr Mahaule.  I will ask some few questions in order to assist you in order that it should give enough clarity.  Earlier on when you said to come in front of the Commission you feel very much sorry to appear before this Commission.  We really sympathise with you but I think we need to ask you questions in order that you can give us a good explanation.  You said to us you were actually employed as a police officer stationed at - a certain sergeant arrived known as Maskeko.  Perhaps you can explain to us as police officers during those days what were you actually doing and more especially in this area.  I thank you.

MR MAHAULE: As far as I am concerned I was just working normally.  I don't know, Masheko actually was actually responsible for the violence.  I was just working normally doing my own normal duties.

MS MKHIZE: As I have already said, it is very important to
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ask as a Commissioner to get everything, all the facts.  If you say you were just working just like a police officer I am trying to ask you since we have started here in the morning we did get some different witnesses that during that time there was some violence going on more especially amongst the youth against the police.  That is the reason why I am asking from you maybe perhaps at that time how did you view this, as people who were actually there to protect the community and to make sure that there is peace.  I thank you.