Human Rights Violation Hearings — Durban — 1996-10-25

WITNESS:   When my mother died we did not move out of our place, but we used to stay at my next door neighbour's place and we kept on coming and going, whenever there was an imminent attack we would escape and stay at another place.   At some stage we stayed for the whole year at my sister's place, then we were told that the situation had actually come down.  We went back home and we are still staying at home.   Because where we were staying there were ANC members, it was an ANC stronghold.  At times the Inkatha members would come and attack us in that area.

MS T MAYER: How is it now in Mpumalanga?

WITNESS:   It is quiet now at this stage.

MS T MAYER: Is there anything that you would like to add to your testimony?

WITNESS:   What I want to say is that when my mother was still alive I was working and I had just stopped working in 1985 planning to be a full time dressmaker.   And I built a two roomed outbuilding, so that I could make my dressmaking there, I could work in the other room and in the other room I could sleep.  So, I took all my resources and invested them in buying machines as well as material.   And later on the place was burnt down and my customers did not know how to trace me because I was not staying at the same place and I had to move from one place to the other.

MS T MAYER: Now, how do you manage to survive?

WITNESS:   My two children are soldiers, but children always are wayward, because when they came back I asked them to try and support me, so that I can start afresh and work for myself.  I needed some capital from them.   But because children are always children and they always behave in the manner they  like, so they were not really interested to help me.

MS T MAYER: Is there any wish or expectation that you would like this commission to know, like what maybe you need some help at home?

WITNESS:   I can be happy if I can get some help.  I would appreciate it, because I would like to start afresh and do my dressmaking because Busi my sister is holding a part-time job, and we don't have a breadwinner who is earning a living.

MS T MAYER: Where is your younger son, because you said you wanted your son to have some skills training?

WITNESS:   It is my son who is 18 years old, he is still at school, he is in Standard Seven.

MS T MAYER: Thank you very much, Khosi, I will hand you over to the chairperson, maybe there are certain questions that she would like to ask you.   This is a touching story like the many other stories that we have heard today of trauma and torture that the women have gone through.   And what is even more touching is that you couldn't open up and talk to anybody about what happened to you, and that this is the very first that you are talking about this, because you want to vent out your anger and you want the world to know what sort of life you lived and what trauma and harassment you went through, so that it may be known by the whole world as to who committed these deeds.   After this had happened, now what - can you tell us about your mental as well as your physical health, did you get any help?

WITNESS:   Besides being taken by the police to the doctor, there is absolutely nothing.   I don't know what happened to my private parts, because at times I would ... (inaudible) ...

MS T MAYER: (END OF SIDE A)

MS T MAYER: 6B/0 ... that or not.  My husband died in 1985 and thereafter I never ever wanted to get involved, then I told myself that I wanted to bring my children up.

MS T MAYER: Has this got anything to do with what happened to you, that is the rape that you got scared of men or you look at them with resentment?

WITNESS:   I totally do not trust a man.  I think I will never ever get close to a man.  I regard him as an enemy, because at this moment I not even thinking of getting involved with any man.

MS T MAYER: We thank you very much, that is a very bold step towards healing, talking about whatever happened to you will make you heal.  We thank you very much for your courage.

CHAIRPERSON: You have been incredibly brave to come here and to talk about it publicly.   Other witnesses have asked in fact that their faces be shielded and often even their names, so this kind of experience does remain with one for a long long time.   But the fact that you have been able to come here proves that you are dealing with it entirely on your own.   The commission has heard a number of the requests that you have made and is aware in fact of the terrible tragedy that your mother also died in this incident.   We hear that your sons at least have managed to make something of themselves and are in fact employed as soldiers.   We have heard your request that you want to go back to dressmaking and that you would like to be assisted in that regard.   Now, the commission takes note of that request, but also wants to remind people that in terms of a delivery system, the commission makes recommendations to government, who will then enact some kind of reparation policy.   But the - we would like to thank you in particular for sharing that with us, because we know that it could not have been easy.   Thank you for coming here today.
/STEPHANIE KEMP
STEPHANIE KEMP   (Sworn States)

CHAIRPERSON: We have asked Ms Hlengiwe Mkhize to assist you with the telling of your story.

WITNESS:   Thank you very much, it really has been no problem to wait all day.

MS H MKHIZE: Thank you very much, once more welcome.  I can see from your story that you are one of the people who have long begun to struggle with the reconciliation related issues.  I would like you just to tell the commission a little bit about your upbringing as a child, especially those experiences which you think had an impact to your later on choices.