Human Rights Violation Hearings — Pietermaritzburg — UNKNOWN

MR DLAMINI: On your statement it seems as if there is something that you also mention.  It seems as if even yourself you have once been attacked.  One day a Husky kombi which was red came to attack you.  Can you tell us exactly what happened on that day?

WITNESS:   From that time I started to suspect that my children were UDF members.  The people who shot at us were coming from behind my home.  When they were shooting at us it sounded as if there were so many people shooting at us.  I raised up my head to see and I realised this time things were bad.  When I tried to wake up I realised they were shooting at me, and then I just ducked down, only to find that my wife has already realised that, and we all just lie down on the ground.  I tried to crawl on my stomach to the other room, and I tried to touch my children and call them.  I realised that they were also afraid.  I just pulled the sheet and all the clothes so that they can fall down without making any sound.  And I took them and put them under the bed.  And then they continued to fire.  They were firing at us.  At about - it was dawning in the morning and they stopped firing at our place.  In the morning I washed myself and I prepared myself to go to work.  While I was at my gate I saw Reverend Africaner.  He called me and said, "Mr Zondi, please, your God is with you.  You did a good thing by not coming out while they were shooting, because if you did come out there was a red Husky outside there.  I think these people were waiting that if you get out of the house they can shoot you."  By luck I didn't get out of the house.  There was a way to get out, I could have got out, because I realised I cannot allow other men to kill me in my house.  I wanted to get out to make sure that - to fight before I die, so that if ever sometimes I could injure someone if ever it was possible for me to do that.  But because there was nothing in my house - although they used to come and say they were looking for arms in my house there was nothing, so I couldn't get out.   In all these instances have you ever reported any of them to the police?   ---   We didn't do anything, because I was now convinced that even if I go there they took sides.  I was just only going there if ever one of my child was arrested.  I was just waiting if ever it happens that they were arrested I will go to my lawyers.  One of them was Kajee.  One who helped me to get Zenzele released was called like I Lax.

MR DLAMINI: You mean the Commissioner?

WITNESS:   Yes.

MR DLAMINI: We have heard about your requests, which we respect, in which you request that we must erect a memorial picture for the people of Imbali, and we'll take this to our President and he will decide with his Cabinet as to what can be done.  And I would like to take everything back to the Chair.

MR LAX: You've told us about this red Husky, this kombi that was waiting out side your house, as was reported to you by Reverend Africaner.  Do you know of any other incidents that involved a red Husky?

WITNESS:   It had dim lights and you could not see people inside, but it used to go around in the location or in that place pointing out places where people should be taken.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... the police used that Husky, and they would take informers in that Husky and go and collect people to be arrested, and they would not be able to see who was inside there.

WITNESS:   That is correct.  It had tinted windows so that you could not see people inside, but they went around pointing people, their victims.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... correct that that Husky was reportedly or allegedly involved in numerous cases of shooting and killings and assaults on people.

WITNESS:   That is correct.  It used to drive around the streets.

MR LYSTER: Mr Zondi, like the witness before you you have given us a graphic picture of what life was like in Imbali in the 1980s and 1990s.  You have told us about the tragic death of three of your children, Zenzele, Bongani and Mlungise.  They were all members of the UDF at the time of their deaths, and it seems clear from what you have told us that they were killed by people who were opposed to the UDF at that time.  We can only imagine what a burden it must be for you and your wife to have lost three children, and we express our deepest sympathy to you both.

MR LYSTER: The attack on your house in 1992 was also a terrifying experience for you, and you and those remaining members of your family can consider yourselves very lucky that you are alive.

MR LYSTER: Part of our job is to make recommendations to the Government about how people like yourself should be assisted.  You have told us that your house was very badly damaged - in fact you used the word destroyed in your statement - when it was attacked by the police in 1992, and we will be making recommendations to the Government as to people like you should be assisted.

MR LYSTER: We want to thank you very, very much for coming in, waiting all day to give this evidence, and again we extend our sincere sympathies to yourself and to your wife, and we wish you strength as you go home today.  Thank you very much.

WITNESS:   May I please rectify just a small point?  My home was shot at, it was not burnt down.

MR LYSTER: (Inaudible) ... very much.  Thank you, Mr Zondi.