Human Rights Violation Hearings — Nelspruit — 1996-09-05

CHAIRPERSON: I would like some quiet, please.  Ms Nomsa, can you hear me?  I would like you to raise your voice a little bit so that everyone here could hear you.  We welcome you before this Commission.  We will ask you to introduce the person who is here with you, on your left.  Can you hear me Nonsa?  I would like you to introduce the person who is sitting next to you.  I didn't get a response.

MRS MABUZA: His name is Anton Madanzela.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you. I would like to ask Commissioner Malan to lead you as you take your oath.

NONSA NOBUHLE MABUZA: (Duly sworn, states).

MR MALAN: Thank you. You may take a seat.

YASMINE SOOKA: Nonsa, can you hear me?

MRS MABUZA: Pardon?

MRS MABUZA: Can you hear me?

YASMINE SOOKA: I am going to ask you to tell us your story about what happened on that day, the 16th of May 1986.   Try and talk loudly so that we can all hear you.

MRS MABUZA: I was 17 years old and in Std 9. On the 18th of May 1986 I was from school, it was late in the evening. We were singing choruses, freedom charters.  We went past one passage and we didn't know that the police were always around that passage. As we were passing we heard a gun fire. I didn't know that when someone is shooting or when you hear NELSPRUIT HEARING TRC/MPUMULANGA
2 MS N N MABUZA
gun fire what to do. We were many.  Three of us died and some of us got hurt. One of the people who got injured is my brother next to me. 
 After that we were taken to hospital, Shongwe Hospital.  When we arrived there they could not treat me. They transferred me to Numbele Hospital. At Numbele Hospital they also failed.  They transferred me to Rob Ferreira, and Rob Ferreira also failed. I was transferred to Garankuwa. I had 11 bullets in my body.  One in my hand, one in my arm, one in my rib, spinal cord, 11 the total of them.  
 Those bullets were the result that I am paralysed today.  Even up today it is difficult for me to go and pass urine on my own. I have a problem.  I can't even go for a short distance without messing myself. After that, when I came back from hospital, when I was discharged, it was difficult. I have to go for medication from time to time. I went for neuro-surgery and they also brought me for physio-therapy at Rob Ferreira Hospital. 
 They gave me some walking sticks to try and walk.  I was also transferred to hospital. There I met Dr Van Graan.  One doctor said to me there is no space for patients. They have a shortage of beds. I was supposed to be transferred to Shongwa Hospital. Also Shongwa Hospital had the same problem, a shortage of beds. I was discharged. I went back home. 
 I would also like to be like the rest, to be like other girls. I want to go to school. I want to be in a nicer place. I am no longer staying at home, because I was injured. I am no longer staying at home.

YASMINE SOOKA: Nonsa ...

MS MABUZA: I left home in June in 1977.  I had a quarrel
NELSPRUIT HEARING TRC/MPUMULANGA
3 MS N N MABUZA
with my brother and since I left home my mother never bothered to come and see me where I am staying.  She doesn't visit me. She doesn't send me a note or anything, any message to say hello and she doesn't know how I survive. I don't know or what to do to survive. I even pray that God must come and take me so that I can have rest, rest. I don't have relatives any more. My relatives are people who aren't anyone to me because they feel sorry for me.  I depend on neighbours, because if I was educated, I was going to go far away and walk.  I wasn't going to hire anyone to help me or ask help from someone.  Thank you.

YASMINE SOOKA: Nonsa, I am going to ask you some questions just to get clarity in our minds about what actually happened.  Were you students at a particular school?  Nonsa, I can give you some time and I can pass to Anthony in the meantime. Shall I do that?  Anthony, can you hear me? Anthony, can you hear me? Anthony, could I ask you to stand up, please?

ANTHONY MANDANZELA: (Duly sworn, states).

YASMINE SOOKA: Thank you, you may be seated.  Anthony, could you tell me a little bit about yourself, when this shooting accident took place, whether you were a student at a school, before you actually tell us about what happened.

ANTHONY MANDANZELA: I left school and I wasn't at school at that time.  It was on Sunday, we had a meeting with other boys whom I was attending school with then.  So we were singing as comrades.  We were chanting, singing freedom charters and then as we were walking back home, we were singing.  We were together and we were walking and singing until we arrived in one passage.  Then we heard gun fire and I was shot in my stomach when I tried to run.  Another bullet hit my leg. I fell down and I could hear some gun fire. When I woke up I
NELSPRUIT HEARING TRC/MPUMULANGA
4 MS N N MABUZA
saw whites and then I realised that I was at the wrong place.   I went back. I was looking for water.  When I arrived there I saw - I went to a car in a scrap-yard. I saw an ambulance and those people at the ambulance were looking for people who were injured. I tried to scream.  Because I wanted them to see me. I said I am here.  I heard one boer saying where is this guy.  When I said I am here, I asked them why were you shooting at us.  So they said to me no, you came to burn my house.  So I said to them why do you think I was going to burn your house because I am not smoking, I don't have matches, I don't have anything with me. You can search me.  They said okay then, they left me there. 
 The ambulance took me to Shongwa Hospital.  At Shongwa Hospital they transferred me to Ngodini Hospital. After Ngodini I was discharged.
 From that day my life started ... Most of the time I will try to lead my life clean. I was one boy who like to play soccer.  Today people who know me of being a dancer and a soccer player, nothing else.  Now I am not doing anything. I have a wife, I have children. I left my wife back home. I can't support them.

YASMINE SOOKA: Remember to switch on the mike when Anthony is talking.  Anthony, are you able to answer questions?

ANTHONY MANDANZELA: Yes.

YASMINE SOOKA: Could you tell me where were you people going that night?

ANTHONY MANDANZELA: We were going home.

YASMINE SOOKA: Where had you been coming from?

ANTHONY MANDANZELA: From school.

YASMINE SOOKA: Had there been some kind of celebrations?
NELSPRUIT HEARING TRC/MPUMULANGA
5 MS N N MABUZA

ANTHONY MANDANZELA: We had a meeting and we were singing freedom songs.

YASMINE SOOKA: Do you know who shot at you?

ANTHONY MANDANZELA: Yes, I do.

YASMINE SOOKA: Do you want to say their names or do you want - we have got it in your statement, but do you want to tell us who did it, or do you want to leave it as having been said to us in your statement?

ANTHONY MANDANZELA: I can reveal their names here.  Sgt Khoza, Simkonto and this white policeman, I don't know his name.  He is the one whose name I don't know, but he was there also.

YASMINE SOOKA: How many comrades were you there that night?

ANTHONY MANDANZELA: The speaker's mike is not on.

YASMINE SOOKA: How many of you had there been on that night?  How many of you were there together?

ANTHONY MANDANZELA: We were many. I can estimate like this hall, big as this hall.

YASMINE SOOKA: How many of you got hurt that night and how many were killed?

ANTHONY MANDANZELA: Three were killed.  One guy is left behind, he has still got a bullet in his arm. Another one has got an operation on his stomach and Nomsa next to me.

YASMINE SOOKA: Did you people lay a charge against these police?

ANTHONY MANDANZELA: No, because they said it was a state of emergency.

YASMINE SOOKA: Did you lay any claim against the police for any compensation?