Human Rights Violation Hearings — Tembisa — 1996-11-26

ZODWA MOFOKENG MLHABENE: I was active from 1976.  Many things happened.  I remember all the painful things that I saw happening to the youth.  The one thing that I remember very
TEMBISA HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
2 Z MLHABENE
clearly is when an airplane was flying above and they almost shot me near the railway line in Tembisa.  Thereafter most of the youth were harassed and some disappeared and the one that I remember clearly is Brian Mazebuko who was thrown into Robben Island Prison.  
 Thereafter in 1981 when they started increasing rent there was a meeting held.  The ANC was not much operating at that time but I was an ANC member at that time, underground.  We were at a meeting with AZAPO at that time.  In that meeting there were policemen but they were not dressed in their uniform.  I forget this gentleman's name but he was staying in - he's a Black policeman who after that meeting said he'll arrest me.  
 Thereafter we established a committee that we called the Action Committee. As we were proceeding with this Action Committee we were holding many meetings in secret.  In one day whilst we were in Ndulweni Church, I forget the name of the place clearly, after that meeting while sitting in that meeting, it was a big meeting and thereafter we just heard gunshots and even through all the windows we couldn't even move.  When they got there they said that we were influencing the residents of Tembisa.  Amongst those policemen there was a Black man called Pat Vilakazi.  They threatened us and harassed us and finally they said that if we don't want to land in trouble we mustn't hold further meetings again.  They left us.
 We decided to change the venue for the meeting and we used our homes.  Whilst we were at my home trying to hold this meeting, I remember we were with Mr Seata in that meeting and David Mofokeng my husband and Mongezi, I cannot remember the fourth one clearly, they came again.  We saw 
TEMBISA HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
3 Z MLHABENE
them approaching but we could not run.  We just stood there.  They came in and they took us away, but they never took Mongezi with.  They arrested us but nobody knew where we were kept.  
 On the way Pat Vilakazi said you Zodwa, if you are going to continue with this dirty influence this is a White man's world and we are going to keep you and the residents of Tembisa will never see you again.  I said I don't have a problem with that.  They kept us in the Benoni Police Station.  People kept on trying to find us but they never managed to do that until we decided to go on a hunger strike.
 As they were keeping us there they also arrested the AZATA comrades, it was Workshop and Khetla Mtembu.  They were also kept in Benoni Prison and Amadakwati as well.  We sat there and we continued with our hunger strike and they called Pete Jalewa who wanted to know why are we going on this hunger strike, but we explained to him that we want to go back home.  He promised that he would take us back home.  He gave us some food that he brought with him and he pleaded with us to eat and promised that we would be released tomorrow.  And definitely we were released the following day.
 After being released I continued being an activist and tried to bring people together to try and address the issues like rent. As we had united as women the White policemen came again and they said that if we don't disperse within five minutes they will shoot us.  They chased us, and they chased women around along the tar road.  Thereafter I didn't run away, I just stood there and they took me and said I am the leader and they arrested me.  Two women decided to stay 
TEMBISA HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
4 Z MLHABENE
with me because they said that I cannot be arrested alone because I was not alone in this matter.  When they dropped me off at the Police Station I found policemen dressed in camouflage uniform carrying firearms.  At that time in the Station Commander's office there was Canel-Smit who was responsible for the East Rand.  As I went in they said to me you have prohibited cars from running around and I wanted to know how could I do that.  I wanted to know from him how do you know that?  They said no arrest her and charge her for prohibiting cars from moving around the township and they threatened to shoot me.  They took me upstairs and there they showed me Steve Biko's photo, and they told me that I will die just like him.  I said it's fine.  
 They brought me down and they said we must be charged again for blocking the roads.  They said they wanted everything that we had written down including the pamphlets, and we had told them that we don't know why did they increase the rental and therefore we will boycott.  We showed them those placards and they chased these two women away so that they should be able to talk to me alone.  They said they would be able to control me if these women are away. They released me and I addressed the people relating to this.  
 My husband, on his way back from home he heard about this matter.  We continued with our activities from that day.  They detained two of us.  I don't remember the year clearly, but firstly they detained us in 1981 and secondly they detained the two of us again.  They kept us in detention for some time.  I was kept in Sun City Prison and he was in Modderbee. They released me first and him thereafter.  
