Human Rights Violation Hearings — Durban — 1996-08-30

WITNESS:   At Mahlabatini and near Nkanga, on that particular night - because the situation was not quite well, so I was not at Mahlabatini, so I was in one of my wives' houses.  Because of the situation that was there my wife, together with the children, decided that she should not sleep at home because it was not safe.  There was a faction fight between ANC and Inkatha.  They wanted members.  My wife ran to Nkanga, where there was a Dlomo family, who is my cousin.  They slept at that house.  Because the children had to go to school the following morning they woke up very early the following morning, and she was preparing for the children to go to school.  Before they even got home they were followed by certain men.  According to the children they said these were three men who were wearing Balaclavas.  They started shooting them.  My wife was shot at that time, and she fell in front of the yard.  My twins were also shot, Thulisile and Thulile.  They were shot in the legs.  The elder daughter managed to run away, and she hid herself behind the trees.  Thulile and Thulisile also followed suit, they went to hide with their sister.  They hid there for quite some time, and they were waiting for the people to disappear.  Thereafter they proceeded home.  That's where Xolisile went.  She took a shawl and she went to cover her mother.  And my neighbour, who had a shop, went and took the twins, Thulile and Thulisile.  Thulisile had been shot in the leg only.  Thulile has got a wound just below the scapula, as well as on her right leg.  After this had happened the police got a message, the Isipingo police got a message, and they went to fetch my wife's corpse to the mortuary.  Apparently they were sent by my son, Mduduzi, because he also nearly died because he had slept at a certain house opposite the Dlomo family, and he was following them.  When this was happening he was behind his sisters, and when he heard gunshots he realised that his mother, as well as his sisters, were injured and he went back to raise the alarm, because the police in Isipingo came to fetch the corpse.  After they had been discharged from the hospital - I asked the hospital to discharge them because I wanted them to come back to their mother's funeral.  This happened on the 13th, and that weekend went past.  The following weekend I asked for them to be released so that they could come to their mother's funeral.  The police took the statement.  Thulile also submitted a statement.  I took the children to the police, and that was the end of the matter.  I was never filled in as to what has happened.  That's why I have come before this Commission.  Thank you.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... just ask you some questions to clarify one or two aspects please.  That area you were living in there were people of different political persuasions all living together, if I understand your statement correctly.

WITNESS:   That is correct.  It was Inkatha as well as ANC.

MR LAX: And you're not actually sure, from what I understand in your statement, who these people were that shot your family members.

WITNESS:   I am not very positive because myself, together with my family, I was never involved in any political organisation, and none of my family was affiliated to any.  Because I always believed that I did not want to be involved in politics because these political organisations are not for illiterate people.  Because I am illiterate, and I thought the political organisations were gunning for people who were literate.  Now after this had happened I do not believe these are people who were literate.  I think these were just thugs who were hiding behind political organisations, because if I had to control an organisation I would choose who would join a particular political organisation.  Because the people who killed my loved ones, I do not think they know anything about politics.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... Ndimande.  Now, how old was your wife when she was killed?

WITNESS:   We were both born in 1948.

MR LAX: Your two daughters, have they recovered now?  From their injuries that is?

WITNESS:   I cannot say that they are well.  From looking at them I could say they are well, but last year they failed standard six, and I think something is happening in their lives because they have never failed before.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... has affected them, you think, definitely affected their school work and so on?

WITNESS:   I can say that, because they are not lazy at school, but I saw them failing.

MR LAX: Has Xolisile been affected by this at all?

WITNESS:   Xolisile was not affected, because at school she is faring quite well.  She is in standard 10 now at Umlazi Commercial.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... that paper you've taken out, or is there something there you want to draw to our attention?

WITNESS:   It is true.  There is something that I want to say, because the way my family had been traumatised, I am still traumatised even now.  Now I am even more traumatised.  I am traumatised by the Government itself.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... please.

WITNESS:   I want to say as I am part of the community I am not harassed as an individual, but as a community or a member of the community.  Lungile Ruth Ndimande is here with us.  He is at Natal Durban campus.  He is doing his second year in accounting, cost management.  He passed his standard 10 in 1994.  Up until now he has not yet received his certificate.  I want this Commission to take further steps on behalf of our children, because as it is now I am walking up and down at Umlazi Commercial, but I am not getting any answers.  My child is being harassed at school.  They promised her with expulsion because I do not have money, and I do not know what to do at this juncture. (Inaudible) ... what I would suggest you do is come and see us in the office about these additional things, and we can try and point you in the right direction to get assistance with them, but they are not matters directly within the Commission's work.  But we will definitely point you in the right direction with them.  If I could just follow up.  You've indicated that since you have been retrenched from work, in your statement, you've been getting some support from one of your sons, your eldest son in fact.  Is that correct?   ---   That is correct, but now he has also lost his job, and he also wants to go back and further his education next year, because he got a standard 10 exemption and he wants to further his studies.  And he also has three children.

MR LAX: As far as you know has there ever been a case by the - or an inquest following up on your wife's death?

WITNESS:  I have not heard anything up until now, so I don't know what happened to the police in Isipingo.  They never contacted me thereafter.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... made to the Isipingo Police Station were made quite soon after your wife was killed, is that right?

WITNESS:   That is correct.  I reported it immediately after my wife was attacked and killed.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... can try and trace the records of that there for you.  I hand back to the Chairperson.

DR MAGWAZA: You have been harassed and traumatised.  The main objective of the Commission is to look at this other aspect or facet of trauma that the families go through.  I want to know as to how old were your twins when they got injured, or how old are they now?

WITNESS:   At the time that they - they were born in 1981, and they got injured in 1993, which means they were almost 12 when they were injured.

DR MAGWAZA: How old is Xolisile?

WITNESS:   Xolisile was born in 1979.

DR MAGWAZA: As they were 12-year-olds, and they have now lost their mother, who is staying with them now?

WITNESS:   They are staying with my son.  They went back to Umbumbulu, where we were born.

DR MAGWAZA: When you look at them you see them as healthy human beings?

WITNESS:   That is correct.