Human Rights Violation Hearings — Tembisa — 1996-11-26

REUBEN MANDLA MALIBE: Ja I had a very serious problem with my studies and they actually barred me from participating in any activities, that I shouldn't even take part in the
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Student Representative or being a class rep except if ever I am working there, if ever I joined one of these organisations that would be existing, then I have to report to them.

MR LEWIN: Where did you then take your teacher's courses?

REUBEN MANDLA MALIBE: I took it in Soweto.  When I came to Soweto we established the SRC but I played a lesser role because our Rector wanted to know why I don't participate fully, I told him that I could not, I have personal views.

MR LEWIN: And are you still politically active now?

REUBEN MANDLA MALIBE: No.

MR LEWIN: Mr Malibe thank you very much.  I will pass you back to the Chairperson.  Thank you.

YASMINE SOOKA: I am going to ask the other Commissioners if they have any questions for you.

MS MKHIZE: You know it's clear from your statement and from what you have said that you went through a difficult time during your detentions, can you just tell us whether you ever received counselling for the experiences you had while you were in detention?

REUBEN MANDLA MALIBE: No Ma'am I have never had, and it is actually killing me now because from time-to-time when I see people who have been or are in the situation that I had been in, I always sob.  It hurts.

MS MKHIZE: I mean you have been a student, you have qualified as a teacher, surely there have been guidance teachers, is there any reason why you have not tried to get counselling of some kind?

REUBEN MANDLA MALIBE: Maybe I am too negligent, I don't know, because my wife has actually suggested that I should go for it, but I haven't yet done it.
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MS MKHIZE: Maybe it might be a fear of exposing yourself to pain and suffering, but I should think it is important.  But then just in relation to your statement, partly as a Commission we have got to assist in the formulation of policies to make sure that the things that you have spoken about are not part of our history again.  If I may ask you what advice or what do you think should be done to help today's security officers to make sure that in dealing with people who are suspected to be dangerous to their government they are not treated in a manner in which you were treated?

REUBEN MANDLA MALIBE: First of all I think our policemen and women and especially those who are in Intelligence they have to have a manner of approaching their fellow man.  Because let me sight one example, when these policemen came at my house they would knock on all the doors and windows and they would not identify themselves and still even now some of the police are still not doing that, they don't identify themselves.  I find that they actually hamper the relationship that should exist between the people that they are serving and themselves.  Because if a policeman comes into my house and he says I am Detective Sergeant so-and-so it actually brings confidence in me that this man is not going to hurt me, he is not going to torture me.  You see this man is friendly. He is going to render service to me.

MS MKHIZE: One last question from me, you indicated that you are not involved in politics anymore, but do you think the school has a role to play in terms of establishing the culture of human rights?  If so what particular role do you think you in particular can play?

REUBEN MANDLA MALIBE: Pardon, can you repeat your question please?

MS MKHIZE: You indicated that you are not actively
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involved in party politics, so my question to you is do you think you as a person do you have any particular role which you can play especially in a school setting where I suppose you are actively in the promotion or the establishment of the culture of human rights?

REUBEN MANDLA MALIBE: Ja I think the school has a prominent role to play.  We are the pinnacle of teaching, and I think if we, not necessarily conscietise the students, but make them aware of the political situation, despite that we have a democracy in place the political situation they have to know what is happening you know in their lives.  I think teachers who are the ones to assist in that role.  We have a very, very important role to play.  Like for instance let me just elaborate a little bit, like for instance right now in Tembisa is engulfed by misunderstanding between the councillors and the residents in general.  We as teachers we have to tell our students why we should pay rent or not pay rent.  Our students have to understand and go back and tell their parents who are semi-literate, and some absolutely illiterate, the reasons behind this.

PROF MEIRING: Just two questions Mr Malibe.  The one is just to complete our records.  You are married, your wife is sitting next to you, how many children do you have and what ages are they, what are they doing?

REUBEN MANDLA MALIBE: We have two children.  One is ten and the other is six.

PROF MEIRING: They are at school I presume?

REUBEN MANDLA MALIBE: Yes definitely they are.

PROF MEIRING: Where are you teaching yourself?  At a secondary school or primary school?

REUBEN MANDLA MALIBE: I am teaching at a high school.
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PROF MEIRING: Which high school is that?

REUBEN MANDLA MALIBE: It's a beautiful high school at Maukeng, Todokimatla High School.

PROF MEIRING: And the last question, when Mr Mabena was on the podium just now he talked about the possibility of a special day of reconciliation in Tembisa where the victims and the perpetrators may be brought together for reconciliation, do you think it will work?  Do you think that's a good idea?

REUBEN MANDLA MALIBE: I fully concur with Mr Mabena.  It would work wonders especially for the perpetrators because they are the people who have to come forward and show repentance to a certain extent.  And definitely as a Black man I think we are forgiving and certainly we are just going to forgive these guys.  We are living with them and we are just going to accept them.

PROF MEIRING: Are you willing to forgive the people who did these atrocious things to you?

REUBEN MANDLA MALIBE: Certainly yes, because I think if these things, if I have not revealed them to all the audience that is here, and to all the people that are here they would keep haunting me as they are doing everyday in my life.  But if ever the perpetrators themselves even reveal more, some of the things that we have not known could not have come out, the truth will just die like that.  But since they are coming out, telling the public then it's better.  Though it is so difficult to forgive such gruesome acts, however, we have to take it as it has come.

PROF MEIRING: Thank you very much.  Those were my questions.

MR LEWIN: Mr Malibe if I could just ask you one last
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question.  This has been a very difficult experience for you and you said in your initial statement that you had a specific reason for testifying to the Commission because you felt that it might make things better for you, how do you feel now?

REUBEN MANDLA MALIBE: I feel a little bit relieved and I feel good inside and I hope it's going to change for the better.  Because many people know exactly, you know as a teacher my former students, one of them is here, next to me, thought that as teachers we were not actively involved in Umsabalas, they didn't know that some of us came far.  Some of them who are here in this hall today will know that not all of us that were inactive, were activists.  However, we were neutralised by threats of the system.

MR LEWIN: I would just like to commend you for having come here and thank you very much.

REUBEN MANDLA MALIBE: You are welcome.