Human Rights Violation Hearings — George — 1996-06-19

MS MASEKO: They told me that he has passed away, he didn't die at Knysna where we sent him to, to hospital, when he arrived to Knysna they rushed him to George.  That's where he died in the hospital.
 After they told me this news, they said my family must be with me in the farm, it was very difficult to find my family and relatives.  Because each and everyone who was against the whole thing that had happened, the comrades had promised to kill them.  The only person that I could find at that moment it was a  [indistinct] Bhoko's wife, he was my best friend - husbands best friend.  He was also affected by this, his house was burnt down and his furniture and also his car.  It was only his wife who was nearer to me she was by my side, they took me took this farm.
 Dr Benning and his wife was also there, and then we go - we went to look for Regina, while we were looking for Regina we saw a van, they were coming up Bossiesgif.  Those who were able to count them, they said they were 19 of them, they said they have arrested Sishuba and he is in one of those vans and then we left, we left off to the farm.
 When we arrived there - there were those who managed to get away to come to the farm.  We made a prayer gathering in the farm, after the people had left, it was very late that day.  The white lady, the owner of this farm, wanted to know about the whereabouts of my kids, of my children, they were asking about the adult ones.  I told her that my first born is in Johannesburg, she is working there and the other one is in the Butterworth College and the third one is in  [indistinct] - the fourth one is in George, they were not there, all of them.  
 She said she'll try her best to contact them, they must be here.  I said it's okay with me.  To be brief she made her means, she tried to phone - to contact my children, she phoned my sister too, she was a teacher in George.  In brief they all came quickly.
 On Monday as this thing happened on Saturday, they arrived on Monday in the evening.   They said they must go and fetch my daughter at the airport because her employers had boarded her a plane.  There was also another relative of mine who was here in George who was given a car by my sister and she said she must go and fetch my mother in Mtanzani.  The went to fetch my mother-in-law in Gobo-Gobo - we were all there together.  
 They tried their best to go and fetch my child who was in the college in Butterworth, they tried and they succeed.  She was also there, my children  couldn't take it and they couldn't believe it that their father has been killed by ANC members.  They said they will try their utmost best to find out the cause of their father's death - they tried - they tried and tried.
They phoned the ANC branches - the branches said it's okay, they'll try and investigate the matter.  They also tried their bests up until the day of the funeral.  It was very difficult and very hard, all our relatives were on our side, the community was one our side but there were no means for them to help me because each and everyone was trying to give help - they were promising to kill them.
They said we killed Maseko and we will also kill you.  But through those difficulties there were those who managed to get through and help me, the day of the funeral arrived and they say the perpetrators say they don't want the cops, he was not going to be buried there.
 This is where I had to stand up where Sishuba was a leader, I told them the situation, I was with my children, the one who works in Johannesburg and my younger son who was just next to me, and my son who was also in  [indistinct]   I told them that there is no way else I can bury my husband, this is where we lived, so I am going to bury here.
I am to bury here, you were also helped by my husband to get a place to stay, so there is nowhere else I am going to bury him.  And he said it's okay, he doesn't have a problem with that.
 We buried him at the end of the week, we buried my husband at Plettenberg Bay.  After the funeral my children tried their best to get the reason and the cause of their fathers death.  It was very difficult to find the truth, we tried to find the ANC members even in other places, those we managed to get, they tried their best and come and visit us, they tried to contact this ANC youth members unfortunately they couldn't get any thing from them.  
 From those members I mention Mr Fasi and Ms Fasi from PE, Jack, that's Mkusele Jack, they tried their utmost best, they told us they couldn't get any evidence, they couldn't get the reason, the cause of his death.  No-one was giving them any information.
 After they've tried very hard, my children advised - got some advice to go to the Council of Churches, it also tried it's best to get the cause and the reason of this, unfortunately they also couldn't make it.   Maybe there was something that had caused this conflicts, maybe whites were behind all this, we don't know, but we can't really get the truth.  But what is clear all about there is no reason why Mr Maseko was killed, they even don't know why they were doing it now.
 After that without knowing why did they kill my husband, they tried to torture me and my children, I had - I had hoped that when this thing had passed, they'll feel sorry or they will be very much apologetic and tried to apologise.  But unfortunately it wasn't like that.  I couldn't manage to go to the farm, I tried to built a house, but they burnt it down again.  And I tried to built it again and they burnt it down again.
 And my relatives now said to me Ms Maseko we don't encourage you to built a house again and stay here, can't you try and move  and stay somewhere else, I tried to listen, I moved to Knysna.
In Knysna I tried to built myself a shack to stay there with my children, I was very happy to be in Knysna, they will come to me the residence of Knysna, welcomed me ever since I was in Knysna from 1991, I never had any torture or anything bad  - they welcomed us and I stayed there, up until now I am staying in Knysna and I am very happy.
 That's all.

MS SEROKE: The cause of this seemed to be very difficult some of the statement here said your husband was a Community Councillor is that true?

MS MASEKO: No I am sorry it's not true.

MS SEROKE: So I don't think we would have to go through this, what I'd like to know was there any charge laid against this people because in the statement Tiki, Sabata and Sishuba and Faco have been stated.  I believe he is the one who said you couldn't identify.    It is said that these people were charged, were you attending the court cases, who were the witnesses, your witnesses?

MS MASEKO: Totomansi was one of my witnesses, he have seen this thing happening.

MS SEROKE: But it is said that this case will just end no way, they were released and that is one of the problems.  Just as the same with the one that causes your husbands death.
 We know and we understand the pain Ms Maseko, there is nothing painful seeing his car burnt down, following his house and then your husband being beaten and axed to death.  And it's very much painful also when you called the police - they just couldn't arrive in time, and even at the end of this you couldn't even have a peaceful stay in your area, you had to leave where you stayed and start from the beginning somewhere else.
 What I can say to you, we are very pleased and thankful that you had relatives although they were underground or undercover and the people of Knysna who welcomed you.  Even though it was so painful to you - to give us this statement, but it is very good when you are saying from the bottom of your heart that things that had happened at least you feel relieved.
 So what would you like us to do for you?