Human Rights Violation Hearings — Alexandra — 1996-10-30

MR LEWIN: While the witness is settling down I would just like to acknowledge the presence today of some of our community leaders.  If they could please identify themselves.  Mrs Seroke, I do not mean the Ms Seroke who is here.  Mrs Seroke is here, we are pleased.  Welcome again Mrs Seroke, thank you.  I see that Mrs Yates is here again today.  Mrs Yates, Dot Yates.  We are also very pleased that Obert and Connie Papela are here again today.  I would like to welcome them and he was here, although I do not seem him here at the moment, but I hope he comes back again, Linda Twala.  Linda is here.  Great.  Thank you very much.  We are very pleased to welcome all the newcomers to this hearing.  It is particularly good to see so many of the old folks coming in from Alexandra.  Thank you for being here.

CHAIRPERSON: I want to welcome them too.  I would like to welcome the old folk.  I use to come here from time to time.  It was difficult, it was hard.  Some of you almost assaulted me in the stadium.  I ran as fast as my feet could carry me.  I had to run and escape, but I am very glad especially to you women, that you have made it here today.  That when we praise our youth, we are not going to achieve what we have achieved today if the mothers were not there for support and we thank you.  Especially that we do not allow you to give a round of applause, but please let us give a round of
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applause to the women and the youth.  Thank you.

MR LEWIN: Thank you for that.  Ms Maphanga Mkhuanazi, could I ask you please to stand and take the oath.

MAPHANGA MKHUANAZI: (Duly sworn in, states).

MR LEWIN: Thank you and you will be led, and if I could introduce you to Joyce Seroke.  Thank you.

MS SEROKE: Good morning Kate.  I would like to know the person who is accompanying you.

MAPHANGA MKHUANAZI: This is my brother-in-law.

MS SEROKE: We would like to welcome both of you and also to thank you for having come before the Commission to tell your story.  Kate, you are going to relate the story that happened in your sisters night vigil, Jane Ramagola and also on the night vigil that were made after she died.  Can you continue?

MAPHANGA MKHUANAZI: My brother-in-law's surname is Ramagola.  It was in the first week of March 1991.  My sister Jane Ramagola was installing a gate in her yard.  Her next door neighbour, Agnes Nagema, told her that she is wasting her time because if the Inkatha start, they will start at their place.  It happened that people came to the house, they were holding firearms.  They asked them to stand on the line and one of them said these people are not complete here and truly they were not all there because my sister was bathing and also the elder daughter was not around.  When my sister came out of the bathroom and entered the house, they started shooting and she was hit by two bullets.
 She was taken to a clinic.  While she was in the clinic they transferred her to Tembisa Hospital.  She stayed there from the day she was admitted and she was never treated.  When we arrived in the hospital we found that her bed was 
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full of blood and she was also oozing saliva from her mouth.  We tried to ask for a transfer so that they can take her to Karaphong Hospital.  They transferred her the second day.  The bullet which entered on her chin, they could not extract it and it happened to move back to her neck and it killed her.
 Later we went to the ANC offices.  We took some members of the ANC together with us.  We went to the hospital and we discovered that she was dead.  We took her to a mortuary.

MS SEROKE: Okay, Kate, take your time and drink some water until you are ready to continue.  Can you continue?

MAPHANGA MKHUANAZI: Yes, I can.  When we arrived in hospital we find that she was covered with blood on her face.  We took her to the undertaker nearby and we started preparing for the funeral.  On the 26th of March there was a curfew in the location and because of this people were not allowed to travel or walk around after nine o' clock.  If you were found in the streets after nine you were arrested.  So people came to the night vigil and also some friends came.  We decided not to have a night vigil because it was late and it was about nine o' clock.  People decided to stay because they were afraid to walk in the streets after nine.  So they sat in the tent.
 There were some young boys outside and they saw a young woman in the company of a young man wearing a cloth on her head.  They started running away because they were thinking those were Inkatha members coming to attack them.  People who were in the tent started running into the house.  The lady who has just finished her testimony now tried to call the police.  The police came and they told us we do not have to worry because they would protect us.  We told them that 
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we are afraid because my sister was shot by Inkatha people so we needed to be protected.  They promised us that they will be riding around turning on their sirens and people are afraid to come and attack us.  We asked them to stand at the gate and protect us.  They said we must not worry, they will be riding up and down the street.  They passed the first time and the second time and the siren was ringing.  We started preparing tea for the people at the night vigil.  
 The Xhosa children started singing their songs, freedom songs.  Since it was a night vigil they were singing Church songs, but after twelve they started singing freedom songs.  As the police were passing they could hear them singing these freedom songs.  After a few minutes, it was at about three in the morning, a crowd of people came towards our place.  As our home was opposite to the clinic, they were coming from the clinic towards our place.  So the young children who were singing ran into the house.  One of them decided to go back home, but unfortunately when he see this crowd of people coming, he ran and came back to us to tell us there are some people coming towards our place.  My brother ran outside behind the houses.  By that time the people had already arrived and they knocked at the door asking us to open.  We refused to open and they insisted that if we do not open, they are going to break the door.

MS SEROKE: Have some water and relax.  We know that it is a painful story which opens the previous wounds.