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

DR RANDERA: and there was some light.  I opened the dining-room door.

DR RANDERA: Initially I had thought that we should go to Mrs Gasa's place so that we could get some refuge there.  After quite a short while, whilst we were standing there together with Dudu, just as I was getting to the verandah, we heard some footsteps and I ran backwards, running away from those footsteps.  (Pause)  There was a flight of stairs.

DR RANDERA: Take your time.  Would you like to drink some water?

WITNESS:   Just as I was reversing I was shot, and I was wearing a nightdress.  He shot me on the stomach, and I bled at the same time.  Then at that moment I thought I was going to die.  I got out and I looked at this person properly.  It was a short person, and he was limping, but I do not know him.  I went into the bedroom.  I took a sheet and I wrapped myself because I was bleeding profusely at that time, and I closed the door at that stage.  I went back together with the children and I lied down on the floor.  And Dudu collapsed at that time because she was behind me.

DR RANDERA: (Inaudible) ... allow your daughter to be taken away by the briefers, if that's all right with you?   (Pause)  Ma'am, hello.   Won't you take this young lady away.  Mrs Sithole, I am just going to - after you were shot you were taken to King Edward VIII Hospital, is that right?

WITNESS:   That is correct.  And later on, when the neighbours realised that the attackers had run away, they came to investigate as to what had happened, and my children told them.  They went to get a car that was going to take me to the hospital, but I did not get the car quickly because the neighbours were scared that they would also be attacked.  Then they went to another neighbour, and  ultimately we got somebody to help me and he took me to

DR RANDERA: the hospital together with my daughter, Nthokozo.  We went to King Edward Hospital.  When I got to King Edward Hospital it was in the morning at about 7 o'clock, and I was going to be taken to the theatre.  I was operated on.  They were trying to retrieve the bullets, because they only saw holes and the bullets disappeared in my body.  When I was discharged I asked as to whether they got any bullets.  The doctor told me that they could not get the bullets, but she had - but that I had 15 holes in my intestines, but he could not get any bullets.  I was admitted.

DR RANDERA: (Inaudible) ... did you stay in hospital?

WITNESS:   I stayed for two weeks, and I was discharged on the third week.

DR RANDERA: And your daughters were all right, they weren't injured at all during this attack?

WITNESS:   No, they were  not injured.

DR RANDERA: You say in your statement that the harassment continued even after that.

WITNESS:   Yes.  My daughters at that time never got injured, but Nokuthula, the one who was born in 1979, suffered from epileptic fits as from that day.  Dudu had something that happened to her.  She's got a continuous headache.  Nthokozo was disturbed mentally, and I was also disturbed mentally.  Thereafter when we were no longer staying at Impendle they continued to harass my husband.  They used to got to Dunlop and ask for my husband.  My husband was sleeping at Dunlop, where he was working, because he was not able to sleep at home after we had been attacked.  At times he would sleep at Dunlop and come to me and see me at the hospital.  And at  Dunlop the attackers could not come and attack him in

DR RANDERA: there, but a certain car used to come and they used to ask for Sithole.  And after I had been discharged from the hospital my husband had to go and look for a place because we could not stay at home.  We ended up having to go.  My husband looked for a flat at Point.  We stayed at that flat.  It's only then that I went to fetch the children.  I took them back to Umathiwe.  Then the caretaker told me that I was overcrowding the place because I had many children.  I had to take my children away, but I did not know where to take them.  I explained my situation to the caretaker.  I told him that I wanted my children to further their education, and that he should give me a chance to look for another flat because I was not going to be able to throw my children away.  He gave me a chance to look for another flat.

DR RANDERA: (Inaudible) ... just relax, take your time.  Can I just say that it is remarkable and incredible that you are able to come and tell us this story today, and that you still have the strength and the resolve to come and tell us the story with your daughters.  I just have one question to ask.  You said earlier on that if you didn't belong to a political party our children couldn't go to that school.  Does that still remain today?  I mean this happened in 1988/1989.

WITNESS:   When I got to Clermont my children were not admitted at school because the schools were full.  I do think the reason was because they were having this past with politics.

KHOZA MGOJO: Mr Sithole, are your children Nokuthula, Dudu, as well as Nthokozo and Sifiso and Sithembiso and Sabelo?   /---   Yes.

KHOZA MGOJO: ---   Yes.

KHOZA MGOJO: What are their ages?  How old is Nokuthula?

WITNESS:   Nokuthula is 17 years old.  Dudu is 19 years old.  She was born in 1978.  Nthokozo was born in 1973.

KHOZA MGOJO: And Sifiso?

WITNESS:   Sifiso is 25 years old. Sithembiso is 21 years old.  Sabelo is 13 years old.  He is the last-born.

KHOZA MGOJO: How many are still attending school?

WITNESS:   Four are attending school.

KHOZA MGOJO: And who are they?

WITNESS:   It's Sithembiso, Nokuthula and Dudu.  Sithembiso is at university.  He is doing second year.  He's at the University of Cape Town.

KHOZA MGOJO: And what about Sifiso?

WITNESS:   Sifiso is working.

KHOZA MGOJO: Has he left school?

WITNESS:   Yes.

KHOZA MGOJO: What about Sabelo?

WITNESS:   Sabelo is in standard four.

KHOZA MGOJO: Nthokozo?

WITNESS:   Nthokozo completed her matric last year.

KHOZA MGOJO: What about Dudu?

WITNESS:   Dudu is in standard nine.

KHOZA MGOJO: What about Nokuthula?

WITNESS:   Nokuthula is in standard 10.

KHOZA MGOJO: You say you are staying at another flat now.  Were you chased away from that flat?

WITNESS:   We are no longer staying at the flat, because when we were told that we were overcrowding the flat we looked for some land to build.  We got an estate agent which was going to build us a house together with my children, so we are staying at Clermont at the present moment together with my husband.  But my eldest son is staying in Lamontville.

KHOZA MGOJO: Is your husband still working where he used to work before?

WITNESS:   Yes, he is still working at Dunlop.  I am  working also.  I am working at a place of safety.  I

KHOZA MGOJO: started working there in 1992.

KHOZA MGOJO: (Inaudible - end of side A) ... amongst the audience, so you were not alone.  There are people who sympathise with you, and there are people who feel your pain.  You are lucky, because even the people who are sitting in the audience were also harassed, and you are lucky to be alive.  You said there were certain bullets that penetrated your stomach.  Were they taken out?

WITNESS:  Yes, they were taken out, because I ended up having an abscess on my right leg, and I was operated on and the bullets were taken out.  My right leg is troubling me.  I am limping.  And you have already said that Nokuthula suffered from epileptic fits, Dudu has got a headache, yourself and Nthokozo are mentally disturbed.  What about the rest of the family?   ---   Sabelo also has a problem.

KHOZA MGOJO: What about the other ones?

WITNESS:   Sifiso also is very irritable, especially at work.

KHOZA MGOJO: If there is any help that you can get, because I do realise that you have been traumatised emotionally, are you receiving any psychological help?