Human Rights Violation Hearings — Port Elizabeth — 1996-06-27

MISEKA NANCY NGONGO: No, he said he was calling me about my husband's UIF benefits and then he filled in some papers and asked me to sign.  After a very long time, like two hours, Vorster came back, he stood, he looked, looked at Nebe and apparently they did some eye communication and he said, stand up.  I stood, this Boer left, he said follow, follow this and he followed.
 And Nebe came with us.  I followed this Boer.  I had not completed my real mission here, I was taken into this office and then to this office, and Nebe pushed me in and said, go in.  He closed the door, closed the door.  And I was closed in this office.
 I was surprised and then I looked up and the place was
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some Boers there with their guns cocked and I was sure that I would never see my son, because I was sure they would kill me so that no one could follow Mbulelo's case.
 Because my kids were still very young, were still at school.  The Boers said who are you, I said I told them I am Mrs Ngongo.  They said, oh, give us your passport, but this time I did have my real passport, I gave it to them.  
 I said here, it is you.  This other Boer handed over to Vorster, this Vorster form the labour.  He said finish your business with him and then the Boer from the labour said, no we have nothing to do with her, we were calling her for you.
 And so it was that I was being arrested, then they said, no we will take her for questioning and this Vorster said it is okay, so they took handcuff and they handcuffed me.
 And this Boer said you are very lucky that you were arrested here, because we didn't want to waste our time, we just wanted to shoot you, to kill you because you are filthy.  Your work is very filthy.  I said were you going to shoot a woman, you are such cowards.
 I was besides myself as I was speaking, because I thought they could do whatever they wanted to do.

UNKNOWN: Let me just interrupt you.  Yesterday we were given permission to mention names of people that we know.  Amongst the Boers you're talking about, the one's to whom you were handed by Mr Nebe, are there anyone whose name you know?

MISEKA NANCY NGONGO: There is only one Boer whose name I knew, it was  Van Rooyen, he is the one who said their actual aim was to kill me, not to arrest me.
 So they took me away, they took me to Louis Le Grange 
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and they asked my real, physical address.  I gave them my address, then they said, no you are telling a lie.
 So I said, well I can't help it if you miss me when you come, it doesn't mean I don't stay there.  Then they said any other address you can give us where you stay, what about Tsewo?  I said, no that's my brother's house at 37 Tsewo Street.  So I was arrested and taken to Louis Le Grange.
 They were taking me up and down the police station.  When I came, they said now let's celebrate, let's have a braai because we've got her today.  They would ask where is your son, Mbulelo?  Then I said I don't know, he is somewhere in Lesotho.
 They said, okay.  I said if you know his whereabouts then that is your business, but I don't know.  Then I was taken to Roelofse then for him to see and confirm that I had been arrested.
 Roelofse in his pocket had a photo, Mbulelo's photo.  He would take it now and again and wave it like this and take it back into his pocket, and I said, no that's my son I have no reason to fear, but I want to know what you've done to him.
 And they said I must, they displayed some photo's.  They said I must identify those pictures, people in those pictures, I said no I didn't know those people, all of them.
 Then they said this person is confused, they said amongst themselves.  Other said, no let's bring her here, we will put her in the back and then other said no, this person is asthmatic and some people who were arrested, they would say, tell them that I was asthmatic.
 So they said I should be taken to Rooi Hell and the following morning I would come and tell the truth.  That 
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helped me because at Rooi Hell I met some people at that cell.
 Although I was alone in my cell, but on the two cells on both sides, there was one girl, Notami Nkozazuma had sent to Botswana.  We talked, we shouted, she said, she asked are you not killed, I said no.  She said they said they would kill you.  So I said tell me what you've told them, so that I can prepare myself, so she said no I just mentioned the trip to Botswana where you sent us with number 1, our Commander.
 She said you were the only two that sent me.  She said so I just told them that I was sent and I was given, so I said, no that's fine.  I just don't want to involve you in this case, I should be the one who suffers the consequences here and if someone has to die, I should be the one, I don't want you to die and leave your kids, your young kids.

UNKNOWN: I just want us to push to the conclusion of the story.  They detained you and after you came from detention in 1990, without being charged?