Human Rights Violation Hearings — Empangeni — 1996-11-04

WITNESS:   It's my sister - the one I say is mentally disturbed.  It's my grandchild - that is my son's child.  My sister's child and my two kids.  Even the girlfriend, that is my son's girlfriend, she is also my responsibility, but my true responsibility is five children.

PROF MAGWAZA:  And all this responsibility that you have now incurred was because your son died as well as your mother?

WITNESS:   Yes, that's actually contributed.  My son had already been called in as a new recruit and he was going to start on the 28th September, training as a soldier, and I was hoping for some relief that he was going to maintain his own children and he was going to marry his girlfriend and he wanted the girlfriend to finish school, and when  this happened it actually threw my plans, as well as his.  They were scattered and I had to take her through school.

PROF MAGWAZA:  Besides your sister who is mentally disturbed, is there anybody else, who suffered the consequences of this attack?

WITNESS:   No, it was only my sister and I who were left in the family.

PROF MAGWAZA: We thank you very much.  It is very clear that even if a person can be disturbed or violated they cannot violate the spirit and the ideas that you have.  We thank you very much.

KHOZA MGOJO: I just want to finish off from what Professor Magwaza has already said.  I'll be very brief.  Firstly, what is your sister's name?

WITNESS:   It's Melta Mazibuko.

KHOZA MGOJO:  Is she getting any treatment for being mentally affected?

WITNESS:   Yes, she used to attend the psychiatric clinic because Albertina was the one who was helping us - Mrs Singacane.  I will be taking her to Mrs Singacane, to see whether she can help her in any way.

KHOZA MGOJO:  Have you ever taken her there?

WITNESS:   No.  From here I am taking her to Mrs Singacane.

KHOZA MGOJO:  Is Mrs Singacane going to charge you?

WITNESS:   Yes, she will charge me.  She will charge me, but I think I can speak with her because I've got medical aid.  I have to pay because my sister is not on my medical aid.  She's a private patient.

KHOZA MGOJO:  Does she also deal with people who are mentally disturbed?

WITNESS:   Yes, she said I must bring her with so that she can assist her and see if she could refer her to psychiatrists in Stanger.

KHOZA MGOJO:  You must tell Nomatula to contact me, because we've got this programme where we send people to psychologists, as well as psychiatrists.  We have already spoken to the Minister of Health to assist the people.  You can tell her to get in touch with me, so that we can assist you, that you cannot pay for the psychiatric treatment.  I've got one more question.  What about Mthembu?   What is Mthembu in the equation?  Because you told us that they would conduct meetings at Mthembu's place.

WITNESS:   Mthembu is a neighbour and he is also a prominent member of the Inkatha Freedom Party.  They used to conduct meetings at his place.  All the meetings used to be conducted at his place.  I cannot be very sure about that.  We never used to go to other people's houses.  We were more concerned about the community at large.  That's how we grew up.

KHOZA MGOJO:  Are you not ill?

WITNESS:   No, I'm fine, but I had BP and I started taking the treatment, but I never got ill.  My doctor attended me after I had - after the attack, and these tablets helped me so that I could rest and not be preoccupied with my own thoughts.   Maybe other people, when they look at me, they feel I'm ill, but I don't really feel ill.  You cannot see yourself when you are ill.

KHOZA MGOJO: Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Mrs Xolo, thank you very much.  It's clear that you and your family - your mother - played a very important and constructive civic role in that area, doing good works, taking in children, looking after people whose parents had died or were not able to look after them, and it's a terrible tragedy that people such as yourselves should have been affected in such a callous, brutal way.  It's terrible when anybody dies, but somehow it's just much, much worse when you hear about an elderly lady being shot with a shotgun.  It's just - words cannot describe the cruelty and the horror which ones feels when you hear a story like that.  So we do extend our very deep sympathy to you and we hope that you are able to carry on with your very positive life in the area where you are living now.  As Dr Magwaza has said, it's the spirit which they can't destroy and that seems to be exemplified in someone like yourself.  We will do what we can to have a look at the inquest records, to see how it was that no one was held responsible and to see whether we can take this any further, although we can't promise that.  But we thank you very much for coming in, telling us that story.  It does paint a very vivid picture of what life was like only a few years ago - three years ago - in an area very close to here and the story is very important for our records.  Thank you very much indeed.

WITNESS:   I also thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: /CHAIRMAN

CHAIRPERSON: 6B/0

CHAIRPERSON: The next witness is Vusumuzi Khumalo.  If you can please come up on to the stage.  Thank you for coming in today, Mr Khumalo.  Can you hear me?  Can you understand me?

VUSUMUZI KHUMALO: Yes, I can hear you, but I've got a problem.  I can't hear properly.

CHAIRPERSON: (Inaudible) ... is that right?

VUSUMUZI KHUMALO: That is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: To tell us about the death of your son, Sithle Khumalo.  Is that right?

VUSUMUZI KHUMALO: That is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: Can you stand and take the oath, before you tell us your story?

VUSUMUZI KHUMALO: (Sworn states) (Through Interpreter)

CHAIRPERSON: Now, Mr Khumalo, you are living in Ngwelezana.  Your son Sithle Khumalo, he was born in 1973 and he died when he was 20 years old in 1993.

WITNESS:   Yes.

CHAIRPERSON:  Do you have any other children?

WITNESS:   Yes, I do.

CHAIRPERSON:  How many have you got?

WITNESS:   I have 13 children.

CHAIRPERSON:  Are they schooling, working or are they a mixture of both?  I suppose they are both?

WITNESS:   Some are at school.  No one is working.  Some are at school.

CHAIRPERSON:  Are you working yourself?

WITNESS:   Yes, I'm working.  I'm from work even now.

CHAIRPERSON:  And your son, Sithle, when he was killed, what was he doing?  Was he schooling or was he working?

WITNESS:   He was not at school.  He ran away from school because he was chased away with threats that he was going to be killed.

CHAIRPERSON:  And who made those threats to him?

WITNESS:   Members of Inkatha.

CHAIRPERSON:  Where was he at school?

WITNESS:   He was at ... (inaudible) ... next to Ngwelezana.

CHAIRPERSON:  Now, you said in your statement that he was involved in certain organizations in Empangeni, that he was the chairperson of COSAS, is that right - Congress of South African Students - and he was also an ANC member.  Is that right?

WITNESS:   That is correct.

CHAIRPERSON:  Now, can you tell us something about what happened?  The circumstances under which he died, from what you remember, or from what you were told by other people.  Just tell us in your own words what happened or what you think happened.