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

WITNESS:   No, we are not getting any psychological help, but we used to go to private doctors whenever we got the headaches.  And we all have this headache, it's common.

KHOZA MGOJO: Have you ever been to see psychologists?

WITNESS:   No, we've never been anywhere to get psychological help.

KHOZA MGOJO: I think you will need psychological help, and I would like to refer you to social workers as well as psychologists.  You should come and make preparations with Dr Magwaza at our offices, because you look really traumatised mentally, as well as physically and  emotionally.  I hope that you can get some psychological

KHOZA MGOJO: attention, see some specialists who can assist you in your problem.  You said - what did you say your expectations from the Commission were?

WITNESS:   No, I did not say.

KHOZA MGOJO: As you have come what are your expectations?

WITNESS:  I would like the Commission to facilitate our rehabilitation, because we are having these psychological problems.   At work I have this bad report that I am always having altercations with people.  I am always having arguments with people.  I am very irritable at work.  I am very nervous.  Now I think this is due to the problems that I have experienced.  I am living separate from my family.  My children are scattered.  If the Commission can help us I hope we can get some psychological help.  I would like the Commission to also help me to get a place to stay so that I can collect my family.

KHOZA MGOJO: This Commission does not really help people, but it takes all the requests and compiles them into recommendations and passes them over to people with authority.  At times it does help that after being traumatised there is somebody whom you can rely on.  How is your husband now?

WITNESS:   He is very irritable.  He is much more irritable than us, but we do really - he is very irritable.  I think he is even worse than us.  Even he is present.

KHOZA MGOJO: We would suggest that all of you come.

WITNESS:   He is present.  We have come together with him.

MR LAX: Mrs Sithole, just to clarify one aspect.  You've indicated you were in hospital for a couple of weeks.  In  fact that was a couple of months, is that not correct?  In

MR LAX: other words I am saying to you you were in hospital, as far as we know, for about three months.

WITNESS:   No, it was not three months.  I think there was a mistake when I submitted the statement.  The mistake was on my part.  It was only two weeks.

MR LAX: You said your husband is around.  Where is he?  (Pause)  You are not going to testify.  I just wanted to see you.  You have all survived.  God is great.

COMMISSIONER: Mrs Sithole ... (inaudible) ... for coming in here today, and we also welcome you, Mr Sithole.  You have given us a very, very vivid, clear picture of what life was like for you in Inanda in the 1980s.  It is ridiculous that people should have to have lived like that, sleeping in the bush at night, fearing the knock on the door at night.  Not from the police or from the army, but from your own neighbours, and it's evidence of very, very deep political intolerance.
From what you have told us you were very, very lucky not to have been killed that night.  I am sure it was the intention of that person to kill you, and you could so easily have died.  You've heard evidence from many other people today who were killed late at night by people attacking their houses, and you are one of the lucky few.  The fact that you didn't die doesn't mean that you haven't suffered substantial trauma, and we've see what affect it's had on you, and of course on your daughters.   We've heard so many stories like that, of women being attacked at night by armed men.  And whenever this sort of violence  /affects one
affects one it's terrible and it's unacceptable, but there
just seems to be something so much worse about somebody in a vulnerable position at night, in their nightdress, being attacked by men with guns.  It really is difficult for us to believe that these things happen so often.
You have told us - you have told Dr Mgojo what you would like the Commission to try and do for you, and as he has said we don't have the power to do that directly, to facilitate that, but we will make recommendations to the Government as to how we think you should be assisted.  So we want to thank you all very much for coming in, and we are glad that you were able to be here together to support each other.  Thank you very much.