Human Rights Violation Hearings — Durban — 1996-08-28

WITNESS:   That is where I was born.  I went back to my place of birth, and as soon as I arrived there the Inkatha was busy conducting meetings, planning how to kill people, as well as children, to such an extent that on the second month they were quite suspicious of me, and they said if they could leave me they would not be able to get the ANC.  They knew that I was a member of the ANC.  And at that time I was not sleeping at my place.  I used to sleep at the mountains, or wherever I could get refuge.  We went to about five meetings where they were planning their strategy for killing the residents, that if they were not killed what could they do with members of the community.  At that time we had a clash with the Chairman of the Inkatha Freedom Party.  His name was Nqupeni Zulu.  That is the Chairman of the Inkatha.  Now I realised that I did not have a place to stay.  I could not get any peace, because Inkatha was everywhere.  Then I got in touch with the Resources Centre, and we tried to lessen the violence that was being fomented by the Inkatha members.

MRS GCABASHE: Just on the part of legal resources, you said you took a report to NADEL.

WITNESS:   Yes, I did take a report to NADEL.

MRS GCABASHE: Who did you speak to?

WITNESS:   I think at that time I spoke to Jeff Hadebe.  He is the person I spoke to at the NADEL offices at that time, and I made an affidavit as to the attack that took place.  And we wanted to try and lessen the level of violence that was taking place, because people had died in large numbers.

MRS GCABASHE: You further went on to say that you were also harassed by the SPU.  Just tell us briefly what sort of harassment did you receive from the SPU?

WITNESS:   Now, it was at the time that I was going to the Legal Resources Centre.  I was actually fighting with the SPU because these people had come from being trained, and they had come back to kill members of the community and whoever was opposing Inkatha.  So these are the members that I was opposing and fighting against.  They also wanted to kill me.  They were also working hand in hand with Inkatha members.  There were many people who were killed, and at times I witnessed those killings.  I could see cars going to certain houses, where they would then attack and kill people.  And you find the women gyrating and ululating that there were some members of the community who were killed.

MRS GCABASHE: You said the members of the SPU had leaders of Inkatha.  Do you remember who those leaders were?

WITNESS:   It was Dumisani Makala.

MRS GCABASHE: Is he still alive?

WITNESS:   Yes, he is alive.

MRS GCABASHE: Where does he stay?

WITNESS:   The last time he was staying next to my place.

MRS GCABASHE: At ... (incomplete)

WITNESS:   Yes, he was staying at Nsuze.

MRS GCABASHE: Is that something which you can help us with?

WITNESS:  Now this is a list of their names that I have written down.  I think that this can assist you.  I can leave the list.  The first one was Nqupeni Zulu, but he has since been deceased.  Sikoliwe Ngidi, Thandeyakhe Magwaza, Thulani Nxumalo, Mbekeni Vilakazi, Nkuzeni Ndlovu, Hlomuza Vilakazi.

MRS GCABASHE: Mr Mzobe, because you do have this list would you like to leave the list with us?

WITNESS:   Yes, I do have the list and I can leave it with you.

MRS GCABASHE: As you are so busy preparing the list is there anything that you wanted to say with regard to the SPU as well as their harassment?

WITNESS:   I think I have finished with regard to the SPU, because the violence that was conducted by the SPU was legal.  They were not operating underground.  Apparently they were acting lawfully according to the past laws.

MRS GCABASHE: Are your children still attending school?

WITNESS:   Yes, my 11-year-old is still attending school, but what happened to their mother really disturbed the child.  I took the child to the mother, and the youngest one - I used to sleep with the youngest one in the forest.  Then he was hit by a car.  He was paralysed on the left-hand side.  But he is able to wash himself, as well as do things for himself.  His left side is not functioning properly.  If we had not been subjected to this harassment probably he would not have been knocked by a car.

MRS GCABASHE: You said he's attending school.

WITNESS:   He is doing standard four.

MRS GCABASHE: What about the youngest one you were sleeping with in the forest?

WITNESS:   Her name is Kohliswa.  I am staying together with these children where I am.  He is also attending school.  One of them are attending an Indian school.  They say he's in class two.

MRS GCABASHE: What is the name of the school?

WITNESS:   It's Mahatma School.

MRS GCABASHE: Whereabout is it?

WITNESS:   It's in Phoenix.

MRS GCABASHE: We hear this pathetic story, Bonginkosi.  As you have already told us that you've been severely harassed and traumatised is there anything else that you would like to point out that changed your lives after this type of trauma, that is with you, as well as your children?

WITNESS:  Our lives were changed so drastically.  We were all affected because the trauma that we went through.  I used to run around with my child, sleep in the forests, to such an extent that the Council of Churches, as well as the ANC devised a plan, as well as my attorney who was working at the Legal Resources.  He found a place for us at Belgica.  That is a hotel in St Georges.  We slept there for about two days, and thereafter we had to move out of the hotel because it was quite expensive to live there, and we went to a certain building.  From the hotel we moved to a Catholic building which was converted into some place of refuge where they served meals, and we stayed there for about three days.  And we had to pay also there, so I had to move.  We were taken to a certain Roman Catholic priest, and even there we had problems because we were an expense.  I had to go back to the streets with my child.

MRS GCABASHE: How about your health now?  How are you feeling, emotionally as well as physically?

WITNESS:   I have been emotionally traumatised.  I have been harassed.  I am very aggressive now.  I am still angry, and I am very sensitive and very touchy.  I just cannot stomach anything.  I feel so angry inside because of the trauma that I went through.

MRS GCABASHE: Now, as you've already related your story to us what do you think the Commission can possibly do for you to compensate you for the trauma that you went through?

WITNESS:  If the Commission could help me.  The first thing is my house was taken by these thugs and given to another person, and now when I want my house back I was told that I should do it legally.  I should institute some action against the person who was occupying my house.  I do not have money for a protracted legal action.  I just want my house back, and I feel very bad.  I think I could even kill the person who is occupying my house now.

MRS GCABASHE: Where was your house?

WITNESS:   It was at extension next to the training college.

MRS GCABASHE: Do you know the family who is staying in your house presently?

WITNESS:   I do not know them, but I was told that Mrs Ngcobo sold the house to them.  I was told that the house was sold by Mrs Ngcobo.

MRS GCABASHE: Do you know Mrs Ngcobo?

WITNESS:   Yes, I do.  She was together with Langa.

MRS GCABASHE: Where did they get the right to take the house and sell it?  How did they do it?

WITNESS:   I think they got it from the thugs who evicted me.  That is Langa. What was Mrs Ngcobo in the whole equation?   ---   Mr Langa was a prominent member, one of the prominent thugs in that place, and they were members of certain structures governing the issuing of houses, so they are the ones who colluded with Mrs Ngcobo and they sold my house.