Human Rights Violation Hearings — Alexandra — 1996-10-28

JABU JAMES MALINGA: I started knowing her when we attended a funeral of one boy who was shot.  That is when I started knowing her.

<UNKNOWN>: Can you tell us how do you know her, was she involved as a comrade?

JABU JAMES MALINGA: I know her as a youth member.  We were singing together, she was always there at the meetings and she was mainly active on the girls side.  That is how I know her.

YASMINE SOOKA: Tell us, you have talked about being taken by the police to an open field where you were then burnt.  Could you tell us how they did this burning.

JABU JAMES MALINGA: They drained some petrol from the car and they
ALEXANDRA HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
10 MALINGA
handcuffed me.  Then they poured the petrol over me and then they threatened to burn me should I not be willing to talk the truth.  That is when they started beating me up and they burnt me, demanding the truth, and I refused.

YASMINE SOOKA: Had Theresa been killed by the comrades?

JABU JAMES MALINGA: I cannot say because I was at home.  I just heard of Theresa's death at home.

YASMINE SOOKA: Is there anything else that you would like to add to what you already said?

JABU JAMES MALINGA: I wish that all these people who killed us, they must come forward and reveal all these things they did to us because even today we are not satisfied up until they come forward in front of this Commission and reveal all these things that they did to the people.  They must all come, even the Cabassas.  They must come forward and reveal the truth.  Maybe we might forgive them.  But if they don't come forward I would never be happy, there will never be peace amongst us.  What I can say is we have been long waiting for the Commission.  We didn't know where to take our grievances to and we thank the ANC and the Truth Commission for giving us this opportunity to relive our stories and even those people that we harmed, they must please forgive us.  We were only victims of apartheid and even those white men that we injured, they must please forgive us.

YASMINE SOOKA: Thank you for sharing your story with us.  It is quite a horrible one and I am sure that the burning of your leg is something which will remain with you for a long, long time.  What is very ... (nothing further on tape) ... what you say is that you spent three months on a farm without really being properly charged and it is a matter that we
ALEXANDRA HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
11 MALINGA
should actually look at very carefully to find out why the normal channels of justice were bypassed.  We hear you when you say that you are without a job today.  That you even lost your wife.  We share your pain in all the things that have been done to you and we will investigate the matter and try and come back to you on what you have told us today.  Thank you for coming and in the same way that you have appealed for people to come forward we appeal to those people who may even be sitting amongst us that if you have committed gross human rights violations that you should come forward and make an application for amnesty. We do have our statement takers who are in activity room 1 and if you have information to give or to share or if you want to know more about amnesty they are available to assist you.  The cry of victims right around the country is to know who did it and why they did it.  That is one of the functions of the Commission, to find out who did it and why they did it.  We thank you for coming today to tell us what happened to you.