Human Rights Violation Hearings — Heiderveld — 1996-04-25

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Mamma I am going to ask you a last question, because you have already told us that you are tired, your son Bonisile who was in the car with your husband, could you just tell us briefly how that happened.

MS GISHI: My son Bonisile who was smeared with his father's blood on him was never well again after that, he was psychologically disturbed, so I had - I suggested that he must be taken to the doctor but no - he said no.  He got very scared, but luckily he is still around even though he is psychologically very affected.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: In 1977 did Bonisile go to school at all?

MS GISHI: When these riots started, my Bonisile had already passed Std 6, that's how lucky I was because he was clever, he passed Std 6 in 1976 during those riots.  He has a certificate to show for it.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: No I just wanted to clarify that because you showed me the certificate, I just wanted to clarify that yes Bonisile did pass Std 6 in 1976.

MS GISHI: Yes.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: He passed std 6 with symbol A, symbol B and C, I can't see this clearly, but from this certificate it looks like he has 60, 70 and 80%.  But it looks like before he saw this horrible sight of his father he was a good son.   Thank you mamma I am going to let you go now.

MS GISHI: Oh! there is one more thing that I forgot to say to you, please forgive me, I loss my life, my husband died, everything that I had was burnt, even - even the last one - my last born was eleven that time, I am now very poor, I have no-one at all, I am still going to hospitals for treatment even today.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Thank you mamma, your experience is very painful.  We understand this.  That during your old age times, now you are - you are an invalid but we can't even see it.
We can't even see the cause of all this.  Now how can a old woman like you, can be chased by police and be shot, we don't understand why that happened to you.  It is very difficult to believe something like this telling us that the police burnt houses.
Especially this people called wit doeke, we don't understand why did all these to people, killing people, destroying people for no reason at all.  We understand this is very painful mamma.  We don't understand why it started and how it ended.
Mamma I want to ask you something, you said something about a lawyer, did you - you said you don't remember the name of the lawyer, you can only remember Reverend Dave Russell, and Reverend Matolengwe but you don't know the names of the lawyers, I don't know if - the man next to you can be able to tell us in that regard.

CHAIRPERSON: Tell him to please tell the woman because we can - he cannot say anything because he was not sworn in.  So he cannot tell us what happened.

INTERPRETER: Sir can you please tell mamma next to you the names of the lawyers because you cannot tell us because you were not sworn in.

MS GISHI: It was Mopeni and Omar, these lawyers were Ruben, no Noben and Dullah Omar - even this man next to me had a problem that time.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Thank you mamma very much, is there anyone else who has a question?

CHAIRPERSON: Sir and your mamma thank you very much, we will go back and think deeply about what you have just said, but we are grateful that you are here to tell the whole nation about your experience.  This is not just your pain only it is shared by all of us.    Mamma do you have any wish?

MS GISHI: No that is all, that is all.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you very much.