Human Rights Violation Hearings — Tembisa — 1996-11-28

MR LEWIN: We would like to welcome visitors to the session this afternoon including Wally Serote, MP and Chair of the Arts and Culture Portfolio Committee,  Cape Town.  We are now back in Tembisa.  We are very pleased also to have with us Mike Mdlala who is the Chairman of the Executive Committee on the Metropolitan substructure and if I could please ask Mr Mdlala to come to the witness stand together with Dipho Mokoena who will be with us briefly to talk about a special case involving a Tembisa resident.  Thank you.  Miss Mokoena we would like to welcome you to the stand.  You have with you on your right Mike Mdlala and the pastor on your left will he also be talking?

DIPHO MOKOENA: He will be backing us as a pastor.

MR LEWIN: Thank you very much.  Before you give your evidence could I ask you to please take the oath.

DIPHO MOKOENA: (sworn states)

MR LEWIN: Mr Mdlala if I could ask you to take the oath.

MICHAEL MDLALA: (sworn states)

MR LEWIN: Miss Mokoena we are pleased that you have been able to join us.  As you know we have been hearing stories over the last two days particularly about the state of events in Tembisa during the 1990's.  The story that you will tell us about this afternoon in fact goes back to the 70's and then into the '80's, telling us the story of Brian Tobogo Mazibuku, who is your close friend, close friend of both of you.  If you could please just briefly in your own
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words feel relaxed but tell us his story.  Thank you.

DIPHO MOKOENA: Briefly before I start what I would mention about Brian Tobogo Mbudelo Mazibuku.  I will talk as a close friend and intimate friend.  The political side of it I will give it to Mike Mdlala to talk about.
 I am here today to ask the Truth Commission to help us to investigate about the death of Brian Mazibuku. Brian, we stayed together as, I mentioned earlier on that he was my close friend.  On the eve of his death he woke up early in the morning.  He went to Fiko Mdlala's house and he said they are going to attend a meeting.

MR LEWIN: Can you tell us when this was?

DIPHO MOKOENA: Sorry?

MR LEWIN: The date?

DIPHO MOKOENA: I don't  have a specific date at this moment but I think it was in 1993 in August.  I don't have a specific date.

MR LEWIN: August '83?

DIPHO MOKOENA: '83.  He went to Mike Mdlala's place and they were going to attend a meeting, I don't know what the meeting was all about.  I went to church.  When I came back from church we normally eat lunch together but on that Sunday I ate lunch by myself and my mom and we waited for him to come back. The message was that he is still in the meeting or with Mike Mdlala.
 We waited until maybe 7 o'clock hoping that he will come back.  Still he didn't come back.  On that same Sunday we slept at about nine'ish.  As usually before we sleep we would pray together, but on that Sunday it was me and my mom only and we prayed  for him to be safe wherever he is.  The reason for us to pray every night is because immediately TEMBISA HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
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after he came back from Robben Island he was suspicious that his life was no longer safe.  And we were visited by police or maybe you will see other cars coming around our home.   That Sunday we slept, he didn't come back.  Monday morning I was doing some commercial subjects in Joburg.  We take our normal routine my mom went to work I went to school, but when I was at school in Joburg I sensed there is something wrong with me.  I couldn't understand what it was, and I left school at about one in the afternoon.  When I came back home I found neighbours and friends very strange to me and I went and slept. I thought maybe it's because I am going to catch flu or something.  
 At about 5 o'clock I woke up and when I woke up I found the house was full.  In that house we had friends like Fiko Mdlala and other people.  They were coming to us as to really what happened with Brian Mazibuku on that Monday.  Because I didn't know what happened to him I was (...indistinct) and we wanted to know what happened to him.  And as they knew that I was very close to him nobody wanted to tell me exactly what happened to him until Fiko Mdlala and Ruben the one who was present when Brian Mazibuku was attacked.  Then they started to unfold what happened to him that Sunday. 
 I started to cry.  I was shattered.  I didn't know what to do.  It was just he was killed.  I think I will end there.  Fiko Mdlala will continue.

MR LEWIN: Thanks very much.  Mr Mdlala could I ask you to continue the story and perhaps if you could take us back to when you were together post '76 and on Robben Island.

MICHAEL MDLALA: Thank you very much.  I am hoping I will be as brief as possible, but the story is long.  Brian and I were
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students in Tembisa High School in 1976 when the uprisings started, with quite a number of other people present here in the hall.  All other issues that related to the uprising in Tembisa finally Brian and I were inseparable.  Brian and I were sentenced both to five years imprisonment.  There were some other people who were sentenced as well on public violence and some such kind of charges.

MR LEWIN: What was your charge?