TEMBISA HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
5 Z MLHABENE
 They detained us again for a second time.  As they went into the house they searched randomly and ransacking everything and left everything as is and they will take you with.  On our second detention whilst I was in prison I sent a message that I want to - I think I will take you a bit backwards again.  There was a time when Coetzee came.  He came to my house and said I must be an informer, but I said to him how many people am I going to work with?  He said there are many people.  I said just mention one name.  He said there was Sam Mwedi who was staying at a certain address that I cannot remember.  He gave me the address and then they promised me that they would buy me taxis and give me licences and they would build me a beautiful house because you are the troublemaker here in Tembisa.  And then I said to him this licence that you are going to give me, where am I going to use them in Tembisa?  I said why don't you later all the way in Tembisa where I am going to - where these cars are going to drive around?  He was annoyed.  He said you kaffir woman, but I didn't mind because I was already having this address that he gave me.
 After he had left I heard that he went to Durban.  And after him Smith came in.  I showed my colleagues this address that he gave me and I told them that these are the people who are responsible for all this harassment from the Police.  I gave this address to .....(tape blanks out)
 Going back to our second detention I was kept in Sun City Prison and my husband at Modderbee and the children were left unattended to.  My first born at that time in 1982 - my first born was born in 1967, if you can help me there to work out how old was she then.  And my second born was born in 1971 and my third born in 1974 and my last born in 
TEMBISA HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
6 Z MLHABENE
1980.  In 1982 my last born was going to turn two years old.  We left them unattended to with no food, with nothing.  They couldn't even go to school.  I called them and asked them where are my children.  I wanted to know where are my children.  I was asking Smith and Smith said he doesn't know.  I said to him you have detained me and my husband and you don't know what the reason is and you don't even care about my children.  All you care about is detaining us.  Can you please take my children and everything that I have, my dogs, and everything and put them in the police station because I can't keep them anywhere.  He said I don't know where to find your children.  I said to him you must know because when you took me what did you expect to happen to my children?  He wanted to know what if he could release one of us, I said I don't know, you do as you please.  He just left off and he never said anything to me.  He just left.
 After some time he came back and said he released my husband.  I said that doesn't matter.  I just stayed in detention.  I don't remember how long I stayed there.  I was released and I came back home.  From there on they came almost every day.  There were these cars that were moving around and assassinating people and I decided to run away and my husband was detained again for the third time.  I ran away to hide in Hammanskraal or Siyabuswa area in Kwandabele.  I don't remember clearly which area.  I ran away and my children couldn't further their schooling.
 Whilst I was in Siyabuswa I would just come back for my political activities and go and hide again in Siyabuswa but they used to come and look for me at home every day, and used to find out from my grandfather where I am and he told them that he knows nothing.  After some time I came back, 
TEMBISA HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
7 Z MLHABENE
and I was trying to visit my husband at Modderbee where he was held because they were desperately looking for me.  So I could not go and see him therefore I ask other people to go and see him.  My children were not receiving schooling all this time.  I left the children there hiding in the bush and I came here in Tembisa and when I got here I found my grandfather there, but my husband was not at home.  I found out how things were.  He said we keep on visiting your husband.  We have spoken to him.  My husband was still in detention at that time, but he was released to come and visit during the weekend because he was in Baragwanath Hospital.
 I kept on running away time and again and he was still kept in hospital.  I don't remember in which year they arrested me again and they put me in Sun City Prison again, and there I became very ill and they sent me to Boksburg Hospital and there I stayed for three weeks.  On my discharge from Boksburg Hospital I came straight home.  I managed to stay here at home but running away frequently.  Our car was being harassed all the time by these policemen's car.
 There was a time when my husband was already released and I was back from hospital and I was at home and with my gates locked so that they shouldn't see if there was anyone at home. On that particular day I heard the phone ringing, but before that at night I saw many cars arriving and they had come to arrest me.  My husband was there.  He had come from Baragwanath Hospital coming to visit for the weekend.  They found us, although we had locked ourselves in, when they got in they demolished everything and they wanted to know what was my husband doing at home.  But I said to my 
TEMBISA HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
8 Z MLHABENE
husband to say to them should they want to know what is he doing there he must tell them that he was released on Friday.  When they wanted to know when did he come back he responded and said that they released me on Friday.  They wanted to know where are you from?  I said I was on "fed-up" leave.  I was from the Transkei.  You said you cruel old woman who is influencing Tembisa with all our ill-manners are you back again?  I said I will never quit.  
 They called another White man.  Smith left now and he was no longer harassing the politicians and Borman replaced him.  At this time that I said that they came at night it was Borman at that time, Smith had left.