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

NOMASONTO BETTIE MTSHALI: No, I can't tell the name, except that they were white tablets.  They looked like headache tablets to me.

MR MALAN: Thank you very much.  I have no further questions.

MR LEWIN: Just two questions, if I may, Mamma. One is the return of Mr Mpanga. Did he explain at all why he was bringing back the ID card and the travelling bag?

NOMASONTO BETTIE MTSHALI: He did explain. He said my son said to him take these, I will take a train back home.  When I asked him when he said so, was he sick or what.  So he said no, he wasn't sick.  He didn't explain any more, except for telling me that my son wanted to come back home by train.

MR LEWIN: Why do you think that your son gave his ID card to Mpanga?

NOMASONTO BETTIE MTSHALI: These things were brought to me by Mr Mpanga. He said to me my son gave it to him.  I am still asking myself why would my son give Mr Mpanga his bag, his ID, and where was he going to, because they left here - the three of them left here, they were supposed to come back.

MR LEWIN: And just, what might be a silly question. You mentioned that he caught a goods train back from Germiston.

NOMASONTO BETTIE MTSHALI: When they were waiting for a train at the station, Mpanga said my son said he was going to take this goods train and they were waiting for a train but my son decided to take a goods train back home.  I told Mr Mpanga when he was telling me this, what you are telling me it really doesn't make any sense at all.  He kept quiet.  When
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I took him to the police station that we can make a statement, he kept quiet even there.

MR LEWIN: Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: I would ask you a few questions so that you can help us in clarifying your testimony.  In your statement it says that your son disappeared and he was one of the members of the African National Congress, and his duty was to put together youth. At that time what organisation was he belonging to, because at that time the ANC was banned.

NOMASONTO BETTIE MTSHALI: No, I did say that he was a member of the ANC. He was an activist.

CHAIRPERSON: Another thing that I would like you to verify, even though some of my colleagues have asked you.  When you wrote the statement did you mention this to Mr Mpanga,  that Mr Mpanga I am going to the Truth Commission to put forward my statement?

NOMASONTO BETTIE MTSHALI: No, I did not tell Mr Mpanga.  No, I didn't tell him.

CHAIRPERSON: As you see, Mr Mpanga can try and help us because he also has some information.

NOMASONTO BETTIE MTSHALI: I think he will.

CHAIRPERSON: We thank you very much.  We have tried to ask you questions, even though we can see it is not a nice story to tell, but this is our duty.  We need to find this information. If we really want to help you, this is the only way we can help you by asking you questions so that we have answers, and it will make our job easier.  We also feel for you and we can see the pain and knowing that you once had a child and now you don't have a child and you don't know where your child is.  We would also like to say to you we admire you for your strength, being able to survive after
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this tragedy.  We will try and help you so that you find out  the truth about your son.  
 Thank you very much.
NELSPRUIT HEARING TRC/MPUMULANGA