Human Rights Violation Hearings — Sebokeng — 1996-08-05

MRS MKESE: Maybe if I can interrupt right there and ask you some questions so that you can have direction.  I would like for us to go back and where you were telling us about the march, in your statement you say they were boycotting the rent.  What is not clear here is you did not make mention of this, you didn't say that.  Was there any political organisation that you were a member of.

MR DUMA JOSHUA KHUMALO: No.  My father was a member of Inkatha Freedom party, and my brother.

MRS MKESE: When you went to join this march was it because of some beliefs?

MR DUMA JOSHUA KHUMALO: I didn't really care much about politics but I had some inkling of politics.

MRS MKESE: In your statement you further said that the people who were marching were going to the councillor's house.  That is now Mr Dhlamini.  Maybe you can elaborate on that.  How did you know Mr Dhlamini?  How much did you know
him?

MR DUMA JOSHUA KHUMALO: I was related to Mr Dhlamini.  His
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brother was married to my father's sister.

MRS MKESE: Besides that is there any relationship or enmity between you and Dhlamini?

MR DUMA JOSHUA KHUMALO: No. There was absolutely none.  We were not enemies at all.

MRS MKESE: At the beginning of your statement you pointed out that there was a Mango Mketsi who was also short.  Can you please elaborate as to how you knew each other.  Were you friends?

MR DUMA JOSHUA KHUMALO: He was my neighbour.  He doesn't stay very far from me.

MRS MKESE: Can you just explain to us as to just at the beginning of your statement you said you heard that the councillor Mr Dhlamini had been burned.  Can you please explain to us, tell us what happened.  Did you go out marching?   Just as we were still listening to that you told us about Councillor Dhlamini's burning.

MR DUMA JOSHUA KHUMALO: After Councillor Dhlamini had been burned I thought that was the end of the boers because even the shops had been burnt down and I was sort of happy because I felt the reign of the boers had fallen down.

MRS MKESE: I will take you a little bit further back so that you can explain to us as to how you relate the burning of Dhlamini as well as the ending of the reign of the boers.  Can you just explain this a little bit.

MR DUMA JOSHUA KHUMALO: Could you please repeat the question.

MRS MKESE: I want you to explain to us as the Commission as to how you relate the burning of Councillor Dhlamini as well as the end of the reign of the boers.  How were these intertwined, how were they related?
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MR DUMA JOSHUA KHUMALO: According to our knowledge the councillors were working for the boers.  Now so that there
could be a way forward we had to start eliminating the people on the grassroots level who were on the forefront.  I knew about those things but I actually didn't participate because at home people were members of Inkatha.  By then it wasn't yet Inkatha Freedom Party but it was a traditional organisation, a traditional leaders organisation.

MRS MKESE: In your statement you further pointed out that there were certain other people who were killed at that particular time.  You said at the funeral there was also Mrs Albertina Sisulu.  Can you please explain to us as to whether you were there at that funeral.

MR DUMA JOSHUA KHUMALO: Yes, I went to the funerals because I stay next to the churches and the funerals ceremony was held at the Methodist church and one of the prominent speakers was Albertina Sisulu.

MRS MKESE: You also pointed out that you found yourself being involved and you found yourself being arrested because they suspected that you were also involved in the burning of Mr Dhlamini.  Maybe you can elaborate or tell us what things they did to you that made you to resolve into eating bottle pieces and all other suicide attempts in order to avoid the situation.

MR DUMA JOSHUA KHUMALO: In section 29, that is in Diepkloof prison, it is just like the booth that I am pointing out.  At the front there is no window, they put burglar guards.  You stay all by yourself in there.  They don't give you anything to read, any reading material except the Bible.  Then when you go out for an exercise you must be two or three but you mustn't talk to each other, you just walk
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without talking to one another.  Once you talk to one another they put you in solitary confinement.  So before I have never lived a life like that.  It was the very first time for me to be in such a situation.

MRS MKESE: During all that time when they continued to ask you questions were there any things that they did to you, maybe torture you in some way?

MR DUMA JOSHUA KHUMALO: Do you mean after Section 29, after I had been released from section 29?

MRS MKESE: I said maybe if you can just go on.

MR DUMA JOSHUA KHUMALO: It was very difficult for me to fall off to sleep.  As I was on the death row I was ... (tape ends).  ... then in 1991 when I went out, when I was released I was told that I should go see psychologists at Wits.  I attended up till December 1992 and I registered with the University of South Africa but I failed.  I registered in 1993 again with Unisa.  I failed.  That is where I realised that I had been tormented mentally.

MRS MKESE: Besides failing at school at the time when you were in prison, are there any changes that you noticed psychologically within yourself that made you believe that you were really psychologically affected?

MR DUMA JOSHUA KHUMALO: I have reports from the psychologists.  That is last year in December.  I made a sit in at Sharpeville police station.  I stayed for 31 days and I stayed for 14 days without food.  At times when I went out and I look back at the sit ins that I used to do, I become very scared.  I nearly tell myself that I have lost my mind.  As it is now I was taken to the police station and I had to appear in court because I was not satisfied by the manner in which my case was conducted and I wanted the case to be
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reopened.  When I got to the court the chief prosecutor told me and asked me as to why didn't I go to the State President's office.  That is where we had an altercation and I ended up breaking up some of the equipment in court and I was arrested.  I was bailed out by the Catholic mission.  On the day of the sentence I was told that I was going to be under arrest for 12 months.  At the present moment I am still under house arrest.

MRS MKESE: Can you tell us how the equipment at court got destroyed.

MR DUMA JOSHUA KHUMALO: When I got to the court I tried to speak to them.  They threatened me with arrest and they chased me out.  I refused to go out but because I was scared of the people I went out.  Then on the 5th January this year I took an axe, I went to the court, I broke the machinery down.

MRS MKESE: Thank you very much.  I will hand over to the Chairman.

COMMISSIONER: Any further questions?  Thank you Dr Randera.

DR RANDERA: Duma, I know you have been here with us for a long time.  I am just going to ask you a few quick questions.  I just want to go back to the death of Councillor Dhlamini.  I also thought I heard you say when they questioned you was something about petrol bombs and children being in the car.  So who died with Councillor Dhlamini on that day?