Human Rights Violation Hearings — East London — 1997-06-09

BONGANI FINCA: We now call Frances Njoli, Maki Michael Mose and Lindiswa Ngwenya.  There's a fourth person.  Is he going to testify?  Over to you Reverend Xundu.

UNKNOWN: (sworn states)

MR MAKI MICHAEL MOSE: (sworn states)

MRS LINDISWA NGWENYA: (sworn states)

REV XUNDU: Please give us your names Sir.

MR MOSE: Lundi Mose.

MR LUNDI MOSE: (sworn states)

BONGANI FINCA: Tiny Maya?

MS MAYA: Thank you Mr Chairperson.  Mrs Njoli, I will start with you.  The story you presented before the Commission is about yourself.  You were injured during the issue of the bus boycott here in Mdantsane.  Please tell us briefly what happened to you.

UNKNOWN: It was about a quarter past four when I left home.  Before we got to the station we saw that there were many people around and there were also buses.  We heard a voice saying that we must go to the buses and people said that they weren't going to go to the buses.  A whistle was then blown, people ran away and I fell down.  I tried to ask for help because I was shot and I couldn't stand up.
 People came and tried to find a car to take me to hospital.  They then found Mr Malgas's car and I'm very sad that he's not here to-day because he saved my life.  I was then taken to the Cecilia Makiwane Hospital.  I didn't want to be taken out of the car because at that time my leg was very painful.  The bullet struck me in my thigh.  I was then taken by car to the hospital and I told them not to take me out of the car because I had a lot of pain.  They said they are going to take me out because they were trying to save my life.  I was taken to the theatre.  There was one person in the theatre.  I don't know whether this person was shot.  There was another lady from N.U. 5 plus a nurse.  I was waiting for a doctor to operate on me.  This lady was Nurse Senip.  She said that we are very happy that you were shot.  She asked, why are you not using the buses?  This caused the conflict between herself and the nurses.   There were three of us in the car at the time but I don't remember the third person.  We were in Ward No 30 which was never used before.  
 After I was treated no one was allowed to come and visit us.  Our children wanted to come and visit us but they couldn't because the police stopped them.  Sebe said that nobody was allowed to visit us.  This was very painful to us because we couldn't see our children.  The specialists came to us, trying to treat us and they were arrested.  There was one from Transkei and he was arrested as well.  
 I spent six months in hospital.  I have thirteen pins in my body.  A doctor from overseas, Doctor Floris, treated me.  My leg wasn't straight after the operation and this doctor came and helped me.  I thank this doctor because if it wasn't for him my leg would have to have been amputated.  He treated me and he said that my leg would be straight after his treatment.  I stayed in hospital for six months.  The nurses took me to physiotherapy, trying to help me.  I had five children and I was working in the tea room at Ruiters at the time.  My employers tried to help my children with food.  
 After spending six months in hospital, I was discharged and I went back home.  I stayed at home trying to get a pension.  I was working for Black people at the time.  My two children, Bugelo and Bulelo were educated because I was working for the Black people.  I couldn't work properly and the doctors advised me to get a special shoe because if I didn't, I would be paralysed.  I tried to get a pension but they said that I was able to get work so I cannot get a pension.  I was working for Miss Simone for Eighty Rand and Miss Makonto for Forty Rand.  
 I would like to thank the Lord because my children managed to do Standard Ten.  My four children completed Matric and the other one got married.  One of them is in Fort Hare University.  The two are in Johannesburg looking for work.  I'm also suffering.  I cannot say that I'm employed full-time.  It's only a job.  you have to try and support yourself these days and I would like to thank the Lord for not taking my life so that I can support my children, so that I can try any means to see that my children will be educated.  I thank the Lord.  
 I would like to thank you for this opportunity for being here to-day.  I didn't want to come here because I thought that I would feel pain.  We were suffering at the time and we were praying to the Lord and to-day we would like to thank the Lord for this Truth and Reconciliation Commission.  We would be very glad if the people who did these things to us could come forward and tell the Commission what they did to us.  I'm thankful for this day but I didn't want to come here.   Mr Sam gave me the money to come here because when I thought back I knew that because of Sebe I was not injured but now I'm injured and disabled.   I was one of the people who paid Three Hundred Rand.  Priscilla and Tzinzi paid this amount of money for me.  Our lawyer was Priscilla Djali in Johannesburg.  As she was very far she could not handle our case.  It was then transferred to Pringle and I went to Mark Rabe who told me to go to East London to Pringle.  Priscilla Djali tried to pay this amount of money, the Three Hundred Rand.  We would have been arrested if we didn't pay that money.  We were not working at the time but Priscilla helped us and she paid the money.

MS MAYA: Thank you, Ma'am.  You have given us a clear picture of what happened.  I would like to ask about the Three Hundred Rand.  What was this money for?

UNKNOWN: We were told to pay the Government because we laid a charge against that Government.

MS MAYA: You also received a letter?

UNKNOWN: Yes, I received a letter but I had no place to stay, I don't have those documents with me because I lost them.

MS MAYA: In other words, you paid the money and you were not compensated for being injured.

UNKNOWN: No.

MS MAYA: Your attorney, Mr Pringle, did you go to him to ask for assistance at the time of this incident?

UNKNOWN: Yes, we went to Mr Pringle and he said that he did not have money.  The SAWU offices then phone Priscilla in Johannesburg and she paid this amount of money.

MS MAYA: Did she explain exactly what this amount of money was for?

UNKNOWN: No, she said that we laid a charge against the Government.

MS MAYA: You have made a request concerning your children.  What are your requests?

UNKNOWN: I would like you to help me to educate my children.  I cannot work for myself because I have thirteen pins in my body.  I feel pain in my legs and I've used this shoe for fourteen years.  As a result of that I cannot work.  I would also like a pension grant.

MS MAYA: Did you apply for a pension grant from the present Government?

UNKNOWN: No.

MS MAYA: Thank you Ma'am.  I will hand over to the Chairperson after I've heard all the evidence.  Thank you.

MS MAYA: : Maki Michael Mose?  Mr Mose, you're going to talk about Luyanda Eric Mose.  How are you related to him?

MR MOSE: He was my son.

MS MAYA: Was he affected during this bus boycott?

MR MOSE: No, he disappeared in 1983.  He was at Philemon High School.  This was during the COSAS time, on the thirty first of October in 1983.

MS MAYA: According to the statement before us, he disappeared during the time of the bus boycott after being ill-treated by the Ciskeian police.  Could you tell us exactly what happened?

MR MOSE: I'm going to hand over to his younger brother.

MS MAYA: Lundi, perhaps you can help us?