Human Rights Violation Hearings — Nelspruit — 1996-09-05

ANTHONY MANDANZELA: No, we didn't.   But the policemen came to see me after I was injured.  One, his name is Mr Nkomto, who is late now and one policeman. They came to me, they told me NELSPRUIT HEARING TRC/MPUMULANGA
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I was needed in Komatipoort so that they can give me some compensation. One boy told me that you must not go to Komatipoort because they want to kill you down there. So I didn't go there.  That was the last time I ever got compensation or anything like that.

YASMINE SOOKA: Do you still have any lasting effects from that shooting?

ANTHONY MANDANZELA: Yes, I still do.  For example, when the weather is somehow cold I feel affected. My leg, everything. I do have some effects.

YASMINE SOOKA: Do you have to go to hospital?

ANTHONY MANDANZELA: No, the last time I went to hospital it is when I was discharged.

YASMINE SOOKA: Thank you. I am going to ask the other Commissioners if they want to ask us either you or Nonsa any questions.

CHAIRPERSON: We thank you, Anthony, thank you very much for your testimony that you have just put before us. I will ask other Commissioners to assist you further in clarifying the story that you have just told us.

MR MALAN: May I ask Mr Mandanzela, where did the shooting take place from, was it from the police station or from Sgt Manesa's house?

ANTHONY MANDANZELA: At the four-way stop in the street.

MR MALAN: Where did they shoot from?

ANTHONY MANDANZELA: It was dark and they were shooting at us.

MR MALAN: This four-way stop street, is it near the police station, is it near a house or was it just an ambush, or can you give us some context to where the shooting was coming from?

ANTHONY MANDANZELA: Yes, it was some kind of ambush.  Even
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though it was in Ndlebi and there were houses on the left and right all over, but they were hiding themselves there.

MR MALAN: How far is it from the police station?

ANTHONY MANDANZELA: We only have a police stationa at Thongwe and at Komatipoort. It is about 32 kilometres and Thongwe is about 10 to 12 kilometres.

MR MALAN: Manesa's house, how far was that from the place where the shooting started?

ANTHONY MANDANZELA: We were near the church and we were still coming. We were far from his house, even though we were in the direction of his house.

MR MALAN: In your statement you say that you were going home from school, and then you elaborated that it was after a meeting. Can you tell us the purpose of the meeting and can you also explain why the group going home, moves together?  Was the place where you had the meeting at the school, was it outside town, was everybody on their way home or could they have understood this to be some kind of attack or aggression?

ANTHONY MANDANZELA: The way it was, one could tell that we had no hidden agendas. We were just going from the school to our homes.  The only way it is going from one passage to the other.

MR MALAN: Everybody wanting to go home from school had to travel along that road. You were all moving together, each of you on their way to their individual homes?  Do we understand you correctly?

ANTHONY MANDANZELA: Yes, that's why some people were saying because they could arrive at their homes earlier. We continued going because we were going to our homes.

MR MALAN: Thank you.  You also say in your statement that
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Sgt Manesa told you or one of them, one of the three policemen told you that they were shooting at you, because they thought that you were on your way to burning Sgt Manesa's house. Is that also correct?  Are we reading this correctly?

ANTHONY MANDANZELA: That's what Sgt Manesa said.

MR MALAN: Do you have any idea how long this shooting continued, because it sounds like a little war.

ANTHONY MANDANZELA: The bullets came like sand, like stones.  It was continuous and it was dark.

MR MALAN: How long do you think that this continued, can you tell us, was it 30 seconds or a minute or longer?

ANTHONY MANDANZELA: Yes, I can say 30 minutes.

MR MALAN: Thank you, Chairperson, I have no further questions.

CHAIRPERSON: Any questions for Nonsa, Wynand?

MR MALAN: No, thank you, I have no more questions.  Sorry, maybe I should ask the one question. You said that you left home in June, after a quarrel with your brother. Was that the home of your mother that you left?

MS MABUZA: It was my house.

MR MALAN: Was your mother living in that house or not?

MS MABUZA: Where I am from it is a rural area. Each and every member of the family has her or his own herd. So I had my own herd.

MR MALAN: Is that what you are really saying, you left the rural area, moving away from the family. Is that what you were telling us?

MS MABUZA: Yes.

MR MALAN: Why did you do that?

MS MABUZA: My brother chased me away.
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MR MALAN: Okay, thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Lewin?  Before we continue, Nonsa, I would like you Ms Nonsa, to explain to us how this injury affected you, except the physical injury. I mean, emotionally, how do you handle this?  Do you see any change on this or other people, do other people see any change in you?

MS MABUZA: I am normal just like all other people.  Most of the duties I do and maybe I can do better than other people here, except that I can't walk and I can't go and fetch water for myself and the house that I am staying in, it is not safe.

CHAIRPERSON: Where you are staying at the moment who is taking care of you? Like who is supporting you?

MS MABUZA: No, I don't have anyone.  At this moment I stay with my brother-in-law.

CHAIRPERSON: Except going to school and finishing your matric, what would you like to have?

MS MABUZA: A decent home or a business or I would like to find a job to support myself.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you very much.
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YASMINE SOOKA: I am now going to ask Mamma Machaba to take the oath, please, so that I can ask her to tell her story.

MRS MACHABA: ;  (Duly sworn, states).

YASMINE SOOKA: Mamma Machaba, will you tell us briefly about your son who was also shot in that incident, please.