Human Rights Violation Hearings — East London — 1996-04-17

MS MANDI ZOKWE: When they arrived it was about half past three. I think it was in the evening half past five to six, Pepi came back from where she was, the police were still at home and they didn't allow her to get into the house.  So we sat, all of us outside.  I think I've indicated in my statement what clothes they were wearing.  I don't think if they can be put here now I can identify them, because at the time I was very young, 14 years.  This whole thing happened, she wanted to hear what was happening.  I went to start the generator and on my return I used the front door.
 The kitchen door was closed, but I could feel that there was a cold wind and I went into the kitchen to close the door and from there I was walking down the passage o the room, but I can't remember exactly what room, I was going to.

MR NTSEBEZA: Now tell me, Pepi's room is just opposite yours?
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MS MANDI ZOKWE: Yes it's opposite mine.  Well I went into my room and opened the door.  When opening the door everything was full of bullet holes.  The bed that I sleep on was full of blood, underneath and the wardrobe had fallen on the bed.  I didn't get in, I waited for Pepi because she was following the police.
 The following day she woke up to find out his whereabouts.  The police came back.  They wanted me to write the statement and they said I must go to the police station.  Well I left with them, they took the statement, that was he first time, I never gave any oath for that statement, I don't know what was written in it, I was still a minor and they made me write a statement without any older person being with me.

MR NTSEBEZA: Who took you?

MS MANDI ZOKWE: To me it was just a game, this thing of writing a statement, because that statement cannot be taken as I never gave any information to it.  While I was in town, Pepi arrived together with Mr Sangweni, to fetch us, and we went to the funeral parlour, where they found him.  They were told that he was shot and his brain was damaged.
  There were statements that appeared in the newspapers immediately after that time.  One of those statements appeared in a paper called Sunday Tribune.  That was on January 7 1988.  The other statement was in the Daily Despatch on the 14th of January 1988.

MR NTSEBEZA: I want to show you these statements.  Can you please read only the headlines? Start with the Daily Despatch.    Do you know Gawe, he was the major general at the police in Umtata?

MS MANDI ZOKWE: Yes that's so.
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MR NTSEBEZA: Do you remember that the police tried to say to you that they killed him because he blasted a bomb.

MS MANDI ZOKWE: Yes they said, they said this blast was a hand grenade.

MR NTSEBEZA: Was it not a surprise that a person can blast a bomb and come out alive?

MS MANDI ZOKWE: That thing really surprised me, because I told them I'm the only person who cleans the house, I never came to see anything that was surprising in the house. The second thing that surprised me a lot, they said, he blasted a handgrenade but I told them, the way I saw the damage caused by a handgrenade on TV, it's a different thing from what I saw here.  You can't mention that a handgrenade was set off her and conditions still be in good order.  I think it was a plan that they derived.

MR NTSEBEZA: Aren't you surprised that he blasted a handgrenade, at the same time his hands were handcuffed?

MS MANDI ZOKWE: This thing really surprised me.

MR NTSEBEZA: Were you not surprised that a handgrenade was set off and then they survived without any hurt?

MS MANDI ZOKWE: I was really surprised.

MR NTSEBEZA: What does the heading say?

MS MANDI ZOKWE: Man slain in hail of 55 bullets.

MR NTSEBEZA: I 'm sure you can remember that. It was the report of the doctor who made the examination to the body of the late Sithembile?

MS MANDI ZOKWE: Yes it is so.

MR NTSEBEZA: What picture do you have of your uncle? Do you still remember as a person who was handcuffed.

MS MANDI ZOKWE: Yes I have that picture.  I believe that when they came, I think that they killed him cold bloodedly
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because he was handcuffed at the time.  I cannot believe that there is a soldier of the MK who could just be taken and just be placed there without being killed by the police at the time.

MR NTSEBEZA: During your testimony, we would like you to make any appeal to the Commissioner.  What do feel could be the most important thing to you?

MS MANDI ZOKWE: Firstly I'd like to find out who is the person who removed his brain after shooting him and filled the skull with plastic and papers, and secondly that person should state how he could do that horrible thing.
 Secondly I would to find out if the police still have his photographs, I would request them to bring them back.
 Thirdly, in the statement you can see that it was reflected there was an autobiography which he wrote himself, and they took it away, we would like that somebody who has taken it to bring it because it doesn't belong to him.  It is our family's and his children's property.

MR NTSEBEZA: Is there anything else that you would like to request?

MS MANDI ZOKWE: Yes I would to know how the policemen could escape from the cells?  Again I would like to know. when they escaped, to whom they referred when they said, they cannot be arrested alone.  We would like that to be investigated.
 Fifthly, I would like to know about the woman security officer and another mail security officer who was found to have a tape recorder in her breast.  We would like to see and to borrow that tape recorder.
 Lastly, probably, I will forgive, but I am certain I would never forget, because our lives were destroyed.  My 
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grand mother Pepi's , her children, Sibele.  But I believe that I'm still alive, life will go on, I don't know, but again I would like to thank Dr Solombela, because he is the one who took Pepi before the funeral and gave her the treatment that she deserved because Pepi would be highly affected by the atrocities which were done by the police.  She was the person about which we were to think that she was to follow our uncle.  
 The other thing that I would like to take place is, there is a child who is Mandlhagazi, that child is Sithembile's daughter. He asked, there are people who call her Zoleka, and there are others who say she is Mandhlagazi.
She wants to know what is her actual name, and today I would like her to know that she is Mandlhagazi.  She was known as Zoleka, because her father, when he came back from Lesotho, we changed the name and we did not want her to know that she is the same child, because we were afraid the police would do something to her.
 Lastly, I'm very proud of Pepi, I'm certain that those policemen who were brutal to her can see that she is still alive.  Their behaviour never affected her.  Thank you very much.

PANEL MEMBER: I don't have a question, but I want to say to Mrs Zokwe that you have seen the condition that you were in, the time you were explaining the conditions and the damage at your house and the body of your son.  We've seen everything and we are hopeless, but I must indicate that you power the way you were behaving, I want to ask you, where did you get this strength, so that other people as well may know that in times of trouble, there has to be strength?