Human Rights Violation Hearings — Beaufort West — 1996-08-12

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Chairperson before I proceed may I read an excerpt from the Crisis News and the title is a Woman's Story.  As you can all tell and I quote
This is not a story that makes easy reading, nor easy listening too.  Though the words used are simple and straightforward enough.  It is another of those horrifying stories that one hears out in the field or on advice offices, that seldom reach the press.
The young victim in this case is not a well-known person.  She is an ordinary young girl, and I repeat young girl, bright and fluent in English, not frail or particularly strong.  Just a young woman.  This is a story of a woman who spent nearly a year in detention, who was tortured, sexually abused so badly that soon she did not trust anybody anymore, not even the male doctor who came to examine her.  She did not dare tell the full story to anybody until she was out of jail and out of reach.
 Today there is a sense of empowerment such empowerment that Ms Zingxondo can tell her story in public, in a sense I feel ashamed as if I am a voyeur taking a peek into a brave soldiers private experience.  But Ms Zingxondo wants to tell her story and she is very brave today.
 Ntombizanele I know this is very difficult for you because in a sense you have to relive this.  And in fact when we talked during lunch, you were not sure that you would be able to go with it.  I know I speak for the Chairperson and my colleagues on the panel.  But your story is very humbling indeed.  I am not going to ask you anymore questions, but I am going to ask you if there is anything that you believe that the Commission should know using the  [indistinct]  that I gave you during lunch time to remind you of the horrible experience, if there is anything else that you believe that we should know, would you please proceed.

UNKNOWN: People in George still believe that I was part and parcel of the murder of Africa, the man who was burnt to death.  I was not, I cannot until today tell where I was and I am quite sure that the person who I was with can also confirm it that I was not there during the evening on the scene, during the evening of his death.
 His parents are putting the blame on me also, yet I was not, my late mamma died, not knowing if I was innocent or guilty, she died having a question mark whether her daughter was a murder or not, I was not.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: I think it would be very stupid of me to ask you how you are doing today and how you survived throughout this period.

UNKNOWN: I tried to forget what happened, but it is impossible, or especially when I visit George or Knysna.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Do you want to go on?

UNKNOWN: No.

MAPULE RAMASHALA: Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you, Zanele thank you, quite often we have the privilege of listening to remarkable stories have ended up saying how proud we are that there are people like yourself, there are very-very many and saying it to you is saying it to all of them.  But to say it to you especially when you were very young, Dr Ramashala read a thing which said that a young girl, you still very young now, those few years ago you were much-much younger and to have undergone the kind of experience that you did and you didn't break is quite remarkable.
 It's a wonderful testimony to the resilience of your spirit and even your body.  And we thank God for you and for those like you who made the victory against the injustice and awfulness of apartheid possible.  I know it is not going to take away the anguish and the agony that you underwent then and the knowledge that you have a mother died wondering where she had brought forth a child who was a murderer.  But now I mean that we - we are proud of you, we are proud that there were people like you, that is why the victory happened.
 We don't claim to be able to do a great deal but we hope that one of the things that the Commission may be able to do is to establish the truth and help to rehabilitate you.  And that those who still believe that you may have had a hand in - in the murder of Africa, will come to know the truth.  But we've been in an incredible kind of country that has sought to chew up it's children.  We said this morning again that quite a few of our children didn't have the chance of enjoying their childhood.  They became adults, the twinkling of an eye.
 But here we are, now you are able to tell your story and that has happened in part because you helped to win the victory.  The victory that seeks to make this country one that will be hospitable to young people to children, a country that will let it's children be children to play the games that children play.  To enjoy their innocence of childhood.
 We want to salute you and all those like you who have paid such an incredible price that has brought us where we are and I would ask that we - we stand as a special mark of respect for all of those like yourself.

CHAIRPERSON: We will adjourn until nine o'clock tomorrow and please will you ensure that you leave the headsets behind, thank you for those of you who have been able to come - you are part of a very important history in the making - you are being part of the healing of our land and maybe you will be able to get a few more of your people to come and be part of this process.
 Will the witnesses please leave - order please - thank  you.