Human Rights Violation Hearings — Pietermaritzburg — UNKNOWN

WITNESS:   Let me speak for part of Bongani's family.  When he died on the 31st of March, in April this year he got a child.  He hadn't told me that he had a girlfriend with whom he was planning his future.  This child was born, and they said Bongani's child wanted to see me.  I asked them how old was he.  They said he can talk, and he said he wanted to see the person who was with his father when his father died.  On Sunday the past week they came to my shop, that is the child.  Then this child said to me, "Oh, you are the man who was with my father when he died.  Why did you allow the police to shoot my father?"  This child is only six years old, but he asked me this question.  I could not answer him.  Even before I answered him he said to me why didn't I kill the policeman who had killed his father.  I was at a loss for words.  I did not know what to do.  He said, "I hate the people who killed my father."  You can imagine a child of that age saying such strong words.  How is he going to grow up?  How is he going to cope?  He is of schoolgoing age now, but he hasn't yet been to school because the mother is not working.  Now they also want me to help, to lend a hand, to assist them with the child's education.  I think even Bongani's family was quite affected by the whole incident.

UNKNOWN: We thank you very much for having been so courageous to come here and tell us about your friend.  I'll hand over to the Chairman.

MR LAX: Mr Dube, we've read through the inquest that was held in respect of Bongani Cele, and we note that there is reference made to another person who died on the same day whose death was part of the same inquest, and that is a Mr Nkathelwa Ngathi.  Do you know that person, or do you know of him?  From the inquest it looks like he died at the same time in the same incident.

WITNESS:   Maybe I am not very sure, I don't want to make an error, because we were  only three months living at Mpophomeni when this incident took place, so we didn't know most of the people there.  You wouldn't know people who were on your side, people who were running away from Inkatha, so I just didn't know anything at that time.

MR LAX: The incident that you were involved in, where Mr Cele was killed, he was the only person that was close to you in that specific incident that was killed, is that correct?

WITNESS:   It is true.  The person who died next to me was Bongani.  The other ones were just being killed along the road.  Some just fell, and I wouldn't really say they were dead then.  They were just falling, so I don't have any tangible facts as far as that is concerned.

MR LAX: There's one thing I have to just tell you, and you can just admit it or deny it as you wish, but the police said in the inquest - the police evidence in the inquest was that in the vehicle in which you were travelling there was a person with a firearm who was shooting at them.  What do you say to that allegation made by the police?

WITNESS:   That's absolutely not true.

MR LYSTER: Mr Dube, thank you very much for coming to us and telling us your story today.  Not only did you suffer the loss of your friend, but you also had to suffer the shock of actually seeing him being killed in front of you, and we sympathise with you.  Your story paints a vivid picture of what was happening in Mpophomeni township at that time, and it enables us to fill in the missing pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that this province is when we write our final report.
We will also, through the details that you have  given us, try to contact the family of Bongani Cele to see
whether there is anything that the Commission can do for them, and it is through you coming forward that we will be able to contact them, so we thank you for that.  You have said in your statement that Bongani's parents have said that because you were with him when he died that they feel somehow that you must be held accountable for his death, and you've said in your statement that that has depressed you, and if you feel that there is anything that the Commission can do for you in that regard please don't hesitate to contact us.
Again we thank you for coming forward and telling us your story.  Thank you.

MR LYSTER: The witness is Philisile Hlela, if she could be brought up onto the stage please.  Can you hear me through the earphones?  Can you hear and understand me?

PHILISILE HLELA: Yes, I can hear you.

MR LYSTER: You have come also from Mpophomeni township today to tell us about the loss of your son, Bhunu Hlela, in 1993.  Before you tell us that sad story please can you stand and take the oath?

PHILISILE HLELA: (Sworn, States)

MR LYSTER: I am going to ask my colleague, Dr Magwaza, to assist you in the leading of your evidence.

UNKNOWN: We greet you, Mrs Hlela, and we are glad that you are here with us today.  I would like you to start by telling us that who is Bhunu.  We need to know him.  Usually we like to know our heroes, so we want to know if Bhunu was in school or he was belonging to any organisation?  We want you to just paint a picture to us, Bhunu's picture.

WITNESS:   Bhunu Hlela, and another name is Wellington Musakhayise.  He was born in 1972, KwaZenzele township.  He started schooling when we were at Mpophomeni.  He was attending Sibombo LP School and then he proceeded to Nhlanhleni Higher Primary School.  He went to Asibemunye, then he went to Mpophomeni High School.  That's where he completed his standard 10.  What he used to like very much it was the gospel music, and he was playing a keyboard organ in a choir.  The name of the choir was called Amanqusa.  He was the keyboard player.  He was a child who used to go to church, who was a Christian, because that's how he grew up.

UNKNOWN: We thank you, Mrs Hlela.  We would like to know if he was belonging to any organisation?

WITNESS:   At Mpophomeni most people are ANC people, so he was an ANC member.

UNKNOWN: Can you say he was really active in ANC, or just passive?

WITNESS:   No, he wasn't, because what he was really active at it was his gospel music.  Most of his time he was doing his gospel music.

UNKNOWN: Now we would like you to tell us more about your family.

WITNESS:   In my family Bhunu was my second child.  I have five kids.  I am only left with four now.  The first one it's Nhlanhla.  He was born in 1970, and Bhunu was born in 1972.  Sibongo was born in 1976, Zakile 1980, Mbali, the last-born, 1985.

UNKNOWN: Is the father still alive?

WITNESS:   Yes, he is.

UNKNOWN: Thank you.  Now I would like you to relate to us the whole story what happened to Bhunu.