Human Rights Violation Hearings — Duduza — 1997-02-04

CHAIRPERSON: Next we shall have in the podium Zulu Khanyisile.  Zulu Khanyisile or Mrs Zulu Khanyisile, sorry.  Mrs Zulu Khanyisile.  We welcome you Mrs Khanyisile.  Please relax, you are at home.  I am going to ask Hugh Lewin to lead you with the oath and with your story or with your testimony, sorry.

MR LEWIN: Mrs Khanyisile, before you give, it is Mrs Zulu, is it not?

MRS ZULU: Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: Ms.

MR LEWIN: Ms Zulu, yes.  Before you give evidence, could you please take the oath and stand, raise your right hand.

KHANYISILE ZULU: (Duly sworn in, states).

MR LEWIN: Thank you.  Ms Zulu, you will be telling us testimony about your father and this takes us back into the 60's, in December 1967, yes.  If you could please tell us, tell us about your father and everything that you want to tell us.  As Tom has said, please feel relaxed, feel at home, take your time.  Thank you.

MS ZULU: In 1967, that was in December, I was coming back from school, Escourt, I was still in standard four at that time and I last saw my father in December 1966 when I went to Escourt together with my sister.  The whole of 1967 I never saw my father because I was at school, we were in
Durban.  Mine is quite a distinct story because I was still in Durban when this whole thing took place.  Then when I came back at the end of 1967, when I was coming back from school, I heard that my father had come and he had gone to work at Siemens and at the time I was 12 years old.  
 Then in January 1968, that is on the second of January, it was during the week, it was myself, my mother as well as my elder brother, my last, well the last born at home was not present at that particular time.  A certain gentleman came, I had already forgotten his surname, but I have just remembered it, his name was Mr Enjapa.  When he came I was in the bedroom and he spoke to my mother and said, Mrs Zulu, your husband has been killed and my mother actually asked him questions as to what had happened and this gentleman explained that my father had died from a headache and at that point in time he went out without explaining further as to what had actually happened.  My mother called me and sent me to Mrs Inklenyena's house to pass on the message that my father had since died and at that time I was still very young and I was not fully conversant with what my mother was saying.  I just did not understand what she was telling me and I knew that I was the apple of my father's eye and I wanted to know as to how my father died and my mother told me that I was not going to see my father anymore and I wanted to know as to when and where he was buried.  My mother told me that I should go to Mrs Inklenyena to report whatever she had been told.  Then at that time I think I was still very young.  
 It was on the second of January 1968 before the schools reopened and my mother's relatives came.  My mother wore a mourning garment, that is a black garment that is worn in 
mourning or during mourning.  Then I asked as to when my father was going to be buried because I knew that if a person died he was supposed to be buried and my mother told me that we were still going to look for my father's corpse.  On the following Friday my mother told me that we should go to my father's place of employment and when we got to the office she was given two shirts that belonged to my father as well as a trouser and a small suitcase.  These, the things that my mother was given at my father's work place and the office is still existent, but I do not know whether the same people are still working there, but I do know where this office is situated.  
 A month lapsed thereafter and we re-opened the schools.  My mother received a letter and my mother called me as well as my other siblings and she showed us the letter that was calling her to come and fetch my father's death certificate.  They went, that is herself and my elder brother, they went to the offices and they brought along the death certificate and I asked them as to where Ruanda is and she explained to me that Ruanda is somewhere in Central Africa and she explained to me that he had been in Ruanda, that is where he died.  Now that I am old I know where Ruanda is and I know where my father died, but what troubles and disturbs me is that after my father died I was very troubled because we never got to bury my father as a result I never came to terms with my father's death because I do not know how he died and where he was buried.  
 I also want to know as to who wrote the death certificate that my father died in Ruanda.  I want to know as to what was my father doing in Ruanda because the last time I saw him he was in South Africa and I want to know as 
to why he was killed, what had he done.  I would request this honourable Commission to find more information about my father.  If possible, if they could find his bones, I would appreciate it because I would like to bury him myself because I believe that it is our culture, our black culture, that if a person dies, he is supposed to be buried.  I would even like to see his grave.  I do not know whether it is possible for me to go to Ruanda to see his grave.

MR LEWIN: Khanyisile, thank you very much for telling us that story.  If I could just ask a few questions and I think our, our questions are much the same as your questions.  Could you first please give me your father's full names.

MS ZULU: Joseph Gidi Zulu.

MR LEWIN: Gidi.

MS ZULU: Yes.

MR LEWIN: Okay, thank you, and have you any idea how old he was at the time?

MS ZULU: I do not have any idea.

MR LEWIN: You do not know.  What, what is puzzling about your story is, as you say, to find out why he was killed.  Was he, was he part of a political movement at the time?

MS ZULU: Because I was still very young at that time I am not very sure, I do not know, but most of the people in Lamontville were politically active and my father was quite, very close to Joseph Mluli who died in prison who was said to have committed suicide.  They were quite close.

MR LEWIN: Okay, I mean has your mother explained anything further about his political activity, if there was any?

MS ZULU: No, she never gave any further explanation and during that time our parents use to hide it from us, they never use to tell us what was happening especially with
regard to political activity.

MR LEWIN: Is your mother still alive?

MS ZULU: No, she died in 1992.

MR LEWIN: And you never discussed it with her?

MS ZULU: No, we never got around to discussing that issue, but since that time she was very disturbed until the time of her death.

MR LEWIN: This, this firm, this company that he worked for, you say it is Siemens?

MS ZULU: That is correct.

MR LEWIN: Is that the German company?

MS ZULU: These were three types, Horizon, Verge and Rampat, but I do not know what his particular company was.

MR LEWIN: Okay and you do not know what he was doing at this company?

MS ZULU: No, I do not know.

MR LEWIN: And, I mean, do you gather that he was actually sent to Ruanda by the firm?

MS ZULU: I have got absolutely no idea because I was at school at that time.

MR LEWIN: So, it could have been that he was travelling himself?

MS ZULU: I do not have any idea, but that is too far for him to have gone there all by himself.

MR LEWIN: Quiet, please.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Give us chance, please.  Give Ms Zulu a chance.

MR LEWIN: In your, in your testimony you said first that you heard that he had been killed and then you said you heard that he had died of a headache.  Were you told that was what happened?

MS ZULU: The statement that was given to us by Mr Enjapa when he was asked by my mother was that he had died of a headache.  So, I do not know what sort of a headache could that be.

MR LEWIN: But he did say that he had been killed, was that his words?