Human Rights Violation Hearings — Durban — 1996-05-07

WITNESS:   I used to stay at 58, and that was in 1990, until my husband died and I remained with my children.  And Baba Nzama arrived, who is my in-law, and we stayed with him.  In 1990, when the children were grown up ... (inaudible) ... in standard three.  I brought up Zenzele, I used to sell paraffin and vegetables, until he finished schooling and he became a policeman.  He went to be a policeman in Johannesburg.  I went to the office, I asked for the superintendent to write me a letter so that Zenzele can come and work at home, because I am on my own with children, because Baba Nzama used to work at night working night shifts.  The superintendent did write that letter and send this letter, and Zenzele came back to wait until there was a post either at Isipingo or the other area so that he could be nearer me.  He was very young at that time, and Zenzele came back and stayed.  While he was still waiting the confusion started, and they said he has come with guns because he is a policeman.  There were some ZP who came.  They said he must join their organisation, and Zenzele said, "No, I am not going to join any organisation because I am SAP."  They said, "No, join our side."  They looked around on the walls.  There were posters of Mandela and other posters that he got of guns.  These policemen used to come, and I also requested Zenzele to join their side.  And then there were neighbour's children, they used to say, "Ah, now Zenzele thinks he is better because he is a policeman."  They used to shoot at him with home-made guns until I called our neighbour.  I said, "Please, let us reprimand our children not to do this thing.  I suffered, I brought up Zenzele very difficult."  And their mother said, "Why doesn't Zenzele run away or hit back at them?"  I said, Zenzele is trained.  It's not a good thing that he should hit back at them."  And their mother said, "Zenzele calls them first-years."  I said, "Of course they are not educated, that's why he's calling them by first-years."  But they used to harass Zenzele all the time together.  The police used to come, and the police would say Zenzele must join their side so that he can build himself a big house and buy a car.  Those were the KwaZulu Police.  Zenzele didn't agree.  He said, "I cannot join another organisation which my mother didn't instruct me to join."  Police used to harass me.  Eventually he couldn't even sleep at home, he would sleep with the neighbours.  He used to sleep at Mama Khumalo's home at 140.  On the 19th I was coming from getting my pension.  I was asleep.  It was about one.  The children woke me up.  They said, "Here are the soldiers."  The soldiers had surrounded my home.  I asked the soldiers what they were looking for.  They said they were looking for guns which Zenzele had brought them.  I said, "Come inside, come and fetch those guns."  They took axes, they took even bread knives, and took everything and left with it.  Those were the soldiers, and it was on the 19th.  Could I apologise, because some of the things I remember them, some of them I don't remember them.  I am old already.  After this these soldiers left.  There was a huge concrete fence when Zenzele started working.  We had locked the gate and they couldn't go in.  They came back and said no, they want the keys.  I said, "But how did you come in?"  They said no, they jumped over the fence.  I said, "No, jump again out of the fence."  And this sergeant said, "Now we are going to shoot all of you if you say that," and the children cried, they said, "Mama, give them the key."  I said, "No, they must jump.  They jumped coming in."  The children said, "Mama, give us the key, we will open for them and let them out."  The soldiers took everything in this house which was a resemblance of a weapon.  I said, "No, we should have kept these soldiers inside our house until dawn," but the children said, "No, Mama, they would shoot us."  On the 22nd, that was 2.00 am in the morning, there was a knock and said no, they are police.  I said, "Please come back in the morning, my children.  I don't open for  policemen at this time of the night."  They said, "So you don't want to open."  They hit the door with a gun and the door got opened.  In the dining-room there was Sithembiso.  He was playing the video at night until he fell asleep on the sofa.  When this policeman came in they pour acid over Sithembiso, and pour acid over all the clothings.  And Nzama came out on the passage, and the other one said, "Why are you asking questions?" and they started beating him and they tore his mouth with guns.  And Sithembiso just slept there, he didn't do anything.  There was acid all over the house.  When they had finished they said, "Yes, Zenzele, we finish with you today."  