Human Rights Violation Hearings — Newcastle — 1996-09-11

COMMISSIONER: Good morning, Mrs Dube Zulu, we welcome you here today, and your - is it your daughter that you have with you today?  We welcome both of you.  Thank you very much for coming in.  You have come to tell us about the murder of your son, the death of your son, Sifiso Blessing Dube, who was killed in October 1993.  Before you tell us that story can you stand to take the oath please.

NOMALISO DUBE: (Sworn, States)   (Through Interpreter)

COMMISSIONER: Mr Dlamini will assist you.

MR DLAMINI: Mr Chairman, I would like that the males who are inside the hall and wearing hats would please take off their hats.  Thank you.  Well, you are welcome, Mrs Dube, and your family.  Before you can tell us your testimony would you please tell us more about your family.  Where is your husband?

WITNESS:   I had six children.  Two are dead now.  The first one was shot by a guy from Durban who had run away as a UDF member.  Now I am only left with four children.

MR DLAMINI: How old are your children?

WITNESS:   The first one is here with me.  She is 20 years old.  She is already 21.  The second ... (intervention)

MR DLAMINI: Is she at school or working?

WITNESS:   Yes, she is still at school.  She is at Technikon.  The second one her name is Mbali.  She is 14 years old.

MR DLAMINI: The one after Mbali?

WITNESS:   Her name is Kethagile.  She is eight years old.  The one after that one is Mthunzi, and he is six years old.  They are all at school.  The last one he is still attending creche.

MR DLAMINI: What about your husband?

WITNESS:   Yes, my husband is still alive, he is in Jo'burg working there.  I am married to Mr Zulu.  Dube is my family last name.

MR DLAMINI: When Blessing died how old was Blessing?

WITNESS:   He was 20 years old.

MR DLAMINI: Was he still at school?

WITNESS:   He had matriculated at that time.

MR DLAMINI: It's very sad that one would lose a child.  I would like you to tell us more about your story, what had happened.

WITNESS:   When my son died it was on Saturday, on the 23rd of October on a Saturday.  He was supposed to come to see me in town because I asked him to come to see me so that I give him those goods, because I was going somewhere.  On the same day there was going to be a rally at the stadium.  Chief Buthelezi was coming over to that rally.  What happened is that Sifiso went there next to Zenzele General Dealer.  It's also a bus stop.  That's where we catch taxis and buses, right in front of that general dealer.  His friend came.  He was driving a car.  He spoke to Sifiso.  Sifiso was together with his friends.  What happened is that while he was talking to this guy, after they were saying goodbye to each other he closed the door of that car.  Inkatha people were approaching behind them, and he wasn't - he didn't notice that.  He only heard people screaming, and when he turned and moved back he didn't realise what was going on.  There was a girl.  Her name is Nonozi Mthethwa.  This girl was my neighbour.  I know her very well.  She is the one who pointed at Sifiso and said, "Here's another comrade," and then they started attacking him.  Everyone who was at the rally started attacking at Sifiso.  He ran and they ran after him.  The only place he could run into was Zenzele Shop.  He went there.  On woman came.  I think it was the lady who was owning the shop, Mrs Mkhize, who is an MP in KwaZulu now.  And Mrs Mkhize told Sifiso to get out from her shop, and he had no choice but to leave the shop.  And he left the shop, going to the Inkatha people.  That's when they started attacking him, assaulting him, stabbing him.  He tried to ran.  He ran opposite - the house opposite the general dealer.  What happened there, police were there and they were escorting the Inkatha supporters who were marching.  He ran and they ran after him, and he went inside one house, and the owner of that house, the woman, said, "No, leave the poor boy please," but they didn't, they continued stabbing him inside that house at Nkosi's house.  This woman said that's where he fell.  After they stabbed him police came, and they were there watching all this thing.  They came and they called the Government mortuary that it must come and fetch one body.   These police, were they escorting people who were going to a rally?   ---   Yes, they were ZP police.  They were from Madadeni Police Station.  After the police had called the Government mortuary the community was there, and they could see, they were crying, they were screaming. And the rally people continued to leave, and the community were screaming at the police that, "Here are the people who just killed this person and you are leaving them going just like that after they killed someone."  The community took the stones and started throwing the stones at the buses because they were angry at the police behaviour.  That's when the police started - after they have stabbed him the doctor said what really killed him was four wounds.  Two wounds were at his left and two at his right.  They also cut his nail - finger.  The next day on a Sunday houses were burned.  I didn't know whether Inkatha people were burning ANC houses or ANC people were burning Inkatha houses, but all I can say is that most of the houses were burnt.  I think it was a war between Inkatha and ANC.  Children left their houses.  Some children left Madadeni and went to Jo'burg.  And other children had threatened me that I can't bury my son at Madadeni because he was an ANC youth.  What happened, because I was also confused, is that they came back to see me because they were accusing me of hiding ANC youths.  I called police, Newcastle police.  I called them to come over.  I told them I had a problem and I told them I was scared, and I told them I've been receiving threats that I can't buy my son at Madadeni.  They told me I can't bury him at Madadeni, I must see where to bury him.  I tried to call my mother in Jo'burg.  I asked her to make arrangements for me so that I bury my son back home in Johannesburg.  People were scared, they were running away.  They couldn't sleep in their houses.  I asked the police that they must watch us.  The police helped us.  They used to come from 6 o'clock, and they will ring the siren that they are here and they are now leaving.  I also asked buses from police.  I asked them to offer me buses, and to escort those buses because people were scared to go to a funeral in Johannesburg now.  When buses came police came as well from Newcastle Police Station.  They did as I asked them.  Police from Madadeni couldn't do anything for me, and I didn't want to ask any assistance from them because I knew I wasn't going to receive that.  The second thing was that I buried my son in Johannesburg.  After two weeks I came back.  Because I was so confused I went to Mkhize General Dealer.  I found police in his shop, and they were like guarding the shop because they were scared that people will burn Mkhize's shop.  And I told the Zulu Police that, "You are happy because today you are here to safeguard Mkhize's General Dealer, but you let my son die before your eyes."  And then I left.  I stood.  I told them, "I am here.  You can call Inkatha people to come and kill me.  I am not scared."

MR DLAMINI: You can take your time, Mrs Zulu.  We know you are going through a hard time.

WITNESS:   (Pause)  The very same year there were children or youths from Zenzele who ran away from Zenzele and they went to Johannesburg.  They stayed at my mother's house.  We didn't know how to help them.  I went to ANC offices to tell them that we have a problem because these children are supposed to come back to Madadeni to attend school, and they are supposed to write exams, but there was nothing that anyone could do.  Those children didn't even write exams.  And then they came back the following year after their parents came back to their houses.