Human Rights Violation Hearings — Umtata — 1996-06-19

MEMBER OF PANEL: Honourable Chairperson, I would like to call Nancy Xatula to the stand.

CHAIRPERSON: Unfortunately she is not here.  We will call Dugar Maqekeza to the stand, please.
 There has been a request here that Dumisani Mafo would like to be a co-witness here with Maqekeza. Please come forward.  Before Mr Maqekeze takes the oath I would like to say something.
 In the struggle that took so long to change this country so that it can be governed with justice and peace, lots of people participated in this.  Some lost their lives, some lost their friends, some lost their loved ones.  You are now here before us today because you are also one of those people who were involved in the struggle for our liberation.   
 The Commission is very happy when people come forward, it also assures people that it will give them a sympathetic ear and an ear that will help them to get that reparation that they need.
 We also want to give you the assurance that we will also give you a sympathetic ear to the needs that you want to place before the Commission. I am now going to ask you to take the oath, both of you.

DUGARD ZWELEDINGE MAQEKEZA: (Duly sworn, states).
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DUMISANI MAFO: (Duly sworn, states).

CHAIRPERSON: Pumpla Gobodo?

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Thank you, Mr Chairperson.   As the Chairperson has said before, our aim is to investigate the truth as it was.  He said one of the truths that we are supposed to investigate is that the institutions, the tertiary institutions, what is the role that they played. As we are going to start with Dugard's story, we think of the ways that the South African Government is also implicated in these investigations and these testimonies. I also want to add that one of the things we want to investigate about, is that how far through and where does it start and it ends, the involvement of the tertiary institutions.  We all know the history of this country, especially in this one, in the Transkei.  We were given the so-called independence because we suspected this whole thing of this independence, and Mr Matanzima was replaced by George Mantanzima, he was also replaced by Stella Sigcau. She was also replaced by Bantu Holomisa.
. We have heard now today that that one is also supposed to be replaced.  Now this is also going to give us clarity on which period exactly did this government - we also want to find out now the period, who all these people were, the people who were trying to take over this government, especially who are these people that were trying to involve the South African Government.  
 I welcome both of you.  I also want to talk about, tell you that Dugard is going to talk about his brother Attwell Mazizi Maqekeza who died in Lesotho, who was shot by unknown people.  
 Dugard here is here to talk about violation of human rights.  I would like Dugard to please tell us why are you 
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here today.

DUGARD ZWELEDINGE MAQEKEZA: I was arrested by the Transkeian security police in March 1988, at the beginning of March.  I was at work at that time.  I was working as a secretary at the Works and Energy. That was the first time they arrested me.  They used to arrest me several times, just before, ask me a couple of questions and then they would release me again.  But on this particular day they took me to Norwood prison.  There is another house that they used to use, it looks like it was their branch, where they used to work.
 When we got there, they put me in a small room.  Not long after I had been there, about five policemen arrived.  I would like to say that they were led by Sgt Shota.  Sgt Shota was the leader of the security police at the time.
 They said where is your brother, your older brother. I said I did not know.  I said no, I don't know anything about him.  They said oh, you are still lying, you are going to tell the truth. 
 So that time they said to me get your clothes off.  So I only took off my jacket and I put it aside.  They said take off your clothes.  So I hesitantly took off my shirt.  They slapped me in my face.  They punched me as well.  They kicked me. I was wondering what is going on now.  Now this went on for a long time. In fact, they took all my clothes, all except my underpants.  These assaults went on.  They would beat me up and they would ask me questions and beat me up.  Eventually I told them really that I don't know anything about him, which was true.
 Now this happened in the morning, around ten. Now around two in the afternoon, they started to change things.  They took the table, they put it in the middle of the room.  UMTATA HEARING TRC/EASTERN CAPE
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Then I was made to lie on my stomach on the table. Two held me on both sides of my hands and some held down my waist.  Then my head was a little bit hanging over the table.  They had this canvass bag which had water in it.  When I looked at it, it wasn't full, it was only half full.  They took my head right into this bag and then they tied the bag.  At the time I was trying to struggle to get out.  I don't know how many minutes that was and then they took this bag off my head.
 Firstly you must realise that I couldn't even breathe, I couldn't speak.  It was very confusing in there. They would ask me - during this whole time they are beating you up.  Then after 10 minutes, according to them, if you are not telling them the truth that they want, they will take you back again to that half/full bag of water.  They said we want these people on television, you are going to tell us where they are.  This went on, I think three times, putting me in this canvass bag.  Eventually they released me.
 They took me and locked me up in the central prison here in Umtata, where I stayed for 90 days.  That is now three months.  After that three months I was released. They didn't do anything to me after that.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Now you were only taken because your older brother, you didn't know where he was?  You personally, didn't do anything.

DUGARD ZWELEDINGE MAQEKEZA: No, not exactly.  What they wanted to know was where was my older brother.  They just wanted me to show them, to take them to where my brother was.  They said that they were distributing pamphlets and guns.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Now in your statement you said you were also burnt by cigarette stubs in your body.  Can you
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tell us how that happened?

DUGARD ZWELEDINGE MAQEKEZA: No, really, that is not much.  Being burnt by a cigarette is not, doesn't really make any impact. What really made an impact was the fact that I was put in this bag, which was full of water.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Thank you.  So while your head was in this water, this is when you realised that your life was in danger now.  When you

DUGARD ZWELEDINGE MAQEKEZA: When you get out of this water you tell yourself, this is really the end of your life.  This was really terrible. It was horrible.  I don't have words for it.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: I can understand that.  I just wanted to find out what else was done to you, besides being suffocated?

DUGARD ZWELEDINGE MAQEKEZA: No, there was nothing else, other than just assault and things like suffocating in that water. Nothing else.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Dugard, please tell us again, how your elder brother, how he met his death.  How do you know about this whole process? Before Mr Mafo can start with his story.  Tell us about the police who tortured you, were these policemen trying also to search for you?

DUGARD ZWELEDINGE MAQEKEZA: It is the police that were looking for him.  They were looking very hard for him.  They used to say it is very difficult to get him.  This is something they just used to talk amongst themselves.  They were talking to themselves in another room when I was in another room.  It was obvious that they were looking for him, not really for me.