Human Rights Violation Hearings — Durban — 1996-08-28

UNKNOWN: What I meant was that if there's any help that you think you need with regard to your mental health,  /as well
as well as your physical health, you should take the help
that will be rendered to you.  If you do take that help it does not mean that you are a weak person, but that denotes that you are a very strong person who is actually trying to cope with the events or incidents of the past, and you should take the help.  Let me just help you.  You must come back to the offices so that you may get in touch with our people, who are going to show you and help you as to how to go about getting this help.

COMMISSIONER: We greet you and welcome you here today, Mr Gasa.  You have - like the previous witness you are from Umlazi township, and you have come to tell us about the attack, burning of your house, and the tragic death of your wife in August 1985.  Before you tell that story please can you stand and take the oath.

DAVID S GASA: (Sworn, States)   (Through Interpreter)

COMMISSIONER: Mr Gasa, can you hear me and understand me through the earphones?

WITNESS:   Yes.

COMMISSIONER: Sorry, I can't hear you, so could you just repeat that so I can hear you.  Can you hear me?

WITNESS:   Yes, I do hear you.

COMMISSIONER: Mr Gasa, can you just tell us briefly, are you still living in Umlazi?  Are you living with your children?  Do you have children?

WITNESS:   Yes.

COMMISSIONER: And are you employed at the moment?

WITNESS:   Yes.

COMMISSIONER: How old are your children?

WITNESS:   The eldest one is 38 years old.  The youngest is 14 years.

COMMISSIONER: Where are you working at the moment?

WITNESS:   No, I am not working.  (Speaking English)

COMMISSIONER: You're not working.   (Inaudible) ... can understand you in English through these earphones.  Thank you very much.  Now, if you can just tell us basically what were you doing in 1985 before this attack on your house.  What were you involved in?   Were you involved in organisations?  Just tell us some background to what occurred in August 1985.

WITNESS:   I have been active in politics and been an activist even at the time in August.  Even before August I have been active under ANC.

COMMISSIONER: Now, what was happening in Umlazi at the time which led to this incident?

WITNESS:   My mind was not so much concerned about Umlazi, but I was concerned about the nation at large.  But what I will say now is that before August I used to be - I was always in prison, always arrested.  Before August I was on house arrest for about 10 years, being arrested and released just like that.  I never fought things that concerned Umlazi township only, but I also fought things that concerned the nation at large.

COMMISSIONER: And were you involved in a specific organisation, or was it Umlazi-based organisations, or was it national organisations?

WITNESS:   As I have already said I was not only fighting for Umlazi township only, but I was involved in the fighting of the whole nation, South Africa, and I was also fighting for whites, because also whites were oppressed.  Even de Klerk himself was oppressed.

COMMISSIONER: Now, you said in your statement that you had given a press statement about a massacre which took place.  Can you tell us the background to that?  What led to that particular shooting?  I think it was - the reason for the gathering was related to Mrs Nxenge's death, is that right?  So perhaps if you just sketch that background and give us the background of what happened to Mrs Nxenge, and then the Umlazi Cinema, and then how you became involved in that and how it affected you personally.

WITNESS:   First of all I was scared when I heard that Mr Nxenge was found dead in Umlazi.  That's where this whole thing began.  Things got out of - hell broke loose at that time, and that led to the burning of my house.  At the time I was in house arrest.  I was not even allowed to talk to any other person, any person more than one.  I will only be allowed to talk to one person at a time.  I was harassed, and when all this took place that led me to feel so depressed, and I could not even associate with people I used to associate before.  Well, this went on and it passed, and the time came when I felt that I was so heavily harassed, and also I heard immediately that my wife, or the wife of Mr Nxenge, Mrs Nxenge, the leader of the community, a very humble man - when I heard that that man was chopped and died by men who were not known I was disturbed.  It was my first time to hear that blacks can attack other blacks, especially women.  It was the first time in the history of the blacks to have this kind of incident.  I therefore made an arrangement to meet the Umlazi township as a chairman of the organisation that was known as the Umlazi Association.  I made these arrangements to call forth the residents of Umlazi township to meet so we can pray, and also criticise that act, that brutal act.  It had never taken place before in the black community.  That was the first time.  We met, and we were so numerous in number where we were going together and praying.  People who came to attend were so many that half of them were facing the soldiers, confronting the soldiers, because the soldiers were trying to - wanted to start shooting at the people who were gathered there to pray.  As the chairman I took the responsibility upon my shoulder that the people were there, and I had to be responsible.  I went to confront those soldiers, and I demanded that I should see their leader.

COMMISSIONER: Just tell us where this took place, this prayer meeting.