Human Rights Violation Hearings — Pietermaritzburg — UNKNOWN

MR LYSTER: (Inaudible) ... as yesterday will be given very largely in Zulu, and the earphones which you will find at the bottom end of the hall - and there aren't enough to go round, but those people who are Zulu-speaking will - by and large will not need the earphones because, as I have said, most of the evidence will be given in Zulu.  Please do not take the earphones out of the hall.  At tea time and lunch time please leave them on your seat, or you may take them with you if you go to the toilet, but you may not take them out of the hall.  Please note that they are no use outside the hall, and so please remember to leave them here at the end of the day.  They are expensive items of equipment.
We will begin in a couple of minutes with the first witness.  We will first attend to lighting of the candle and briefly to greeting of the witnesses.  Thank you.  I will ask my colleague and fellow Commissioner, Dr Mgojo, to start with a short prayer.  Thank you.

UNKNOWN: Let's close our eyes.  Father, You are alpha, the beginning.  We wish, Lord, that whatever we do here we start by inviting You into our hearts.  We do realise that You are also omega, that is the end.  When we end this occasion we wish invite You to close it with us.  May You please give the witnesses the courage to tell their stories without fear.  Give them the strength and the wisdom so that in rendering their testimony they may not be afraid.  Lord, we hope that this occasion will not be a complete occasion without inviting You into it.  In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
/MR LYSTER

MR LYSTER: (Inaudible) ... Nombulelo and Hawugile Mzolo.  They were going to give evidence yesterday, but because we were running late we asked them if they would mind coming this morning to give their evidence, and they are first.  If they could please come up to the stage, thank you.
(Inaudible) ... the whole of yesterday, and to come back again today, and again we apologise for not being able to hear your evidence yesterday.  You have come to tell us - you have come together to tell us about the burning of your house in 1987, and the abduction of a child.  Before you give your evidence I have to ask you to stand, to both stand to take the oath.

HAWUGILE NOMBULELO AND NOMBULELO MZOLO: (Sworn, State)

MR LYSTER: I am now going to ask my colleague, Mr Mdu Dlamini, to assist you in the leading of your evidence.  Thank you very much.

MR DLAMINI: So that it will be easy for me to talk to you may I know is Hawugile and who is Nombulelo.  You made a joint statement.  I would like to speak to you, Hawugile.  If there is anything, Nombulelo, that is left out you will just fill in the details, but the main person is Nombulelo (sic).  You will be speaking on behalf of the family.  Let me just get the background of your family.  Do you still have parents?

WITNESS:   Yes, I do have parents.  Yes, both of them are still alive, my mother and my father.  My mother is at work and my father is at home.  They are quite well.

MR DLAMINI: What about the other children at your place who have been listed on the statement, that is Nhlanhla and Zwelakhe?  Where are they?

WITNESS:   They have since died. We sympathise with you.  Can you please relate to us and tell us how they died?   ---   Nhlanhla was burnt by his girlfriend.  Zwelakhe was injured by another boy.

MR DLAMINI: Could you please speak up so that we may hear you?

WITNESS:   Nhlanhla was burnt by his girlfriend.  Zwelakhe was stabbed by another youth.

MR DLAMINI: We also sympathise with you as we've just said.  What about Nomonde?

WITNESS:   She also got injured in this incident.

MR DLAMINI: Where is she now?

WITNESS:   She is at work.  She is working.

MR DLAMINI: How is she after having been injured?

WITNESS:   She is better, but before she was quite ill.

MR DLAMINI: Is she still continuing with the treatment or what is happening to her?

WITNESS:   No, she is no longer seeing any doctors.

MR DLAMINI: We know that this is a very painful experience, and at times you may be reminded of the experience.  We just wish to commend you on the way that the church in your vicinity has played a very major role in trying to support the families that have been harassed, that have been traumatised.  We thank the church for having prayed for you, because that has rendered so much support.  I will ask you, Hawugile, to now relate the story as to how the events took place that culminated to all that has happened.

WITNESS:   We started being harassed in August when Thembeka - Ningi, I meant to say Ningi, as well as Thenjizwa, they were attending school and they were being harassed.  They were being told that they were members of the UDF.  They eventually ran away from home and they went to stay at Gcaluza.  Ningi and Thenjizwa are my sisters.  They went to stay at another house in Gcaluza at Nhlanhla's in-laws.  One day when we were ploughing the field Zwelakhe and Nhlanhla were also with us.  Then we saw a crowd of people approaching us and they were chasing some youths, and those youths were believed to be members of the UDF.  They came towards us, and at that time the people who were chasing them were having assegais and pangas.  And our brothers were also included, were chased together with the group.  Then as they went further afield we just heard gunshots.  Then we ran towards that direction.  When we got there we realised that a youth from the family, Zondi family, had been shot dead.  And we came back.  We were quite panicky because we kept on getting threats that we were going to be burnt because our brothers were members of the UDF.

MR DLAMINI: Who were threatening you?

WITNESS:   It was Phuphu Ngubane.

MR DLAMINI: What is he?

WITNESS:   He was a member of the Inkatha.

MR DLAMINI: Was he a leader or just a member?

WITNESS:   He was just a member.

MR DLAMINI: You may continue.