Human Rights Violation Hearings — Durban — 1996-10-25

UNKNOWN: What do you say to the child?  Didn't he ever ask you his father, his surname?

WITNESS:   He does sometimes, he asked me and I tell him, "Your father is my father".

UNKNOWN: It is a very very sad story that you've just told us and one thing that it is very sad is that it looks like males usually they think the only way to show women that they are powerful is by them doing these things to us.  But now they will realise that what they are doing, it is not really human, it is bad.   And also I would like to ask you what are your aims or your objections in life?

WITNESS:   I want to continue with my studies and I will look for a job, so that I take care of my son in a proper way, because even today he is needy, but I don't know where to turn to because my father, he is the one who is taking care of us, who is supporting us.   So, he can't manage to support my child in full, because there are also other kids who are my uncle's kids who is late and they are being supported by my father.

UNKNOWN: How is your mother?

WITNESS:   My mother, after I came back and told her about the story, she had a heart disease, up until today she is suffering from heart attacks.

UNKNOWN: And your father, what did he say after he heard this?

WITNESS:   My father is a very religious man.  All he does is that he prays.   My brothers they know about this because this abduction lasted for a month.

UNKNOWN: This Nyawo boy never came while your brothers were there?

WITNESS:   No.   Another thing, my brothers are still young.

UNKNOWN: Your story, it is a very sad story.  But I would like to thank the courage that you have and that after you gave birth to this child, whom you don't even know his father, you went back to school.   And I would like to return to the chairperson.

UNIDENTIFIED COMMISSIONER: I would like to thank you and I would like to ask you a few questions, so that I get some clarification there and there.   You said your friend is the one who told the people who abducted you to do so.  Why do you suspect that she did that?  Were you affiliated with any organisation?

WITNESS:   No, I wasn't affiliated with any organisation, but they thought I was because Inkatha members used to stand there next to my house.

UNIDENTIFIED COMMISSIONER: When it came to this day when they abducted you, you also said they were three, do you still remember the one who came to you who approached you and offered a ride?

WITNESS:   No, I don't know that guy who offered a ride.  If I knew this guy was with this other three I wasn't going to take that ride.

UNIDENTIFIED COMMISSIONER: In your statement it also says that two of them appeared in court and you also said the magistrate found them not guilty, and only two were arrested and these other two got away.   They escaped.

WITNESS:   They were four all in all.

UNIDENTIFIED COMMISSIONER: In your statement you - it shows that you believed that they did this to you because they believed that you were affiliated with Inkatha organisation.   Is there any other things which they were saying while they abducted you besides raping you?

WITNESS:   Yes, they were assaulting me, beating me, and they were asking me to go and point buses which were going to Mawoti, Mateo, or B, so they needed me to point to them the buses to B, so that they will kill people who are going there, because it was believed to be Inkatha area.   So, they also asked me to go to Umshasave's(?) house so that they have me knocking in one guy's house so that they can kill him.   Fortunately I couldn't do this because one of them came to the house and left the door unlocked, that's when we escaped.

UNIDENTIFIED COMMISSIONER: As you said, you said they needed you to point the buses?

WITNESS:   Yes, they used - and they shot at that bus, even though no one died.

UNIDENTIFIED COMMISSIONER: Now, I would like to start by greeting you.   I only have one question.   What did you do to manage to escape from that area which you were locked?

WITNESS:   One guy came, who used to come with them.  I don't know whether he did it deliberately, or not, but he left the door unlocked.   All the time after they were gone, we used to test the door if it is locked, but on that day when we checked it wasn't locked, so we escaped.

UNIDENTIFIED COMMISSIONER: This person who came, is he one of those who used to rape you?

WITNESS:   No, he never raped me, he used to hit us.  I don't know his name, and all the names which I gave you his name is not there, I don't know his name. How far from that area which you were locked to your house?   ---   It is not that far, but I wasn't taking the normal route, because I was afraid they might catch me.   I went via A Section, I passed Mr ... (inaudible) ... office place, and I managed to get home.  When I arrived at home, they cried because they thought I was dead.

UNIDENTIFIED COMMISSIONER: This other girl whom you were abducted together, did you see her after that?

WITNESS:   No, I didn't.

UNIDENTIFIED COMMISSIONER: Thank you.   Another thing that we do here as the commission is that we want to make sure where you are going after this, after you have appeared here we want to know where you are going?   We are happy that you've showed us that you are really interested in your life, now you went back to school and you are studying.  And it shows that you were actually an honest person.  What I would like to know is that besides getting your education, there are other things which I expected from you as a woman.   One day you will want to - you are supposed to have a family, you have a husband.   Tell us now do you see men in general after what even the judge did to you?  How do you see men today?

WITNESS:   I am scared of them. I don't know how to explain this thing so that people can understand it.   I don't wish that any other person can feel this pain that I felt.  I would like to say this to men that they should respect women.

UNIDENTIFIED COMMISSIONER: I believe that women should always be told what is going to be done to her, or it should be done according to agreement.   Do you have a boyfriend presently?

WITNESS:   Yes, I tried to have a relationship ... (inaudible) ...

UNIDENTIFIED COMMISSIONER: (END OF CASSETTE NO 3)

UNIDENTIFIED COMMISSIONER: /(START

UNIDENTIFIED COMMISSIONER: 4A/0 (START OF CASSETTE NO 4)

UNIDENTIFIED COMMISSIONER: ... that the relationship between you and your son is not quite good, because you don't know his father.

WITNESS:  I do love my child, because he is part of me.   But to me he is a reminder of whatever happened to me in the past, but I always told myself that I am his only mother, so I should take care of him.

UNIDENTIFIED COMMISSIONER: We thank you very much for having shared your story with us.  Even though you are very young, we have learnt a lot from you.   You said they said you must point out Simelane, what sort of a person was Simelane?

WITNESS:   Simelane was a member of the IFP.

UNIDENTIFIED COMMISSIONER: Why did they want him amongst all other members of the IFP?

WITNESS:   He was the most infamous one, he was actually notorious.   He is still alive.

UNIDENTIFIED COMMISSIONER: Thank you.