Human Rights Violation Hearings — Duduza — 1997-02-07

MR LEWIN: There's no need to apologise, that's what you are here for and we're very grateful to you for having told us that. If you could just bring us up to date now.  How do you feel, what effects have you had from that attack on you?

ALBERT NKUNA: After the attack I don't feel good about myself and I feel somehow I'm disabled and the wife that I have....

MR LEWIN: Take your time.

ALBERT NKUNA: I have a wife at home and three children.  I used to be a star to my wife and a real man but today I can't be a star anymore and be a strong man to her because of the atrocities that I underwent.  I think I am sexually inactive, there is nothing that is exciting anymore now in our love life.  I tell my wife to go and find a man out there who will  be helpful to he because I don't feel sexually......(turn over tape)...... community and I underwent atrocities so that today I'm where I am.  I can't do anything, I'm at home, I don't have any direction. That's why I say those who attacked me in 1993, we were still fighting with them up to 1994.
 Today they said they wanted to go and see the place where people were attacked.  We were tortured for the community in other words. We stood up for the community.

MR LEWIN: Mr Nkuna thank you very much.  I'm going to ask Dr Randera who might have some further comments. Could I just ask one last question, going back to that to that incident, you mentioned that there was a photographer who was shot when he helped and there was one other lady.  Do you have the name of that photographer? Was that the incident when Ken Oosterbrook was shot?

ALBERT NKUNA: Africans, that's where I'll come back again and say the names of the people I helped, the lady and the photographer. I don't know their names, even these I'm showing you on this article I don't know their names.  I'm here in the Truth Commission so that I can also be enlightened to know even better but I carried him and I carried the lady as well, helping them , trying to get them out of the scene of violence.  I'm the very one who helped them, not any other person but myself.

MR LEWIN: Thank you we'll have a look at the cutting, thank you Mr Nkuna.

DR RANDERA: Albert I just want to ask you one question.  You said earlier on you were a commander of the self defence unit, but now you are not doing anything and you are directionless.  Can I just ask, did you consider joining the new national defence force or the new police force as a way of contributing to the New South Africa?

ALBERT NKUNA: Not to say I tried, I'm from there.  I like to tell the truth, I'm stubborn but when it comes to the truth I like to say it just as it is.  The man who called me to join the force is this one I'm sure we knew, in this article.  I joined the force. As we were there in the force in ...(indistinct), when we got there I asked why do you say we'll join the MK or the police force and make us associate with those who are trained for security. They said no that it was one of the things, that we undergo the same training.  I replied that the security policeman is different from the soldier and they can't fight the same way and can't carry the duties the same way, they are different, and I'm sorry, I won't be a security guard, I just can not be a security guard.  You will tell me to keep guard at the stores, that's the next thing and I can't because those are duties of the security guard.
 They called McBride and he came, we were on strike, those who were awaiting training.

DR RANDERA: I'm going to stop you?  Thank you very much for the answer.  Chairperson?

CHAIRPERSON: You've already said that you went to the social workers to get some help.  Did you go with your wife both of you to enlist help from the social workers as you've already explained to us that your sexual life is inactive now as a result of the tortures that you underwent?

ALBERT NKUNA: I went there and I said I can't explain the manner in which I was treated by the boers. This is a letter I'm showing you here from the doctor, it's explaining the diseases and suffering that I have.  You'll read it and you'll see how much I am traumatised and what I underwent.

CHAIRPERSON: We as a Commission will locate social workers and contact them, the social workers that we work with at our base here in Katlehong and we will explain to them  your situation and we'll try to get them to contact you and your wife.  Thank you.

ALBERT NKUNA: Also I'm sorry, let me say one more thing here? Can I say something, I want to say I did not take this paper to the social workers only but I also took it to some other places, and as a result of that, that's why I appear on this newspaper.  You see I'm showing you this newspaper and what led me to be there, to appear in that newspaper is because of this letter. I've stated this newspaper article and I have handed it into you.  I want to open up today, Africans, I will say as much as I want to say.
 They said they can't deal with me and I left, I went to another and I showed them the newspaper, how can I be helped, and they also will also tell me, we can't help you in any way. I kept taking this paper everywhere.

CHAIRPERSON: Now we'll ask for you to give us the paper before you leave so we may have a look at that paper and try our best to get you in touch with the people who will enlist help to you.

ALBERT NKUNA: You mean which paper, this one or the other.

CHAIRPERSON: Both of them.

ALBERT NKUNA: No I'm sorry my Africa, I will give you this one because this other one I want to show it to a parent who's just like you.  I want to show my parent things I went through, I don't to relate a story as if it's not existing, I want to tell my parents the story and show them this magazine with this paper at the same time where I come from.

CHAIRPERSON: Albert thank you very much, we've got your statement and you've also attached to it the medical records, the medical certificate, you've also attached the newspaper clippings, so we have all of this which we can follow up on and as Ms Seroke has actually indicated to you through the Reparation and Rehabilitation Committee we will certainly try and be of assistance with directing you to councillors.  So thank you very much and we'll try and follow up as best we can.  Thank you.
MEETING ADJOURNS FOR TEA