Human Rights Violation Hearings — Alexandra — 1996-10-29

YASMINE SOOKA: Before you begin to tell us what happened to you tell us a little bit about yourself, what you were doing at that time when this thing happened and what you are doing now with your life.  You are not working.

MR MNGADI: Yes. I was on my way to the place where I live and I was looking out for my other three friends.  We definitely met about four to five Caspers with white policemen.

YASMINE SOOKA: Sorry, before you carry on, you don't have to speak English to me you can speak in your own langauge because I will hear it and maybe you can just sit more comfortably so that you are relaxed.

MR MNGADI: I will say that I was together with my three friends.  We were passing a place called Mmakulene going towards a women's hostel at (indistinct) Avenue.  There were Hippos at that area, about four of them, facing towards our direction.  They didn't ask any questions, they just shot at us.

YASMINE SOOKA: ... for telling your story.  You can actually take the headphones off so that you can talk freely.  When I ask you questions then you can put them on.

MR MNGADI: The white police started shooting at us, they didn't ask any questions.  We were driving a car, a 1400 bakkie.  One of my friends was shot in the head and he died
ALEXANDRA HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
2 MNGADI
on the spot.  His name was Whitey, he was staying at 9th Avenue.  House number 29.   The fourth one managed to escape.  He wasn't injured, only three of us were shot at.  My friend was shot also on the foot and he passed away.  I am the only one who is left behind.  Most of them died.  On the very same day the white people left us burning on the ground.  After lying on the ground bleeding for about three hours they called an ambulance, they took us to Hillbrow hospital.  On the same day I was so badly injured they couldn't do anything, they had to amputate my foot and the next day they took us to Baragwanath Hospital.  At Baragwanath I had some problems because there was one doctor from South America.  He was harassing me, telling me that I am Mr Mandela's terrorist.  I had to ask for a transfer to go back to Hillbrow hospital because of the harassment that I experienced at Baragwanath hospital.   They had to take me back to Hillbrow hospital.  In the end they discharged me in September.  I had to be given crutches because I didn't have a leg.  I got well in about 1988 and I went to Natal to continue with my studies.  I finished matric in 1990.   At the present moment I have got a matric, I have been searching for a job but I couldn't find any.

YASMINE SOOKA: I am just going to ask you some questions so that I can just get all the details of your story.  You say that there was a group of four of you.  Where were you going to at that particular time?

MR MNGADI: This friend of ours who was driving this bakkie, we met him at the Mmakulele place.  Since we know each other  we were staying at 9 so we asked for a lift.  As soon as we arrived at 4th Avenue next to the women's hostel the white people started shooting at us.  They never stopped us or
ALEXANDRA HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
3 MNGADI
said anything to us.  The one who died was in the back of the car so they shot him in the head.

YASMINE SOOKA: ... the car while the shooting was taking place?

MR MNGADI: He got injured right at the moment, at the spot, he couldn't control the car.

YASMINE SOOKA: So there were four of you in the car then.

MR MNGADI: Yes.

YASMINE SOOKA: The guy in the back seat died.  The driver was also injured and you yourself.

MR MNGADI: That is correct.

YASMINE SOOKA: You mentioned that you lay there for a long time before you were taken to hospital.  How long was that?

MR MNGADI: If I remember well it was approximately two hours.  We were bleeding seriously and they did nothing.

YASMINE SOOKA: Who actually took you to the hospital, the police or did the ambulance services come?

MR MNGADI: They called an ambulance from Sandton and then this ambulance took us to hospital.

YASMINE SOOKA: When you arrived at the hospital were you treated immediately or did you also have to wait for treatment?

MR MNGADI: In hospital, because we were seriously wounded they had to attend to us quickly.

YASMINE SOOKA: After this happened did the doctors give any indication to you that if you had been treated immediately you might not have lost your leg?  Did they explain to you why it was necessary to take your leg off?

MR MNGADI: They did explain but I was so confused that my mind wasn't working well.  I could hear the doctor who was speaking to me and I explained to them I was injured but I couldn't survive.

YASMINE SOOKA: Why were you transferred from Hillbrow to
ALEXANDRA HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
4 MNGADI
Baragwanath?

MR MNGADI: When I asked why they transferred us to that hospital they said they were afraid of the police harassment.  They said most of the people who got injured during February on the 17th people were arrested in hospital.

YASMINE SOOKA: And yet at Baragwanath you were harassed.  What form did the harassment take?

MR MNGADI: The doctor used to come to do some check ups, he used to call me Mr Mandela's terrorist.  Up to a certain stage where I have decided to ask one of the nurses to try and talk to the doctors or the superintendent that they might give me a transfer back to Hillbrow hospital.

YASMINE SOOKA: And was that how you managed to get back?

MR MNGADI: That is correct.

YASMINE SOOKA: Could you tell us what was the behaviour like of the other doctors and nurses at Baragwanath and at Hillbrow?  Did they treat you properly?

MR MNGADI: To say the truth I would say that I never had a problem with the nurses and the other doctors.  There was only this one doctor who was harassing me, calling me a terrorist.

YASMINE SOOKA: You mentioned that you were released from hospital some time much later in the year.  How long was the period that you stayed in the hospital?

MR MNGADI: If I remember well I stayed in hospital for seven months.

YASMINE SOOKA: When you came out of hospital were you ever called to court or did you yourself lay a charge at the police station?

MR MNGADI: I would say that when I got out of hospital
ALEXANDRA HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
5 MNGADI
I didn't go to the police but there was an organisation called Women for Peace.  There was one woman working there.  They tried to find a lawyer for me from town.  My lawyer called the police telling them I am opening a case against them because they shot at me.  The police responded by saying that they found us holding petrol bombs and we were throwing these bombs at them and that is why they shot at us.

YASMINE SOOKA: .. the name of the lawyer.

MR MNGADI: It is a long time ago but I would say I don't remember well.

YASMINE SOOKA: So did you actually lay the charge then or did you just drop the matter?

MR MNGADI: After the police told our lawyers that we were holding petrol bombs our lawyers said that we should drop the case.  So I just forgot the matter.  However, when I came out of hospital, after having forgotten about the case, the police did come to me to harass me and I have to run out of Alexandra.  I was afraid to stay inside because I couldn't walk well, I had to use crutches running around.

YASMINE SOOKA: (Indistinct).

MR MNGADI: It was about four to five months.   Because they used to arrive at two or one o'clock early in the morning.  When they arrived they kick - I would say at home we have a two-roomed house and they would come and kick the doors saying they are looking for a terrorist by the name of Prince.  So I had to run to hide at Tembisa at my uncle.  And then they stopped coming to my house.

YASMINE SOOKA: ... treatment for your leg?  Where are you treated?