Human Rights Violation Hearings — Moutse — 1996-12-04

CHAIRPERSON: We welcome you Mary.  With whom are you?

MARY NOMSA MASEKO: This is Madoda Amigo.

CHAIRPERSON: How is he related to you?

MARY NOMSA MASEKO: He is the friend to the deceased.  They were together in 1986 when this thing happened.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.  I am going to ask Wynand to lead you in taking the oath then thereafter Mr Russell Ally will lead you in your evidence.

MARY NOMSA MASEKO: (sworn states)

RUSSELL ALLY: Mrs Maseko welcome and thank you for coming.  You are coming to speak about your son, Jabulani Vincent Maseko who was shot and then died in hospital as a result of that shooting.  If you could just tell us your understanding of what happened to your son.

MARY NOMSA MASEKO: In 1986 on the 25th May I was at work.  I left the children back here.  I didn't have a place of my own and I left them because I wanted to work for them so that they can be educated at the end of the day. I am going to talk about an incident that took place in 1986.  I was not at home, I was at work.  I arrived in this area in 1982 to build myself a house because I didn't have a place of my own and I went back to work, I left the children in this area because they were at school.  It was in 1983 and 1984 and in 1985 they were still going to school and then in 1986 on the 25th May I was called that Vincent had been shot.  (Witness
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very upset).  In 1986 I got a call that Jabu Vincent had been shot.  It was on a Sunday, he was together with this friend of his, Madoda.  He was shot at about eight o'clock in the evening.  I was told that there was trouble in the township and his friend arrived at home and he said to him we have to prepare ourselves so that we can go back to school because schooling was not normal at all.  His friend  related this to me, he said Jabu took him halfway as he was leaving for home.  They were passing through an open field, that is where they took different ways.  They greeted and Madoda went to his home and Jabu had to go back home.  It wasn't long thereafter and I asked Madoda what happened thereafter and he said to me he only heard gunshots and it never came to his mind that his friend was being shot.  And then next day Madoda went back to see him because they set an appointment the previous day because they were going to peruse through their textbooks and when Madoda arrived at home he found my father at home and he asked them why aren't you happy and they said to him please do not ask any further Madoda, Jabu has been shot and he asked them where is he and they said we have taken him to Denelton hospital and the people who shot at him are not known. And he asked them whether he knew the people who shot at him and he gave them an answer, he said no.  He was lying where he was shot and he was crying for help, not even one of my neighbours went to help him.  The next morning, on the 26th May, it was a Monday, he was found and my father was called and he was taken to Denelton.  He had already been taken to Denelton hospital by my father and he tried by all means, Madoda, to reach Denelton.  That was on the 26th May.  He said to me he was given the directions and he was taken by my father to
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the hospital ... (nothing further on tape) ... to the theatre to clean the wounds and it later came out that the bullet penetrated his body and he wanted to talk to him and the nurse allowed Madoda to see him and he was given an instruction not to let him talk for a long time.  And he went in and he asked him Vincent my friend what happened because we greeted each other last night and we set an appointment for this morning, what happened then and Jabulani said to him I was shot by the Mbokoto people.  Madoda asked him do you know them, tell me do you know them.  Tell me if you know them, I want to know and Vincent said please come closer I want to whisper this into your ear, I don't want to say anything because walls have ears.  Maybe I won't get help any further if I can talk loud and Madoda said please tell me who these people are, I will write their names down and I will never say anything.  I can see the situation is bad.  And he went close to him and he whispered.  He said when we separated a white car approached and they said to me why are you burning our stores, don't you see that we are poor, don't you want to abide by the law.  And he said who are you and they said we are Mbokoto and Vincent said to them why do you shoot at people then and they started shooting at him and Madoda asked him do you know their names, he said it is Makawe Mitimunya.  (Witness very upset).

RUSSELL ALLY: Mrs Maseko you can take your time.  Don't feel rushed in any way.  Continue when you are ready.

MARY NOMSA MASEKO: Then Madoda asked him were you shot by these people, are you sure?  He said yes, please don't tell anybody because if you reveal this secret they are going to finish me here at the  hospital, I am going to die here.
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And he said to him my friend I will not tell anybody that these three people shot at you.  We are going to help you, you are going to be healed and then you are going to be discharged from the hospital.  I buried my child on the 6th June and everything was completed and on the 12th June these people arrived.  I didn't know who they were.  I was at home, I was mourning for my child because I had asked for a few days at work and they gave me two weeks.  On the 12th May these men arrived at my home.  I was sitting outside.  Because I didn't even know what this Mbokoto was.  I didn't know anything really.  Vans approached my house, there was a lorry, there was a kombi, there was a white car with tinted windows.  I was puzzled, wondering what was happening because I buried my child.  And these men said to me why are you standing outside and they insulted me, they said get into the house and they were talking among themselves they said this is the place and the other one said no, the boy is not here any more and my neighbour said to me listen my friend these are not the comrades, these are the members of Mbokoto, please try to hide and I slowly moved into the house.  I didn't know these were members of Mbokoto because this neighbour of mine said please don't look, make as if you have seen nothing, get into the house and keep quiet.  And one of them in the group said you were told not to kill them, you have to assault them.  I went into the house, I don't know what happened thereafter but from that day I knew that Mbokoto was this group of people but I cannot identify them really.

RUSSELL ALLY: Thank you Mrs Maseko.

MARY NOMSA MASEKO: I thank you.

RUSSELL ALLY: Would you be able to answer a few questions just
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to help us with our work?  Would it be okay if I ask you a few questions?

MARY NOMSA MASEKO: If the questions are not long, sir, I am ready.

RUSSELL ALLY: Okay, I will try to keep them as short as possible.  Are you sure you are okay to continue?  Mrs Maseko if you are not please don't feel that you have to.

MARY NOMSA MASEKO: I think I have said my last word, I don't have anything to say any more.

RUSSELL ALLY: Mrs Maseko I will only ask you two questions then please, which would be very important for us.  The first is the friend of your late son, it is very important that we get a statement from him, from Madoda, because if your son actually revealed to him the names of the people who your son believes shot at him it is very important that we get that statement so if he hasn't given a statement if you could please arrange with our statement takers so that we can contact him and get a statement from him.

MARY NOMSA MASEKO: He has submitted a statement.