Human Rights Violation Hearings — Johannesburg — 1996-04-30

MS DLOMO-JELE: I cannot count, many things, I am not a very healthy person.  Since this child went to school I have never been healthy because of the police harassment.  I am a very unhealthy person, my life was affected.  Another thing is that his father at the moment he hasn't been working for three years.  He lost his job because he wasn't healthy.  It was also because of this painful experience.  But I got worried that he might commit suicide.  I was also worried but I only thank God that he is still there.
 But I would like to request here if I can just get welfare that would look after my life because at the moment I am suffering and the father of my child is also not in a position to assist us.
 I would also like to request that the truth be revealed.  I want these people who killed my child to be found out and I want them to appear and explain what happened.  I think maybe that can really satisfy me and console my spirit.

DR BORAINE: We have noted your comments and your request and a record has been made of them.  I am going to hand the proceedings over to the Chairperson in case there are other people who might want to ask questions.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.  Hlengiwe Mkhize.

MS MKHIZE: Thank you Mamma Dlomo.  You are known to us.  You are known because of the strength and the initiative to
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organise other people in similar positions and experience.  At the beginning you spoke about the problems that Sicelo had with other organisations because he was also harassed and worried by this other organisation, can you tell us a little bit more about what happened?

MS DLOMO-JELE: During that time there was an organisation which was in conflict with the organisation, they were called ZimZim, I don't know what that means because there are lots of them ZimZims.  But that's what we used to call them, ZimZims.

MS MKHIZE: In your mind according to how you've explained things it wasn't clear to us as the Commission, do you think they played a role?

MS DLOMO-JELE: The role that they played, this other organisation, was to burn our houses, they petrol-bombed houses, because some neighbours saw them and other people inside the house did recognise some of the people who were involved in petrol-bombing our house.  It seemed like one of them jumped off into our yard and another one turned around, so some people saw who threw this bomb.

MS MKHIZE: Are there some other names you have in your mind that you could give to the Commission, some people that you would remember that you really worried about them that they might have participated?

MS DLOMO-JELE: I could say this name but I do not know how secure I am because one of these children, I do know he had a gun, he kept on threatening us with a gun.  I really don't know if I can reveal this name and if I would be safe after revealing his name.

MS MKHIZE: Maybe we can say don't reveal this name now but I still do have another question.  The experience that you
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were relating that during the funeral that the children were harassed a lot and you also spoke about this young baby who was teargassed, the Commission has also got the responsibility of seeing to it that there is reconciliation and unity.  As a person who has taken some time thinking about our work what kind of advice would you give to us especially with regard to those other children who are not like Sicelo who cannot come here, what should happen so that there must be reconciliation and those children can be advised?

MS DLOMO-JELE: I would like the Commission to assist us to bring these people to the fore.  They must come here and speak about what they have done.  There can never be reconciliation till we know all those things, because our children have grown up under this hard and painful experience, but until there's been revelation about the people who did all these things, even if they say they were ordered to do these things, were sent to do these things we will be in a position to understand.

YASMINE SOOKA: Sylvia you are known to many of us as one of the organisers of the Kulamani Group, a victim's support group, what would you recommend to the Commission should be part of the reparation policy towards people who will be found to be victims by the Commission?

MS DLOMO-JELE: What I would like to say, what I would really like to request, although we are not allowed to choose for other people, other people lost their houses, other people lost children, other people lost their husbands, at the moment if the children can look after those orphanages those people who lost their loved ones, especially if our children are going to grow up being
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orphans they will be having a very bad experience.  But if the Commission can really look after these orphans.  This is the main thing for me that the Commission could see to it that they assist the orphanages and the widows of those people who died during that time.  
 Also that there should be a memorial to these children.  These children gave up their lives.  They were working for the nation.  They wanted to bring about change.  We would be very happy if there was some kind of memorial, a historical memorial in South Africa so that other children and other people can grow up and know what happened in our history, as parents and as widows and the fathers who lost their wives, if there could just be this memorial.

YASMINE SOOKA: The Commission can only make recommendations about reparation to government but we will certainly take those into account.  Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: We thank you a lot Mamma.  We also thank you that you are involved, you are a leader of Kulamani in helping people who are in a similar position as you.  We also hope that as you have already said, so that you came here to reveal and expose your pain here to us, maybe you can find the remedy that will soothe you and console you.  Thank you very much.