Human Rights Violation Hearings — Cape Town — 1997-06-09

LENNOX SIGWELA: Thank you. In 1986 I was a worker at Epping at Murray & Roberts. On that Monday I was not at work, I had gone to the X-ray check at Groote Schuur. Then from the hospital I went to the terminus. When I got to the terminus I heard that the Witdoeke were there.  I had heard the previous day that the Witdoeke would come (indistinct). So I went from the terminus I went straight home.  When I got home I noticed that there was some fire and my grandmother and an uncle and my aunts, they were not there.  Their houses were there, but they were not there. The kids were there. So when I found my people at home, the people were busy taking their belongings away to New Crossroads, and I helped.  I went for the first trip and we dismantled the houses and the others were already on fire.  I loaded the household goods, my uncle, my father and other people from 7 took the other trip, went to the second trip.  On the second trip the car was full and there was no space for me. So I was going, I remained, I was going to walk on foot.  As I was walking, there was some angry shouts, the Witdoeke are there and they already are in site KTC and we ran with a number of comrades who were there and we went towards KTC, next to the (indistinct), to stop at (indistinct).  There were two Hippos. They came very close to me.  So I decided I am not going to run away, because they have come to stop this.  So I stopped running and then I just walked.  And then there was a tap and then I went to the tap to drink some water.
 And then I noticed there was a Hippo that was open. I noticed that this Hippo was full of Witdoeke, who disembarked and they came directly to me.  So I didn't go out of KTC. I went back and then they were shooting some things at the shacks to ignite them, fire.  And as I was running the shacks surrounded me were burning, so I had to go back to them, so that if I could escape I could escape amongst them. But I tried and tried but it was all in vain.   And the person who shot me was a white man who was inside the Hippo, he shot me here. I fell and when I fell it was for a couple of seconds and then I woke up and then I ran and then I was hacked and brought down by axes.  Then they came and hacked me and they left me for dead, because when I fell, I fell on my back.  As they were coming, one of them hit me with a sabre on my head, and then I turned and slept on my stomach and then they started hacking me and they thought I was dead.
 So when I heard that there was no more noise and there was, I was no more dizzy I lifted my head and then I looked at the time.  I found it was 20 past two.  So I decided to get up. Then I did, I got up.  When I got up I walked three steps, then I heard another whistle.  Then they said there is that dog, he is still living. This old gentleman came back and to hack me again.  Whilst they were hacking me, it so happened that in their Hippo there was a young man who knew me, who stayed in my area, who had been taken in.  So when they came for me, they left him untied and he came and he lifted me and he ran away with me.  I said don't leave me, these people, just leave me, these people are coming and there are two Hippos, they are going to injure us, you had better leave me and Tom said no, I am not going to leave you, I am going to run with you.  
 And then there was a car.  I said stop the car, that's my uncle, it is one of the cars we are using to cart the household things from there.  So the car stopped and they gave me a lift, but my uncle didn't recognise, he thought he was just helping someone. When we got to my house, my mother was standing on the door step and asked for me.  Because - and no one answered him. And then I answered from the car and asked for water and I wanted for a pillow, because I was bleeding profusely now. Then I was supported by a pillow and they put in a pillow and they gave me the water. And then when they noticed, they said, one little girl said no, there is Sigwela. Then my mother came and my father came and then they were crying, and they said is it you?  I said yes, I have been shot whilst I was drinking water.  
 My uncle started the car, took me to the day hospital. I was alert mentally, so I registered that bleeding. Then an ambulance was phoned and the ambulance took me to Groote Schuur.  At the Groote Schuur Hospital I was admitted, they took me to the theatre for an operation. I think I came to at about 20 to nine. I was in a ward, lying on my back.  But when I tried to speak I couldn't.  There was some thing that I was using for breathing.  Then my father and my uncle and my aunts came, but I couldn't answer them, but I could recognise them.  They were asked not to talk to me because I was having a breath, and I was in a coma for two weeks. I wasn't speaking. 
 The third week I was transferred to Conradie. There I spent a week.  After a week at Conradie I was taken to the theatre for removal of the bullets on the 24th.  They took out the bullets,and then they took me back to the ICU for a month at ICU. I was then taken - my health retrogressed because I have got some cloth inside and then they will try and drained this cloth.  They drained those cloths and then I got better.  And then I was taken to a general ward, taken out of ICU, where I stayed for six months.  This is at Conradie.  I think I was discharged on the 4th of December, that same year, 1986, and then they took me home.  
 At home I stayed 1986, 1987, went to Conradie, because of some problems I used to have and I got a wheelchair.  Then I would get for workshop. I still go for my check-ups to Conradie as I am sitting here.  
 At the same time what happened, I was the breadwinner
at home, because my father had lost his job at Goodwood.  My mother was not very well. My brothers were dependent on me, they were starting outside, depending on me.  So I was the supporter of the family for everything. They depended on me for everything. So after that when I got injured, things changed for the bad for my family and things got worse and worse at home.  There was no progress in terms of help for food and it is still like that, until now.  My parents at the moment depend on my grant and my mother's health grant, but everything is dependent on us, up to now, 1997.

GLENDA WILDSCHUT: I just want to ask some questions to get some questions of clarification.  You said you were working for Murray & Roberts. Were you ...

LENNOX SIGWELA: Yes, I worked for Murray & Roberts.

GLENDA WILDSCHUT: What type of work were you doing?

LENNOX SIGWELA: I was a labourer, store boy, I was working in the stores as a labourer.

GLENDA WILDSCHUT: Would you describe yourself as being a very active person at the time that you were shot that time?

LENNOX SIGWELA: Yes, I was active, I would attend meetings.

GLENDA WILDSCHUT: I mean physically active, you were a labourer, you were working and you were physically active?

LENNOX SIGWELA: Yes, I was physically fit and active.

GLENDA WILDSCHUT: You also then talked about your activity as an activist.  Were you politically active?

LENNOX SIGWELA: Yes, I was active in the liberation struggle.

GLENDA WILDSCHUT: So which organisations did you belong to then?

LENNOX SIGWELA: The organisation that existed at that time was UDF. I was involved in its activities before it was banned.

GLENDA WILDSCHUT: So do you think that this attack on your home and your family's home was as a result of your activity in the UDF?

LENNOX SIGWELA: Yes, it is so, because at some - there was a time when there was some conflict between the parents, the comrades and the parents were fighting and the parents were stopping us and our parents could not stop us, and the boers had meetings with parents who could not stop their children from participating in political activities.