Human Rights Violation Hearings — East London — 1997-06-12

NOSIPHO BLOSSOM MARWEZU: They put me into a car and took me to a taxi rank.  They told me 
that the people that you had been arrested with were still in jail.  I was the only one 
who had been released.  If two people come to my house and you are the third one.

CHAIRPERSON: Therefore that is a political meeting and they were going to 
rearrest me.

NOSIPHO BLOSSOM MARWEZU: No, not my family members, but visitors.  I would have to get 
one visitor at a time.  If it is two, more than one then it would be taken as I am holding 
a meeting.

CHAIRPERSON: Who would take you from Cambridge?

NOSIPHO BLOSSOM MARWEZU: There was a policeman called Solly.  I do not know whether that 
is his first name or his last name.

CHAIRPERSON: He would just drive you around to the places they took you to.  He 
never did anything to you?

NOSIPHO BLOSSOM MARWEZU: No, he did not.

CHAIRPERSON: Who beat you or harassed you?

NOSIPHO BLOSSOM MARWEZU: Madliwa and Nkonzombi.

CHAIRPERSON: What is his first name?

NOSIPHO BLOSSOM MARWEZU: Both their first names are Mpumelelo.

CHAIRPERSON: These are the people who were strangling you with a head scarf?

NOSIPHO BLOSSOM MARWEZU: Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: Did they do anything else to you?

NOSIPHO BLOSSOM MARWEZU: No.

CHAIRPERSON: Therefore they have both strangled you and released you?

NOSIPHO BLOSSOM MARWEZU: Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you Nosipho.  Perhaps there are questions from my co-
panellists.  Dr Magwaza will ask just one question.

PROF MAGWAZA: Today the focus of our hearings is on how women were treated 
and violated.  In your case we have a typical case of a woman who was violated not 
only by torture, but who was also violated by just being a woman, a woman.  You say 
your baby was taken away from you.  You say that you were tortured when you were 
pregnant, you were strangled when you were pregnant.  They were almost strangling 
two people not one person.  How, what was your, what was the attitude of your 
torturers to you when you were pregnant?  Did they say any nasty things to you?  
How did they treat you when you were actually pregnant, before you had your baby?

NOSIPHO BLOSSOM MARWEZU: Yes, first of all, when I was arrested Mpumelelo Madliwa did not 
know Nosipho Marwezu, myself.  They asked if they had found Nosipho.  Mandisi 
Mbewana then said here she is.  Mpumelelo Madliwa then said we have wasted a lot 
of money, the Government's money has been wasted.  They were using the 
Government's money looking for me.  He swore at me.  When they were strangling me 
at Cambridge he swore at me yet again, saying I am a bitch, I am going to tell the truth 
whether I like it or not.  I gave them the truth that was not really.  I said that because I 
wanted them to lay charges on me, because I had had enough of being imprisoned.

PROF MAGWAZA: So, what they said to you, something that would apply 
specifically to a woman which they would not have said to a man, was that they called 
you a bitch?  Is that what you are saying?  If you were a man they would not have said 
that to you.  Is it all they said to you, that is something they would have said 
specifically to a woman?

NOSIPHO BLOSSOM MARWEZU: Well, they said much more, but I cannot repeat those swear 
words.

PROF MAGWAZA: Okay, we respect that.  Thank you very much.

CHAIRPERSON: June Crichton has a few more questions for you.

JUNE CRICHTON: Thank you Madam Chair.  I just have two questions for you for 
clarification, Mrs Marwezu.  The first one is did you know Nkonzombi or Mbewana 
before the arrest and the torture?  Did you know them?

NOSIPHO BLOSSOM MARWEZU: I knew him well.  Mr Mbewana was my father's friend.  He, we 
were neighbours.  My father called him uncle.  I was born before him.  I was shocked 
in the way he treated me.

JUNE CRICHTON: Thank you.  My second question to you was did anybody assault 
you in the presence of or with the help of Nkonzombi or Mbewana during your 
detention?

NOSIPHO BLOSSOM MARWEZU: There were other policemen from Cambridge.

JUNE CRICHTON: Do you know who they were?

NOSIPHO BLOSSOM MARWEZU: Nkonzombi and Madliwa, that is all I know.  I do not know the 
other peoples' names.

JUNE CRICHTON: Thank you.  I hand over to you Madam Chair.

CHAIRPERSON: Nosipho, thank you so much for sharing your painful story with us. 
 Perhaps some other people, especially people who are not women, they do not know 
the significance of giving birth to a child.  I do not know how it would be to give birth 
to a child and have to keep that child in the first few months in prison.  Your story is 
very painful especially because your baby would be taken from you for the whole day. 
 Dr Magwaza has already said that some of us are not oppressed because we are 
human beings, just mere human beings, but because we are women, but, and we, as 
women, have suffered in a way that men, perhaps, can never understand and I hope 
that the men in this hall are listening so that this does not happen again in future.  
Thank you so much.
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NOSIPHO BLOSSOM MARWEZU: MDANTSANE HEARING TRC/