Human Rights Violation Hearings — King William's Town — 1997-05-12

MAKI ZOKOZA: Thank you, Mam.  It was in 1992, if I am not mistaken.  On this day, it was in the evening, I was sleeping.  I heard a stone in the door.  I told, I said to my wife there was something in my door.  I went out, I saw boys, but I could not see them clearly.  They ran away.  In the morning we found out that there are three or four houses whose windows were stoned.  We were confused at that time.  We sent a person to the police station to requesting, to request help so that the police can send patrols in the area for evenings.  We gave Ndetayou money to go to Tamacha to the police station.  The police did not respond, but they took the letter.
 Mr Chairperson, at night when I was sleeping, I think it was about ten or 11, someone was knocking on the door.  He said that I am Ndetayou, please open the door.  He said that I was together with the people from the Government.  My wife went to the door, she opened the door.  One soldier came with a gun.  He told me to wake up and put on my clothes.  I asked where are you taking me?  He said put on your clothes.  After that I put on an overall.  I knew that they were going to kill me.  I did not want to have a hat on.  I just took a scarf and this soldier told me to stop.  I told him that it was cold outside.  When I went out there was one soldier outside with a gun.  There was one bakkie, but I do not know the name of the bakkie.  There were people there in that bakkie.  Mbulelo Holana was inside.  This bakkie then turned upwards.  It stopped in Telele's house, the one who was appointed to be a headman.  There were many people in that house.

MS MAYA: Who were these people in the house?

MAKI ZOKOZA: It was the ADM members.

MS MAYA: What happened to you when you got to the headman's place?

MAKI ZOKOZA: When we arrived at the headman's place there was a man who said that you are tagged and killed our cattle and, Mr Zokoza, you also took money which I was supposed to be given by the residents.

MS MAYA: Which money is this?

MAKI ZOKOZA: I will come to that issue, Mr Chairperson.  I said that this surprises me, because it is at night and I said that I am going to repeat this, because I could see that there was something happening there.  This report which they wanted me to do at night was that, as the Resident's Association, there is a school in our township.  It was damaged, but we said we, as the Resident's Association, said that this was dangerous to the people, because the people were injured due to this.  We then decided to pay R2,00 and to try and to repair the damages in your school.

MS MAYA: We do have your story in front of us, but I would like you to emphasise on the burning down of your house and your ill-treatment.

MAKI ZOKOZA: Thank you Mam.  Briefly, the soldiers said that we are going to be taken.  There was a message that these people are to be taken and killed in Transkei.  We were then taken by this bakkie by the soldiers.  They were beating us all the time.  They were ill-treating us.  They would use a nut which was tied to rope.

MS MAYA: How many were you?

MAKI ZOKOZA: We were seven.  It was myself, Ndetayou, Mbulelo Holana, David Sodwya, Mulelami Tutela, Msondile Kunelise.

MS MAYA: These people who were assaulting you, did you know who they were?

MAKI ZOKOZA: I am not going to lie, Mr Chairperson.  I do not know who the people were, I do not even have a picture of them today.

MS MAYA: What happened after that?

MAKI ZOKOZA: They were assaulting us, they beat us until the morning.  They took us to Bisho.

MS MAYA: What happened there?

MAKI ZOKOZA: We were asked what we were doing at Bhele.  We said that we are just members of the African National Congress.

MS MAYA: Even there do you know any people?

MAKI ZOKOZA: No, we did not recognise any people.  Our eyes were full of blood at that time.  We were all swollen up.

MS MAYA: Did you go to a doctor to get a letter or a paper saying that you got injured?

MAKI ZOKOZA: Yes, I went to, we went to a doctor at Grey Hospital.

MS MAYA: Do you still have these papers?

MAKI ZOKOZA: Yes, I do.

MS MAYA: Did you go to report to the police?

MAKI ZOKOZA: Yes, we went to the police to report this and we opened a docket.

CHAIRPERSON: We would like to take a break for 15 minutes and we will come back at ten to 12.  I will come back to you, Sir.  We will ...

MS MAYA: Mr Zokoza, your house was destroyed at this time?

MAKI ZOKOZA: Thank you Mr Chairperson.  I have mentioned that there are people who were with me while we were being beaten up.  I have forgotten someone.  He was Zama Siphaykie, Zama Siphaykie.  Let me now answer your question.  It was on the second of April.  As a leader, as a Chairperson of SANCO, the residents asked me to go to Zwelitsha together with certain people so that they can get pension from the Government.  It was on a Friday.  I took two people with me.  When I arrived in Zwelitsha we were rejected, because it was said that as a Chairperson I have no right to take people to get a pension.  A headman had the right to take these people so that they can get a pension.  They said that I was taking headman's place.  I then apologised, but I said that, according to my view, the Bhele people elected me to go there to ask pension for these people, but I said that I will go back to the people and report this matter.
 We came back from Zwelitsha.  When we were in town at the taxi rank, in the bus rank, one young man from Bhele township, Mr Vumani, I have forgotten his name, he said to me your house had been burnt down.  I did not believe this.  I could have died due to shock that day.  As a man I was strong.  I knew God planned this, because he gave me strength not to fall down, to be strong.  We, myself and Selmane decided to go and meet this SANCO in the sub-region.  We told them that our houses were burnt down.  The sub-region then phoned the Red Cross.  They said that these people will come and take us there.

MS MAYA: Who burnt down your house?

MAKI ZOKOZA: At that time I was, I did not know, I was in town.  We decided to go and see what happened. We could not wait for the Red Cross to come.  Mr Chairperson, I took a taxi home.  When I arrived at home my house was in flames.  I did not ask anybody.  I went to the top, got water and I tried to put the water off.  I heard that the fire brigade was there, but they could not help.  My second child's furniture was in that house.  Everything was in ashes.  I was left with what I had on my body.  There was no blankets, there was nothing.

MS MAYA: Did you hear who burnt the house or what happened?