Human Rights Violation Hearings — Grahamstown — 1997-04-09

JUNE CRICHTON: All right, was he a member of one of the school organisations?  The political organisations?

NOZIPHO EUNICE SIYONA: Are you referring to Phindile Siyona?

JUNE CRICHTON: Yes, yes I am just referring to Phindile at this stage?

NOZIPHO EUNICE SIYONA: Yes, he was.

JUNE CRICHTON: Then when the post-mortem was done, it says in your statement that the post-mortem was conducted without the family being present and the ANC was not happy about that.  Did you actually get a paper from them on the results of the post-mortem from the Government, from the police?  Did they give you a statement that was totally different to the one that the ANC gave you?

NOZIPHO EUNICE SIYONA: No, but we were surprised to hear that the post-mortem had been conducted and we had to come and fetch his corpse, but the ANC Doctor said that his heart had been ripped, had been shattered by the bullet.

JUNE CRICHTON: The funeral went off without any incident, after you had asked for strength from God and you had received that strength to say how many you were going to have at that funeral, is that correct?

NOZIPHO EUNICE SIYONA: Yes, the funeral went off without incident.

JUNE CRICHTON: And at this point you are still concerned that the deceased was said to be guilty of throwing stones?

NOZIPHO EUNICE SIYONA: No, I was not even expecting that, so it didn't faze me much.

JUNE CRICHTON: ; But in your statement I see that you are actually saying that you want the Truth Commission to investigate your son's death again, is that still your
request?

NOZIPHO EUNICE SIYONA: When I submitted my statement, I said that this whole thing is bringing back, reopening old wounds, and that is the reason why I avoided attending the court hearings.  All I thank God for is that I could take my child and bury him, others did not even see their children, they just heard that their children were dead or received the bones.
 I was just grateful for the opportunity to take my child, identify him and bury him.

JUNE CRICHTON: Is your health now seriously affected by this, how are you Mrs Siyona?

NOZIPHO EUNICE SIYONA: Yes, thereafter I went to the Doctor and I was diagnosed as having high blood pressure and I am still under medication.

JUNE CRICHTON: Have you any particular request to the Commission, other than what you told us already?

NOZIPHO EUNICE SIYONA: I don't see what I can ask for except to say that the Truth Commission can see in which way it can assist me.

JUNE CRICHTON: Have you completed your testimony, is there anything further that you want to add to what you said already?

NOZIPHO EUNICE SIYONA: There is nothing more I would like to add.

JUNE CRICHTON: Thank you very much Mrs Siyona, I will hand you back to the Chairperson.

CHAIRPERSON: Mrs Siyona, who was the Doctor in Adelaide, you said he was a Doctor from Adelaide.  Who was he?

JUNE CRICHTON: I don't know, I saw him in court wearing a Doctor's coat.  I don't know if he is still around, but I don't think that his name will not be reflected in Tabata's
books because he was present there.

CHAIRPERSON: Who were the people who came to ask you for forgiveness?

NOZIPHO EUNICE SIYONA: These were the White policemen I just heard them say that they were looking for the family.  Teddy was with the policemen.

CHAIRPERSON: Do you know what Teddy's surname is?

NOZIPHO EUNICE SIYONA: No, I only know him as Teddy.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you Mrs Siyona, we will now go to Mrs  Kama.

MS MAYA: Thank you Mr Chairperson.  Mrs Kama are you Zanyiwe Sylvia Kama?

ZANYIWE SYLVIA KAMA: Yes.

MS MAYA: According to the statement in front of us, you are going to talk about two incidents?

ZANYIWE SYLVIA KAMA: Yes.

MS MAYA: You are going to talk about Lulama Kama who was 13 years and Xolani Kama?

ZANYIWE SYLVIA KAMA: Yes, that is correct.

MS MAYA: Lulama was shot?

ZANYIWE SYLVIA KAMA: Yes.

MS MAYA: Xolani was shot in the back, he was injured, is that correct?

ZANYIWE SYLVIA KAMA: Yes.

MS MAYA: These incidents happened in different years.  When was Lulama shot dead?

ZANYIWE SYLVIA KAMA: Lulama Kama was shot in 1985.  She was the first victim in Fort Beaufort to be shot.  She was shot by Amanqundwani.

MS MAYA: Is he Lulama?

ZANYIWE SYLVIA KAMA: Yes, he is Lulama.

MS MAYA: Did this happen on the 2nd of February 1985?

ZANYIWE SYLVIA KAMA: Yes.

MS MAYA: Please tell us what was happening at Fort Beaufort at this time?

ZANYIWE SYLVIA KAMA: In 1985 we were not aware of riots at that time.  Lulama Kama did not do anything.  There was a meeting of the Councillors at Nyibiba with the residents.  There was conflict in that meeting between the Councillors and the residents.  On the following week the children were toyi-toying in the streets.
 Lulama was passing by, he was coming from the yard.  My mother sent him to the shop to buy sugar.  Because he was young, we did not expect anything to happen to him.  He then went to the shop.
 He joined the people who were singing in the streets.  When he was coming back from the shop, there were two of them.  His friend was Patani Kahlani.  Lulama was coming back home, his friend was going to another township.
 Lulama met the Councillors, the Fort Beaufort Councillors, they shot him.  The witness said that he was the car coming towards, going towards Lulama and they shot him.  Lulama managed to go to one house, Nomita Tebe sent a message that Lulama was shot in that yard.
 When that car left, it shot the child, Lulama's friend but he did not die, he was taken to East London for an operation.  He said that those were Siphiwo Ngqizani and Soki Gontsi who shot them.

MS MAYA: Are you referring to Patani Kahlani?

ZANYIWE SYLVIA KAMA: Yes.

MS MAYA: Where is he now?

ZANYIWE SYLVIA KAMA: He is not in this hall.

MS MAYA: Is he still alive?

ZANYIWE SYLVIA KAMA: Yes, he is still alive.

MS MAYA: That is what happened to Lulama?

ZANYIWE SYLVIA KAMA: It was at night, we couldn't go to town to report this to the police, because the Councillors were shooting all over in that time.  We stayed with him until the next morning.  My brother went in the following morning to call the police.  Rali, a policeman came, they then took him to Stompie Funeral Parlour.  He was already dead at that time.
 The police were there.  It was said that he was not going to be kept in that mortuary.  We were told to bury him on Wednesday.  My brother refused because he told them that this child did not do anything, he was still very young.
 He then went to the Coloured Funeral Parlour in Newtown, he was admitted in that parlour.  The police said that we must bury him immediately.  My brother then said that we are going to bury him on Saturday because the rest of the family is not here.
 They then agreed.  They then refused that, they said that we must bury him the following week, on Wednesday, they then said that people in the funeral must not be over 100.  My brother argued with them, he told them that we are going to bury him according to our needs.
 He was then buried the following week on Wednesday.  They disrupted the funeral.  One person came from the township.  He said that the Councillors are waiting for us, they are going to shoot the people who are in the funeral.
 The family then went back home.  The people left, we left the people behind.  When we arrived at home as a family, one other man came.  We heard that Mr Madakana is dead.
 These people just shot at him.  The people did not go
back to my home to wash hands, everybody was all over the township.

MS MAYA: Thank you Ma'am.

ZANYIWE SYLVIA KAMA: We as the family, we are waiting for people to come home, the hippo came together with the Councillors' cars.  The police were also there.  The car was in front of the hippo.  They then shot at us while we were in our yard.
 I then woke up in hospital, I do not know what was going on.

MS MAYA: Thank you Ma'am.  Were these Councillors staying in the township?