Human Rights Violation Hearings — East London — 1996-04-18

SITHILIFU NDZUMO: Yes.  We tried to organise an advocate Mr Skewiya at Durban.  He arrived here and was detained for
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three days.  After three days he was deported and the case was just wiped off.

MS MAYA: Can you remind us of the day of the funeral?

SITHILIFU NDZUMO: It was difficult on the day of the funeral because some people were not allowed to attend the funeral at all.  The so-called journalists were turned back, they were not allowed to come very close to the funeral at all. Luckily they arrived, I don't know how, just before the funeral could start.  Well the journalists took photos, it was very lucky that a film was produced, a Cry Freedom, and it appeared there.  While people were busy with their speeches they would be disturbed by the police, they would be interrupted by the police, be removed.  The children were not allowed to speak, to sing or to say anything at all. Even the flags belonging to the Austrian people were not allowed to be flown.

MS MAYA: Do you really know exactly what the cause of your father's death was?

SITHILIFU NDZUMO: No we don't because he died, you know, just two days after he was released from work.  He was detained and thereafter dead.  Nobody knew exactly what was happening.

MS MAYA: Do you think there is anything that you have forgotten that would be very important?

SITHILIFU NDZUMO: Yes I went to Advice Centre to seek for advice and I met a Mr Mangutchwana who really advised me.  He said I should summarise my whole story and after that he typed me a letter and he referred me to the attorneys Majeke.  I went to see them, we talked to them and then I had to confirm.  Well the next morning I came back.  They said they have never discussed these details but they have decided that an attorney from the Supreme Court will still have to write a
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letter. They said to me this has to take enough time, we don't have to hurry up into things that we cannot stand. That letter also didn't help us at all.  You will never be surprised according to the Act and you will never claim anything, there was an Act that really prohibited those things.  Well from that time I didn't do anything.

MS MAYA: Why did you appear before the Commission today?

SITHILIFU NDZUMO: I want the Commission to carry on with the investigations.

MS MAYA: Do you have any wish, any request maybe?

SITHILIFU NDZUMO: It's now difficult to actually indicate this I am asking this I am asking, but I have problems, I have children that are at school.  I cannot really pay the instalment of the house.  My father left me with a site that he bought for me.  Sometimes I have to see to it that the children go to school, I have to stop paying the rent.   You know it's very important that the children should go to school and it's also important on the other side to have a house, a shelter.  I am asking the Commission to decide on its own which side will they help.

MS MAYA: Thank you Mr Ndzumo.

DESMOND MPILO TUTU: Thank you very much Tiny.  Who was the Minister of Police during the time of your dad's arrest?

SITHILIFU NDZUMO: No audible reply.

MEMBER OF PANEL: Mr Ndzumo the question I am going to ask you now is just a question to find out about I will tell now.  You said your father was a member of the African National Congress?

SITHILIFU NDZUMO: Yes it is so.

MEMBER OF PANEL: At the same time he was one of the ministers in the government of the Transkei?
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SITHILIFU NDZUMO: Yes it is so.  I was still at school at the time.

MEMBER OF PANEL: Is there no conflict between the two?  What I am thinking of is that the ANC was not in favour of the Homelands.

SITHILIFU NDZUMO: Yes I am aware, they were no in favour of the Homelands, but they were doing this underground.  And even if he had some books which were belonging to the ANC organisation he would hide these.

MEMBER OF PANEL: So was he a member of the ANC who was working underground?

SITHILIFU NDZUMO: Yes it is so.

MEMBER OF PANEL: Alright.  Thank you very much.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Were you the only child of your father?

SITHILIFU NDZUMO: No there are two of us.  The other one is 25 years, the other one is 24 years old.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: You are still in school?

SITHILIFU NDZUMO: No I am not attending school anymore.  I am working.

DESMOND MPILO TUTU: Thank you very much Mr Ndzumo, and we promise that we will do everything to the best of our ability to look into your request so that we can fulfil your request.  Thank you.