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

MANZINI ROBERT ZITHA: I am Robert Zitha.  I grew up in Matsulu since I was an infant.  I started working in 1984.   I was working in Barberton Engineering.  When I knocked off at work in 1986 I had years employed in that company.  It was 84/85 and 1986, three years in all and I used to knock off at half past four and I would catch the bus at five o'clock.  We would be with other people from Matsulu.  At the station I went off the bus and I took my direction home.  It was my
NELSPRUIT HEARING TRC/MPUMALANGA
5 ZITHA
home, I must say, given to me by my father.  I sat at the back door.  My house had a front door as well as the back door.  I was sitting on the ground with my friend who is called Abraham Sitole Kwendela.  We were just talking about issues at work.  These big street lights were on.   It was dark outside because of the trees around.   A boy came - the boy that I didn't know.  I am referring to the deceased.  He was running.  He wanted to get in through the back door.  I left my friend there, I said let me go and investigate as to who is this person running into my house.  The gunshot was not heard by then but I got into the first bedroom - into the first room - and I went into the second one.  I wanted to get into the third one and behind me there was a gunshot and I fell.  I lifted my head and I saw this policeman wearing a camouflage, you know with different colours and I took a look at this policeman and I said to him why do you have to shoot me in my house.  He said I am sorry we were not looking for you, we were actually chasing that other boy.  He was already laying on the ground because he had been shot on the head side.  Other policemen got into the house, there were three in number, all wearing camouflage and they were actually accusing this other policeman who shot at me.  I didn't know anything but I looked at his badge because their names were written and I saw the badge was written Solly Ghladla.  And I asked him why do you shoot me in my house, what have I done.  I am just from work now.  He was holding his gun looking on the ground and other policemen lifted me and together with the deceased they took us out of the house.  The neighbours were flocking to my house, you know they wanted to see exactly what happened and the police spread their tear-gas to disperse the people.  I
NELSPRUIT HEARING TRC/MPUMALANGA
6 ZITHA
was still shouting telling them please take me to the clinic because my leg was paining severely.  I said to them please take me to the hospital.  Other policemen were faced with the task of dispersing my neighbours.  They took the deceased, they put him into the police van.  It was a Matsulu van and they drove us.  We went straight to the clinic.  That is where the sisters at the clinic helped me.  I do not remember their names.  They put drips on me.  I didn't know that the boy was already dead.  And it was my first time to see him on that day.  And when I regained my consciousness I was at the hospital.  I was made to lie on the floor, on the cement floor.  Two days went by without any treatment.  The company that I was working for was really, the personnel was touched because a white man came and he asked me why were you shot at because on that day you were just from work.  And that is when I received attention from the medical doctors.  That was Dr Scots who examined me.  This leg of mine was really getting bad and I couldn't walk any longer and the doctor said it will be much better to amputate this leg.  I said to them is there any other way that you can help me with not to amputate this leg.  Dr Scots said there isn't any way, we just have to amputate the leg and it was amputated.  The thing that hurts me most I was still young and I was working.  And I didn't know anything about politics.  I was very young.  I was just an ordinary person.  I didn't know even to run around the streets.  I was about 24 years old then.  I am 33 years old because I am growing.  I feel very bad when I look at my mother.  I was an infant, my mom was cuddling me in her hands, I had to grow up to come and work for her but I cannot.  I don't know what happened.  I want to thank you
NELSPRUIT HEARING TRC/MPUMALANGA
7 ZITHA
that today the Commission is here.  Since I lost my leg it is my first time to speak out this that has been itching me.  Mrs Nkosi as well, it is my first time to see her.  The deceased who passed away in my house, I won't even point him, I was just injured you know, you see the people are sitting here, that incident took place as if someone just got into the room and started shooting at the people sitting here.   It is my wish therefore to have a house, to have a home.  My colleagues that I worked with at the firm are very rich or they are just leading a normal life and this disturbs me a lot because I don't have anything of my own.  The firm that I was working for tried to help me.  They took me to the lawyers in Pretoria.  I wanted to go to the lawyers to give them exactly the name of the policeman who shot me but with the lawyers things were not the way I expected them to be.  While I was sitting there in their offices they said come here, take this remuneration, you will see what to do with this money.  And I wouldn't believe the little amount that they were giving me.  I wanted to eat and I took it.   I want the policeman who shot me to come before me, he is still alive, he is alive, he is working and he doesn't care whether I have legs or not.  I will end there.

MS MKHIZE: We want to thank you, brother.  You were giving us your statement.  Now I want you to clarify a few things here.  You said at the time you were taken to the hospital after having been shot you were put on a cement without any attention.  Do you think it was because you were shot by the police that you were not given attention or was there little equipment at the hospital?  Tell us more about that.

MANZINI ROBERT ZITHA: According to my view I was put on the cement
NELSPRUIT HEARING TRC/MPUMALANGA
8 ZITHA
floor because the hospital was full to capacity.  There were no beds available for any new patients.  But you know my worry is that they only gave me treatment after two days.  You know if they treated me on the first day of my admittance at the hospital this leg of mine would have never been amputated.

MS MKHIZE: We thank you.  The other thing that you said was the police who came into your house to shoot asked for forgiveness after saying that he was not aiming at you.  Is there anything that the government can do to maybe help you?

MANZINI ROBERT ZITHA: Yes.  But if we have to talk about compensation I have to see the policeman in front of me, I have to talk to him, he has to ask forgiveness from me and I have to ask forgiveness from him before the people sitting here.  He has to tell us that it was a mistake that happened because Mrs Nkosi has already indicated that her son was shot into my house.  It really disturbs me.  My home was really far.  Any family of Zitha had never been shot before.  Now the then government cannot really compensate me because I want lots and lots of compensations.  My employer helped me a lot because he understood it that way that I was from work, going to my home.

MS MKHIZE: I thank you, I will now take you back to the chairperson.

YASMINE SOOKA: Mr Zitha you mention in the evidence that you have given us that you did receive compensation and that you did have lawyers acting for you.  Could you tell us what the name of those lawyers were and what the amount was that you received please.