Human Rights Violation Hearings — Mooiriver — 1997-05-28

WITNESS:   It is Muwele.  They ran into my yard and I opened the door for them to come into the house, and we hid ourselves in the house.  I got into the wardrobe, and my father was just lying on top of the bed because he was intoxicated.  And we hid ourselves, and the Inkatha approached.  They kicked the door open, they got my father, who was sleeping.  They stabbed him.  What I heard my father saying was, "What have I done, my boy?  Why are you stabbing me?  Why are you making me leave my children behind at such a tender age?"  And when I got out of the wardrobe the Inkatha was already running out, and I saw my father rolling off from the bed until he fell onto the floor.  We stayed inside the house because they were chasing the people who were at the sports ground.  And when they were going back to the hostel, that is the impi, we went out of the house.  There was a police van, and I tried to stop the police van.  They just looked at me as if I was crazy and they drove past.  I do not know this man who was driving, but I can identify him if I could see him.  And they went past.  We went out of the yard, trying to get some help, and I ran to call my neighbours to tell them that my father had been stabbed.  And one of the neighbours said that my father was dead already.

MRS GCABASHE: Who were these neighbours?

WITNESS:   I don't know where Thabile stays.  Her surname Hlatikhulu.  She was a boarder at my neighbour's place, as well as Mrs Dladla, who has since died.  From there I went to the neighbour's places, and the neighbours came with me back to my place, and we went to Mrs Dladla's house.  My mother was not at home, they had visited some relatives in town, and she came back from that area.

MRS GCABASHE: At the time that you were going to Dladla's place where was your father?

WITNESS:   My father was left in the house.  He was dead already.  And the police came to take my father's body, and that's when they got my mother.

MRS GCABASHE: You may continue.  What happened after the police had taken your father?

WITNESS:   They took my father to the mortuary.

MRS GCABASHE: Do you still remember the policemen who came to fetch your father?

WITNESS:   My mother knows more about these police.

MRS GCABASHE: What were the names of the police?

WITNESS:   It was du Toit and Ngubane, and quite a number of other policemen whom I didn't know.

MRS GCABASHE: Is Ngubane still alive?

WITNESS:   The last time I knew about him he was still working.  They were from Mooi River Police Station and they were quite a group, but I identified Ngubane and du Toit.

MRS GCABASHE: You may continue.

WITNESS:   They took my husband's body to the mortuary.  Let me point something out that is important.  In my father's death certificate they wrote a wrong date.  I don't know as to why a wrong date was written.  He died on the 7th, but the death certificate was written as if he died on the 7th - on the 9th.

MRS GCABASHE: Did you open up a case?

WITNESS:   No, we never did. Did you report to the police?   ---   We did report at the time that the police were taking his body, but they did not take the matter any further.

MRS GCABASHE: Was there any inquest?

WITNESS:   No, there wasn't.

MRS GCABASHE: Did they ever call you to come and answer some questions or find out more about the circumstances surrounding your father's death?

WITNESS:   No, we were never called.

MRS GCABASHE: You said - how old were you?

WITNESS:   I was 13 years old at that time.

MRS GCABASHE: Can you please tell us as to how this affected you as a person?

WITNESS:   I could say that I was traumatised because this happened at quite a tender age.  When I was 15 years old I went to see a doctor and he diagnosed me as suffering from high blood pressure.  He said my high blood pressure was very high for my age, because it was 190.  And I was traumatised because I could not further my studies at school.  My father was very close to me, and I was the apple of his eye.  Even when I was ill or sick he used to take me to the doctor.  I was very close to him.  We had a wonderful relationship.

MRS GCABASHE: Are you the only daughter at home?

WITNESS:   No, I am the first daughter.  There is another one who is younger than me.

MRS GCABASHE: And what happened to your schooling?  Did you continue?

WITNESS:   Thereafter I started failing my studies, and I did not know as to how I failed, because during the course of the year I would fare quite well, but at the end of the year, when I am writing my final exams, I would fail.  Now I am no longer attending school because I do not have the means.  I stopped schooling at standard seven.  I had passed my standard seven.

MRS GCABASHE: If you had the means to go back to school would you go back to school?

WITNESS:   Yes, I would.

MRS GCABASHE: What about the other children?  How were they affected by this?

WITNESS:   I could say they are also traumatised.

MRS GCABASHE: How are they traumatised?  What do you mean?  Just explain to us what you mean by that.

WITNESS:   The other children also had a problem at school, they couldn't concentrate, and they are also not working because there are no jobs available

MRS GCABASHE: And what standards did they leave school?

WITNESS:   In standard six, both of them.

MRS GCABASHE: And what about the younger two?

WITNESS:   They are still at school and they are not affected by this whole thing.

MRS GCABASHE: What about your mother?  How has this affected her wellbeing?

WITNESS:   I am not well.  I force myself to go to work because I cannot do otherwise, but I am physically not well.  I am physically not well.

MRS GCABASHE: What is it that you feel?  Is it a headache, is it pains?

WITNESS:   Well, I am always tired.  I am always very tired.  I do feel that I cannot go on working.

MRS GCABASHE: Are you seeing any doctors?

WITNESS:   Yes, I do go to the clinic because I don't have the money to see a private doctor, because if my husband was there I could be going to see doctors.

MRS GCABASHE: Where are you working?

WITNESS:   There is a small firm in Mooi River called FM.  That's where I am holding temporary positions there.  They fetched me from work to here. Thandeka, have you ever seen a doctor, or do you take any treatment for your high blood pressure?   ---   Yes, I do go to the Mooi River Clinic.

MRS GCABASHE: It is very apparent that you were traumatised, because at your age it is not very usual to suffer from high blood pressure, and at 180 it is quite alarming.  You must continue taking your treatment, and, as your mother has already explained that you do not have any money, you should talk to one of the briefers, submit your names, so that you can be able to get some medical attention without having to pay.  Even your disturbance at school, there is a high probability that you need to undergo some counselling so that you can be helped to cope with your loss, and maybe you can even further your studies.  Lastly I will just say that it's very difficult for us to even imagine the pain through which you have gone, but the most important thing is that you have come before this Commission to talk about your stories, and we would also advise you to undergo this treatment.  You might probably go back to school and continue with your education, so you should submit your names to the briefers so that you can be helped in any manner possible.

KHOZA MGOJO: I just want to clarify you on the issue of seeing the doctors.  You do not go to any of the doctors, especially private doctors, but we are referring to the provincial hospitals.  Which provincial hospital is close to you?

WITNESS:   It's the Brandville Clinic.

KHOZA MGOJO: Any doctor who can help you is a doctor who is in a provincial hospital.  When you say you do not have money to go back to school, what money are you referring to?  Are you referring to the school fees?