Human Rights Violation Hearings — Vryheid — 1997-04-17

CHAIRPERSON: Good morning to you today.  We would like to apologise.  As you have noticed that we are just sitting and no one is talking to each other I am sure you are surprised what's going on.  We are waiting for the witnesses.  Seemingly they aren't here.  The only witness which is around is Mr Buthelezi, and that's why we're still waiting.  We're waiting for at least two more witnesses to come, therefore we ask you to be please patient.  Thank you.
MACHINE SWITCHED OFF

CHAIRPERSON: (Inaudible) ... here with us who are taking statements, and we will request that those who are here and who want to give their statements in, they can see our statement-takers at that side where I am pointing.  That's where they can be seated.  If you are here and you want to give in your statement you can go there so that you can give your statement, and then come back and sit down and listen to the witnesses who've already gave their statements.  Thank you.  We came to a conclusion that we will go for a tea, and then when we come back we don't have to go for a tea until lunch time.  We're trying to save time because we've wasted time already.  Then we will go for a tea now, and then we will go on - after the tea we will go on until lunch time, until 1 o'clock.  We all agree that this is the best solution we can come up with.  It's better that we go for a tea.  It's now 10 to 10.  I hope that at about 10 past 10 we will come back, or five past 10 we will be back, and then we will continue from there until 1 o'clock, until lunch time.    As we've apologised yesterday that the tea has been prepared for the witnesses and their families.  The tea has been prepared for the witnesses and their families and the TRC staff members, and those who are here to help, like the counsellors and the briefers.  Those are the only people who can have tea.  We would like to apologise to those who cannot get the tea.  Thanks a lot.  10 past 10 we will be back.  Thank you.
SHORT ADJOURNMENT
ON RESUMPTION

CHAIRPERSON: Please be seated.  We are about to begin.  We will ask Pastor Zama to open this meeting by word of prayer.
MEETING OPENS WITH SINGING AND PRAYERS

CHAIRPERSON: We have already said good morning to you.  Maybe we should apologise for the delay.  We know our places are far apart, and we don't have our private transport, we rely largely on the public transport.  I would like to apologise on that note.  We have already started late and therefore we won't adjourn for tea break, we will only adjourn for lunch.  I am sure this will suit all of us.
There is one aspect that we would like to pay attention to.  We would ask for each and every one of you in this hall to pay full attention, listen properly to the names, to the areas which they refer to, so that when we leave this place we do not at all distort any message.  Yesterday it has so happened that one of the witnesses who came up to render his or her testimony, and at the time one name was implicated, Siphiwe Nxumalo, and it happened that that very name was similar to the name of one of our prominent figures here in Mondlo, and he got a telephone call that his name was implicated at the Commission by one of the witnesses who was rendering his or her testimony.  He was very offended.  I am sure you understand that when you receive anonymous calls one gets offended.  Fortunately we managed to sort that one out.  We managed to locate the person who took the message to Siphiwe, and we had to rectify that error and we were able to.  The Siphiwe that was referred to is not the one of Mondlo.  Please pay full attention, and if there is anything that you do not understand at all do not go around and say your own version and give a fabricated one.  Please pay attention to names and attention to details at the same time that you may not distort any message and give a fabricated version.
Without much waste of time we will call upon our first witness to come up and occupy the witness stand by the name of Harriet Jabulile Mcetywa.
/CHAIRPERSON

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you, Mrs Harriet Mcetywa, for coming.  Maybe we should first thank you for coming forward to this Commission and render your own testimony with regard to Michael Zolani Mcetywa, and which affects you directly.  Before we get started we will kindly ask you to stand up so you may take the oath.

HARRIET MCETYWA: (Sworn, States)

CHAIRPERSON: The one who is going to lead your evidence is Mr Ilan Lax, and now I will hand over to Mr Ilan Lax.

MR LAX: Good morning Mrs Mcetywa.

WITNESS:   Good morning to you.

MR LAX: We thank you for coming.  I know you've had to travel quite far to get here, and we're grateful for that.  Now, just by way of family details, you have given us all the details of your children, and you have two daughters and a son, is that correct?  Now, the incidents that you are going to tell us about happened in the Pongola area.

INTERPRETER: The witness is not getting any interpretation at all.  I don't think she hears whatever we say.