They thought it was Zenzele.  They said, "Today we finish with you," and they went out.  When I went out together with them they hit the house.  I don't know what they hit it with.  In the dining-room there was a huge whole and the house started burning.  When I was in the kitchen one started shooting in the kitchen.  There were bullets all over in the kitchen.  And I went back and I realised that my house was burning.  I tried to hide under the bed because I realised the dining-room was already burning, I couldn't go to my bedroom.  I went to the kitchen and they started shooting, and I crawled on my knees.  We had already extended a four-room at that stage, and I crawled outside towards the other house.  I found the boys there.  I said, "Please just hide under the bed.  Don't get out."  We all hid under the bed and the house was burning.  There was nothing we could do.  And I remembered that Ma Nzama was there, and I ran back to the house.  That is why I cannot see today.  I tried to drag my mum from the bedroom, so that's how I got disabled.  My eyes can't see now.  And Sithembiso woke up and he tried to jump on the concrete fence in between the houses, whereas there was also somebody waiting around the corner, started shooting him, and Sithembiso fell there.  We phoned the police and the police didn't come.  And I remembered that maybe we should phone SAP near Merebank, and I phoned them and they arrived.  But our local police didn't come.  They only came back the following morning.  It's only Merebank that came and called the fire fighters.  Sithembiso Nzama went to the hospital, and we remained behind.  After that the neighbours started shooting at us, and they came back and they took everything inside the house.  I was just wearing my nightdress.  The only person who helped me put some clothes on me it's by Malindi from AA.  That was Malindi Njabu.  They also put some clothes on me because I only had a nightdress, and they took me to the clinic.  Our superintendent said he was going to help me find a two-room at C Section.  That's where I went with the children, and that's where I am even now.  Zenzele, on the 18th of April, said, "I am going to check at home because I have heard some rumours that our house is falling apart, people are taking every remains of our house."  I said, "No, please don't go."  He said, "No, I will go with some friends," and he didn't come back on that day.  At about three in the afternoon I heard police hitting our area.  They said Zenzele was in hospital, he was injured, and he was attacked by our neighbours in the area we had moved.  So I went to Mshiyeni Hospital and I found that he was very injured.  He had been stoned, and his head was swollen.  When I came back I said, "But my child is so injured.  Has he been taken to Wentworth because he's been injured in the head?"  They said, "Yes, he's already been to Wentworth Hospital."  I went the following day, I went to Wentworth.  They said a person called Wellington Ngcobo Zenzele has never been here in this hospital.  Here is the list of people who have been here.  So I went back to Mshiyeni.  They said no, I couldn't see him, I must go back home.  I went back and stayed.  On the 20th they phoned and said Zenzele was no more, and I went to there and I started making funeral arrangements.  Up until today I have got nowhere to stay.  (Pause)  All my children are disabled.  I am looking after them from my mere pension.  My last-born went to Cape Town.  I have got no food.  I sent some money that I have to him.  I am praying for God to come inside me so that these people who did this can come back to me, so that I can apologise to them, although I don't know how I have sinned them.  If they could give me the reason.  They must also tell me so that I can also go to heaven, because I also want to go and see my children.  Because I went to the police, the police didn't explain anything to me.  They don't call these people, but they know who they are.  These are the children who grew up in front of me.  These are the people who are attacking us.  If they could come to me and tell me what have my children done to them, I am prepared to pay them whatever price they need.  My child got a stroke from that time, and today he's disabled.  He is not working and he is not earning any pension.  Things are very difficult for me, but those people who did that, nothing has happened to them.  If you could please go fetch them, because I know them.  Even now when I try and do get rid of the ... (inaudible) ... in my original home they come out and start shooting at me.  If they just come here and explain to me how have I sinned to them, because I have never requested anything from them.  Even though my husband died I suffered on my own, struggled to bring up my children on my own.