Human Rights Violation Hearings — Soweto — 1996-07-25

NTOMBENKULU BUSANG: In 1988 I therefore left. I meant to say in 1988.  I received a phone call. No, I mean to say on the 28th of March when he died, we heard that there is this thing in Botswana; people were being bombed, it was three girls and he was the fourth one in that house, the house they occupied. I had spoken to him on the phone telling him that I will be coming to him on Good Friday during the Easter weekend. He was still alive then.  I said I will come in the next Good Friday, which was in 1988.  The bomb exploded when I was supposed to leave on Friday.
 On the Friday when the bomb exploded I tried to go to Botswana, feeling also that there is something, but I hadn't heard yet that he had died, but still I went. 
 When I arrived in Botswana where he used to be he was no longer there.  They used to change places, they would move from one place to another. He was not there.  I had tried to locate him, up until I went to the police station to ask for accommodation. You know I was feeling so uncomfortable, feeling that this bomb, maybe my child was there as well.  But he had a girlfriend that he was in love with and I remember the house.  I said to the policeman when we slept there, they asked me will you locate the house when SOWETO HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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we take you to the area. I said yes, I will when, when you can help me locate it.  Truly the police took me.  But I never told them why I was there, because I was somehow scared, frightened that they will probably arrest me if I tell them the truth.
 When we got there the police helped me to try and locate the house until we located it.  When we got there we found the people that were not there.  The people were not there, they had left. We were surprised. Now we left.  We went to the neighbour for accommodation.  We asked them to accommodate us.  
 When we slept at the neighbours' place, they came, they arrived, it was on Sunday afternoon.  When these people arrived they said you know ...  You know, they were just lost somehow, because the girl was in love with my son.
 There was a telephone call. The other one was asking why don't you tell her, why don't you tell the woman - that is his mother, why don't you tell the woman that it is her son.  The other one said we must go home, we must go away.  We left with my sister.  We went to sleep in the same house the following day.  We came back home.
 It was on a Tuesday. On the Wednesday we had a telephone message saying that that was Patrick, the one who is dead is Patrick.  It was Mapula who is Patrick's girlfriend, the one who told us that it is Patrick, Patrick has died.  When Mapula was saying that, I dropped the phone.  People heard me screaming.

MS SEROKE: We will ask you to tell us that.  I will ask you briefly to tell us, as you have already told us, the history and background of your son.  Explain to us as to what happened after you heard that your son has been shot, and
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then we will continue from there.

NTOMBENKULU BUSANG: I got a telephone message, a telephone call from Botswana, and it was Mapula, the girlfriend who made the call.  She said Patrick has died, because in Botswana they used to call him Charles Mkwena.
 She said it is Patrick who has died.  That's when I just threw the phone receiver down and then my children came and my daughter came and left to make the arrangements for the funeral.  She tried to find people who could help us as to what we can do, so that we can go, I can go also.
 After that she left with another boy by the name of David.  I will give it over to her for her to explain, because she is the one who left.

MS SEROKE: We will ask your daughter to be brief because we will just ask her to say what you did not say.

NTOMBENKULU BUSANG: Right.  It was around six o'clock.  David Leo, at that time he was a student.  He was a law student.  He used to live in 91B.  He came and when he came he said where is the ANC. I said Mrs Jane and Christina the late, around.
 They had gone to Winnie Mandela at the time.  David said no, let's get out and we left. We went to Dr Motlana.  When we got to Dr Motlana, Dr Motlana asked our names and we told him, that we wanted some help and assistance so we could go to bury Patrick.  Dr Motlana said no, he did not have any kind of assistance that he will render to us. So we left.  
 We left and went to Rev Chikane at Pimville.  We explained the circumstance that we were in.  Rev Chikane said no, we cannot give you money now; we will kindly ask you to be back tomorrow around five, because we had arranged that the mother will fly alone.  Because it looked like Mrs 
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Chikane was employed at the airport at the time. The arrangements for my mother were already made.

MS SEROKE: Thank you.

NTOMBENKULU BUSANG: Then after that we left with David.  The thing is David had already taken me to the attorneys of Ajapo, De at Villiers Street, Aubrey, to find out if I cannot fly together with mom to Botswana.  David Leo went to consult the attorney Ajapo.  He came back to tell me, because I was outside, when he was inside.  He said to me listen, they will only allow mamma, to go to Botswana, because that country is an underground thing, so they cannot actually allow you to go as well.  We went to Rev Chikane and Rev Chikane said we will come in the following morning to get some money in the name of (indistinct), I am not too sure.

NTOMBENKULU BUSANG: David was the one who helped us with even the transport, up to the following morning, when my mom went to Rev Chikane to get the money to the airport.  They asked Ma Jane to accompany my mother to go to Botswana to bury Patrick.
 On the Thursday my mother left.  When we arrived at the airport everything was ready. Everything was in order.  We boarded the plane and we flew and when we got at the border, we met the CID already awaiting for us.  When we got off with Ma Jane they asked are you Mrs Busang, the mother of the late Patrick. I said yes. I didn't say, I could not say - I actually said no, I am not the one.  They said no, we are just here to provide security for you, you look alike.  I therefore said yes, I am the one.  They therefore took us in a car.  We first went to the police station.  The funeral was going to be around two, and we have arrived at nine.  It was on Thursday, on the 6th.  When we arrived at the police 
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station, and they took a statement. 
 This girl, Mapula, was the one who gave me a call.  She was at the airport with the sister riding a car.  We went with her to the police station, with her and Mapula.  When she was giving the statement she said to me don't say - don't tell the policeman that I am the girlfriend of Patrick.  You know, because I was mourning, I was just confused.  I asked myself after a while, why would she say I should not tell the policeman that she is the girlfriend of Patrick. You know, she was looking, she was highly dressed up, so roughly, and yet she is a lady who dresses elegant.  She looked very different and strange, like a person who was in disguise.
 I kept quiet. Mamma Jane was there giving a statement.  The police said this is the Mapula who was in love with this Charles, Patrick.  That's why they called him Charles.  So they were asking is she not the one who was in love with Charles.  You know, it was something that just ended there.
 Because I could not speak properly and Auntie Jane held me.  We were done with the police.  They had taken their  tatements, we were done. Now we are supposed to go to the mortuary.  When we arrived at the mortuary they said to me we cannot see him because there are many of them.  (PAUSE).

MS SEROKE: Okay, Mamma.