Human Rights Violation Hearings — Johannesburg — 1996-04-30

MR LEWIN: Mrs Makhubu we would like to thank you for that testimony.  Obviously one of the things we will try and do
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through the Commission is through the publicity that you have so courageously given here today we will follow up as many of the links that you have given us.  You have a double loss.  You have the initial loss going back 20 years.  You have the loss now and the silence that you were suffering.  Thank you very much for that.  I have no further questions.  I will pass you back to the Chair, thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Any questions?  Hlengiwe Mkhize.

NOMBULELO ELIZABETH MAKHUBU: There is something I forgot her which I think is more important. When Mbuyisa left South Africa he went to Botswana.  He met one girl and he fell in love with her and he left to Nigeria from Botswana.  After he was in Nigeria the parents of this girl discovered that the girl was pregnant.  They found out about people who were coming from in Botswana if they knew this boy who had picked up Hector Petersen and some of these people are neighbours.  They said yes we do know the parents and these parents came to me to tell me that their child was expecting and that she was expecting Mbuyisa's child.  And my mother fortunately was at home that day.  My mother said there are lots of children who have left and gone to Botswana, how can we know if this is Mbuyisa's child.  Because traditionally Mbuyisa should have been here, he would ask if we know this girl.  And this child was born.  It was alright that we didn't become strange to these people and this child is indeed is a carbon copy of Mbuyisa.  And they have taken this child and this child now is going to be in A level and wants to come back home.  Every year this child comes to visit us, up until January, this child wants to come back but I don't have means and I am unemployed.  I cannot take this child and be able to look after this child.  But this child also does
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want to know what happened.  He comes to me and says Lele haven't you heard anything about Mbuyi.  So was the language there different from - So we communicated in English. I told the child I haven't been able to establish what happened.  I am also not satisfied.  The child is also wondering what happened to the father.

MS MKHIZE: You know that we will all live but there is something which I would like maybe you to clarify for the Commission that I suppose when your son left the country he was under the leadership of an organisation of some kind, I was just wondering whether you have made contact with any of those people so as to begin to trace having factual information rather than the hearsay?

NOMBULELO ELIZABETH MAKHUBU: When Mbuyisa left here he was a schoolchild.  He was writing his matric in 1975, so in 1976 he was going to supplement one subject because he was no longer at school.  At the time when he left he didn't belong to any political organisation except the student movement and also things like Christian Student Movement and other student organisations.  As I've been asking to find out about Mbuyisa I've heard that he was in Black Consciousness Movement, that's what he joined when he arrived in Botswana.  But when he left the country he wasn't affiliated to any organisation, but it would seem he went to BCM, he joined BCM when he was in Botswana.

CHAIRPERSON: Yes Alex?

DR BORAINE: Mrs Makhubu I omitted to ask you who is with you today and perhaps you could just tell us that?

NOMBULELO ELIZABETH MAKHUBU: It's my brother, our uncles were brothers, Isaac Sithole.

DR BORAINE: I extend a very belated welcome to him as
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well.  And then just one small question.  Hector Petersen whom your son carried was 13 years old, how old was your son when that happened in 1976?

NOMBULELO ELIZABETH MAKHUBU: He was 18 years old.

CHAIRPERSON: Joyce Seroke.

MS SEROKE: You say your son wasn't involved in any organisation when he left, but when he arrived on the other side he joined BCM.  Have you tried to find out anything from BCM to find out what happened to your child?

NOMBULELO ELIZABETH MAKHUBU: I don't know where the BCM offices are, but I have asked from Shell House and they have also said they don't know those offices.

CHAIRPERSON: Mrs Makhubu we thank you.  It's a long time that we've been with you in this pain and many people who have suffered similar pain like you and even when people try to encourage - it seems as if it's an easy thing to talk but the pain you feel alone.  But I hope as you have already said that this is just a photograph, just a symbol, there are many people who have got this photograph, even last year we established a living memorial at St Martins that statue that's in the church.  We were just making a symbol which is called memorial for all the people who have died during that time of difficulty.  Maybe you will be consoled just a little bit.
 We will also try and work with you to try and find answers to the questions you have posed of knowing if your child has died and how he died, and where are his remains.  And also the other thing you are requesting for assistance so that his child can receive some financial assistance.  Thank you.
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