Human Rights Violation Hearings — Durban — 1996-08-30

WITNESS:   Yes, this did impact on me, but what I will still say again is that I have changed the place and I have gone to another place, and I still keep remembering things that happened and the pain that I have gone through, and wish that if I could help the situation I would go back and refurbish that house that I left, or probably take it and put it where I am now, that other big house.

DR MAGWAZA: Do you go and see some doctors?

WITNESS:   No.

DR MAGWAZA: Thank you, Florence.  Your story is very sensitive, especially that children were affected in this.  But what I will say is that through it all you are still looking decently, and you also had that mind and that thought of going back to school and try to further your education.  We usually note a few things from people who have been harassed and who have gone through excruciating experiences, and we still find you intact and in a good position.  I realise that you come from a far away place, but I know very well that psychologists will be of help to you and the children.  I would like for you to contact the psychologists and relate your story, open up to them.  Thank you.

DR MAGWAZA: Briefly, Florence, you said you went to a training college as a teacher, you were trained as a teacher, but you are not employed, you are not working, or you are looking after your children.  You said you come from Inanda.

WITNESS:   Yes, I come from Inanda.

DR MAGWAZA: Did you ever try to get employment, probably to go to schools around, as a teacher

WITNESS:   Yes, I have tried, but I haven't succeeded.

DR MAGWAZA: Who is the inspector at Inanda in your area?

WITNESS:  There are inspectors in town, there are inspectors in Ndwedwe.  Mr Dlomo is the chief inspector.  And there are inspectors in town at Nedbank House.  I have forgotten the chief inspector there.  Msimanga is the chief inspector.

DR MAGWAZA: Where will you wish to be a teacher if you were to choose, if things were to happen according to your wish?

WITNESS:   I do not have a problem as long as I will get a school that is close to my place or around in Inanda.  That I would appreciate. We'll try to get in touch with the inspectors and take this matter up with them.  You have gone through your training but you are not employed.  You are a qualified teacher and not employed.  Something is not right with this.  Your other home, can't you sell it?   ---   It's not easy for me to sell that house because it's in the area of the - the chief's area, and it was so damaged in such a way that I'll have to spend so much money to refurbish it and get it ready to be sold.  The chief in charge in that area tried to get us someone who probably would occupy the house, but that did not work out eventually.

DR MAGWAZA: Is there anything that you would like to ask from the Truth Commission?

WITNESS:   I have a wish.  I would like the Truth Commission to get those people who attacked my house, to get those perpetrators and bring them forward and ask them why they did what they did.  Even at Ndwedwe the police did not put so much effort in even showing me that they were concerned about this matter.  There are so many things that happened, transpired in our area at Ndwedwe, but the police did not take so much effort to work in them.  And also we had a home before, it's true.  You see, if you come from another house which is much better, and you go to a worse house you can't help but keep thinking of the loss you've gone through.  And still the worst thing is we don't know the reason why we had to be attacked and end up leaving that better house for where we are now.  If there could be a way, because even where we are now it's a three-roomed house, and the only reason why we managed to build this three-roomed house it's because of the relatives who helped so much with the expenses.  Even the kids, I do encounter problems with them, because they will ask, "Mum, buy us this.  Mum, get us this," but I cannot afford that.  Even when I go to town they will ask me, "Why did you take so long in town?"  It's difficult for the children to let me go my way, or probably take time in town and get back.  They cannot get over that.

DR MAGWAZA: Thank you, Florence.

COMMISSIONER: (Inaudible) ... and to Siphamandla, who's with you today.  We really cannot understand the brutality of those people who did this.  To kill an eight-year-old boy, and to do so in front of another little child like that, who was five years old at the time, it's really shocking.  We hope that with your guidance and your love that Siphamandla is able to get over this trauma, and from what you have told us it seems that he really would benefit from some psychological counselling, and we would ask you to get in touch with us at our office so that we can try to help you arrange that.  We also went you to send our best wishes to Phindile, and please to ask her to come in to make a statement to us, so that she can also apply to be registered as a victim, because it sounds very much to us as though she was a victim.
It's also shocking that the police at Ndwedwe - and you have confirmed that it was the KwaZulu Police - did not take this case, but we know from what went on in those days, and from the evidence of many other victims, that it was commonplace in those days for the KwaZulu Police to refuse to take and register matters where the complainants were perceived not to be supporters of the KwaZulu Police, or supporters of Inkatha.  So we will try - although it will be difficult we will try to find out who this person was, and why they did what they did to you.  
Our job is to make recommendations to the Government as to how people like you should be assisted, and we will be making recommendations to the President and the Government as to how we think you should be assisted.  We thank you very, very much for coming in today to tell us your story.  Thank you.

COMMISSIONER: Mr Naidu, we welcome you here this morning, and you have someone on the stage with you.

LESLI NAIDU: Yes, it's my dad.

COMMISSIONER: That's your father.  That's the father of Lennie as well.

LESLI NAIDU: Yes.

COMMISSIONER: We welcome you too, Mr Naidu.  It'll just be you that's talking, is it, Lesli?

LESLI NAIDU: Yes.

COMMISSIONER: You have come to tell us also about the death of you brother in the same incident that we have just heard about.  Your brother, Surendra Lennie Naidu, was also killed by the security forces in 1988 at Piet Retief.  Can you please stand to take the oath before you tell us that story.

LESLI NAIDU: (Sworn, States)

COMMISSIONER: Mr Lax will assist you.

MR LAX: Good morning both Mr Naidus.  Welcome to you.  Thank you for coming, and thank you for being willing to come forward and share this experience with us.  Before we start with the actual story, and we have already heard some of the story from the last witness, Ms Nyoka, can you tell us a little bit about your family.  Your father is here.

WITNESS:   That's right.

MR LAX: Your mother, is she well, is she still alive?

WITNESS:  That's right.

MR LAX: And about your siblings?

WITNESS:   I have three brothers.  I am sorry, three sisters, and all younger than me.

MR LAX: Three sisters and - sorry, I didn't hear you.

WITNESS:  And I am the eldest.

MR LAX: You're the only surviving son.

WITNESS:   That's right.

MR LAX: Is it correct that Surendra Lennie Naidu was born on the 12th of April 1964?

WITNESS:   That's right.

MR LAX: And, as we have heard, he died on the 9th of June 1988.

WITNESS:   That's right.

MR LAX: Now, tell us a little bit about Lennie.  What was he doing before he left the country, and what led up to his leaving the country?

WITNESS:   Well, there again the circumstances to him leaving the country was not very clear ... (intervention)

MR LAX: If I can just interrupt you and ask you to try and speak up a little bit so that people can hear what you're saying.