Human Rights Violation Hearings — Port Shepstone — 1996-08-13

WITNESS:   In 1993 I was attacked by the sugar diabetes.  I used to go to another doctor in Port Shepstone.  He told me - he diagnosed me and told me that I have the sugar diabetes.  After that I went to Murchison to some doctors, and they told me that I have BP.  I am not so well, especially after this.  Spiritually I am affected, and physically I am affected.  There is just nothing good for me, because it was about the time when my child was going to complete, so all this affect me and I went through difficult times, especially that he was the eldest.

DR MAGWAZA: Are you working?  Do you have any part-time jobs or what?

WITNESS:   No, I am not working.  Even when my husband died at the time I was not working, I was a housewife.  And now it's even worse because my health condition is not good.  The Nzimande family is helping me.

DR MAGWAZA: Emmanuel is a student.  In what standard is he?

WITNESS:   Standard three. Thank you very much, Mrs Memela, for everything you have told us, and explaining this in such a difficult situation.  We have heard and we have seen your requests in your statement, one regarding your health, one regarding the assistance for financially for Emmanuel's fees at school.  As we always say to other witnesses, we gather all this information and we will forward it to the State President, and we will put forth the recommendations as well, and we will take it from there and see what happens and what assistance you get.  Thank you very much.  We'll give over to my next colleague.

COMMISSIONER: Mrs Memela, it's difficult to know the words to say to you because of the terrible suffering that you have experienced.  To lose your husband and your son, both of them brutally murdered, is a terrible thing, and we can only imagine how you must feel.  We can also imagine how helpless and powerless you must feel when you know that the people who did this are still walking around freely, and there must be many other people in this country who feel that same sense of helplessness when they know that so many people who committed these terrible crimes are walking around free today.  We will try to investigate why those people who killed your son and your husband were not charged, and we will request the police to investigate them.  We note also from your statement that your husband was working at the time of his death, and he was the breadwinner of the family, and now you have lost his support as well as his companionship.  And we will - as my colleague, Dr Magwaza, has said, we will be making recommendations to the Government as to how people  like you should be assisted.  So we thank you very much again for coming in and telling us your story today.  Thank you very much.

COMMISSIONER: We welcome both of you here today, Mrs Bashadile Agnes Vezi and Mrs Balinganisile Vezi.  You have come to the Commission today to tell us a story about the death of family members, and you are related I understand, and you will both be telling about different aspects of the same incident, where both of you lost members of your family.amily.  The first person to give evidence then is Mrs Agnes Vezi, and before you tell us that story please could you stand and take the oath.

UNKNOWN: (Sworn, States)   (Through Interpreter)

MRS GCABASHE: I can see you well, Mrs Vezi.  Good morning, Mrs Vezi.  Can you hear me?

WITNESS:   Yes, I can hear you.

MRS GCABASHE: Firstly I would like to thank you, both of you, for having been able to come before the Commission to tell us about your painful experiences, especially you, Mrs Bashadile, because of the loss that you have suffered.  Maybe before we get deep into the matter may you please tell us more about your family.  Are you married, do you have children, and so on?  Thank you.

WITNESS:   Firstly I would like to thank you for having given me a chance to come openly.  I am Mrs Vezi from Jolvedi, at Hlatsuthankuku.  I have five children.  I am married in the Vezi family.

MRS GCABASHE: Can you tell us more about your children?

WITNESS:   The first one is Elizabeth Vezi.  She is born in 1972.  One passed away, I am not going to mention her.  I am only going to mention the ones who are still alive.

MRS GCABASHE: What is Elizabeth doing at the moment?

WITNESS:   Elizabeth is looking for work, and she is not working at the moment.

MRS GCABASHE: Who is the next one?

WITNESS:   The next one is Nhlaganipho Obed Vezi.

MRS GCABASHE: What is this one doing?

WITNESS:   He is studying.  He is doing first year in management.  He is studying through Damelin.   The second one is doing standard 10.

MRS GCABASHE: I am sorry you said - you said the one was doing standard 10.  He is the third one.  What is his name?

WITNESS:   His name is Nhlaganipho.

MRS GCABASHE: The third one is doing standard 10.  What is his name?

WITNESS:   His name is Thabani.  The fourth one is Thandiswe Vezi.  He is doing standard seven.  The fifth one is doing standard four.

MRS GCABASHE: What is his name?

WITNESS:   It's Zanele.

MRS GCABASHE: Standard four, yes.  She is doing standard four.  Are you working?

WITNESS:   No.

MRS GCABASHE: Is your husband?

WITNESS:   Yes, he's working.

MRS GCABASHE: How old was Xolani at the time of the incident?

WITNESS:   He was 18 years old.

MRS GCABASHE: Can you explain to us exactly what preceded before the incident?  Maybe I would like to ask what was happening at the community at that time?

WITNESS:   I can say that nothing was happening.  It was during 1990, March the 6th.  It was early in the morning, about half past five in the morning, and I was just preparing for the children to leave for school.  We heard a woman shouting from a distance, just from a hill, above the hill.

MRS GCABASHE: But before we get into the story can you tell us more about Xolani, about his involvement up to the stage where you get the message that he was killed?

WITNESS:   The previous day we were with him.  It was on Monday and we were burying one of the members of our family.

MRS GCABASHE: Is it a relative?

WITNESS:   Yes, this is a relative.  During the evening, at about half past two, after the funeral, Xolani came to me to tell me that he is going back home.

MRS GCABASHE: Where was this home?

WITNESS:   It was Hlatsuthankuku.

MRS GCABASHE: This funeral was not at Hlatsuthankuku?

WITNESS:   No, it was there, but it was a different place.

MRS GCABASHE: You may continue.

WITNESS:   When I left the place for home I couldn't see that not all my children are at home.  Besides I was tired, I just went into my bedroom.  I couldn't even wash myself.