Human Rights Violation Hearings — Pietermaritzburg — UNKNOWN

UNKNOWN: The loss of your child and the disappearance, didn't this affect you?  (Pause)  Take your time.  (Pause)  Sorry, my dear, please take your time.  Do you have bad dreams, emotional trauma, physical as well as emotional trauma?  Have you ever undergone any treatment to combat this?  Have you ever seen any psychologists?

WITNESS:   No, I have never seen any psychologist.

UNKNOWN: I was asking that because I was concerned.  You should be very traumatised and I just wanted to know what type of treatment you are getting.  Maybe the Commission could meet you halfway, try to help you get some psychiatric or some psychological help.

WITNESS:   Thank you.

UNKNOWN: She ought to be sick because the Inkatha members used to come in and threaten us, and they used to say, "Here's your child's arm."  Then at times they would come with a bucket and they would say they were spilling water and there was the child's arm inside the bucket.  Even Sikisa used to come with the police, and they would take our brothers, they would assault them and make them sing and dance.  There's another one who was called Mzo who was also taken, assaulted.  When he came back he didn't see,  he was partially blind.

UNKNOWN: Let me just ask you, is Sikisa also involved?

WITNESS:  He was there because he used to come with the soldiers, and he used to take the boys or the youths and drown them in the water.  Sikisa's surname is Zuma.

UNKNOWN: Hawugile, there's just a few matters that I would like to clarify.  This thing has touched us.  It's very unusual.  I want to tell you that the Commission looks at the whole family background, as to how the whole family was affected.  You were quite a big family and there were quite a lot of children, and it is apparent that all of you were psychologically as well as physically traumatised.  Now, would you please tell us who was traumatised and who needs help.

WITNESS:   All of us.

UNKNOWN: Just tell us the signs.  What is it that you see that makes you say they were traumatised?

WITNESS:   One of us once was admitted for about a month.

UNKNOWN: Is there anyone who's got signs of trauma?

WITNESS:   Mzo is also having a problem because he was admitted at a TB hospital.

UNKNOWN: Is there anyone who suffered psychological trauma or got mentally disturbed, who has changed behaviour?

WITNESS:  No.

UNKNOWN: So besides the physical injuries there is nothing else?

WITNESS:   No.

UNKNOWN: Another very important factor is you said there were some people who came to tell you that Andile was taken by the Mhlongo family.  Can you please help us, tell us who told you?  Where do they stay, where are they?  Are they still available?

WITNESS:   One of them is a member of  Inkatha.  He is Sithembiso Khanisa.  He had come back to

UNKNOWN: stay in Gcaluza, but now he has since gone again.  Sithembiso is Khanisa, the surname is Khanisa.

UNKNOWN: You said even another one came to tell you that the other one is Mhlabonzima Shange.

WITNESS:   He is staying at KwaMphumuze.  I know where he stays.

UNKNOWN: Thank you very much, Hawugile.  Nombheko, we can see that you are in so much pain, your heart is bleeding.  We would like to help you.

WITNESS:   Thank you very much.

MR LAX: I wonder if it's possible, Nombulelo, if you could please just explain something for me.  When you first spoke you said to us that they took them to a different place for the case, and then to another place.  I've got just some questions about that.  Who were "they"?  Who was taken to court at one place?

WITNESS:   The police put them on the chairs, they made them sit in the chairs outside, whereas the matter was going on inside.  The case was going on inside the court whilst they were sitting outside.  Then when they got out they were told that they were only witnesses and the case had been dealt with.  They were given R4,00 each.

MR LAX: Who was sitting outside?

WITNESS:   It was Nombheko and Nomonde, as well as Nomphumelelo.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... was this that they were sitting outside the court?

WITNESS:   I think it was corner Piet Mann and Chapel.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... court, that is corner of Pietermaritz and Commercial Road, the old court.

WITNESS:   It was here in Pietermaritzburg. Can you remember when that case was, what the date was, or which month it was, or what year?   ---   I don't

MR LAX: remember the month.  It was in January 1989.

MR LAX: I am finished, Chairperson.

MR LAX: Hawugile, I just have a question with regard to your family.  You said there was Ningi as well as Thenjizwa who were still attending school at that time.  What happened to them?

WITNESS:   Ningi is just at home.  She never went back to school.  Thenjizwa is married.  She is married.

MR LAX: Who is working at home in your family of 42?

WITNESS:  There's only one person who's working, and he is working only two days.  It's a temporary position.  Nomphumelelo is working, and the other one is on pension.  Philemon is on pension.

MR LAX: What is Philemon to you?

WITNESS:   He is our father.

MR LAX: Thank you.

MR LYSTER: Thank you very much for having waited patiently yesterday, and for giving your evidence today.  We extend our deep sympathy to you.  It's clear to us all that you have both, and other members of your family, have been traumatised by this terrible incident.  We can only imagine the sadness which you as a mother must experience not knowing where your son is, whether he is alive or not, and we hope that it is of some comfort to you that you can sit there together on the stage as sisters telling us your story.  We will do everything possible to try and find out what happened to your son, and we will follow up the leads and evidence that you have given us.  Thank you again very much for coming, and we wish you strength.

MR LYSTER: The evidence of the next two witnesses relates to one of the most terrible events in the mid-1980s, and it is an event which gave rise to a prolonged period of violence and intimidation in the Mpophomeni area to the north of Pietermaritzburg.  If Mr Ndlela could please come up onto the stage.  For the benefit of those people who were not here yesterday, in his evidence yesterday Professor John Aitchison talked about this period of violence and unrest in Mpophomeni, and I will briefly just recap his evidence.
The local spark for conflict was the strike at the British tyre and rubber factory, Sarmcol in Howick, that started on the 30th April 1985.  The strike took place because of the company's refusal to recognise the trade union.  The entire African workforce was dismissed and a successful stay-away in Pietermaritzburg took place on 18th July 1985, and the stay-away was followed by a consumer boycott of white-owned shops in Pietermaritzburg.  The boycott was denounced by Inkatha, and this led to the bussing in, the sending in by buses of a 200-strong Inkatha group into Mpophomeni township, which is the home of the Sarmcol strikers.  This took place on the evening of 5th December 1986.  They abducted four COSATU officials and members in Mpophomeni township, assaulted them, and executed three of them, whilst one of them managed to escape.  The Inkatha group was then escorted out of the township by the police.  Within a day or two at least three of the perpetrators were arrested after a professional investigation by the Howick detective branch, but very soon after this their release was ordered by a high-ranking police officer, Security Police officer, in Pietermaritzburg.  An inquest into the deaths took place in March 1988, and nine Inkatha members were named as having been the perpetrators, yet they have still not been prosecuted.  
Today we welcome one of the people who was residing in Mpophomeni township at that time, Mr Moses Ndlela, and he will give us some brief background as to that dispute.  Mr Ndlela, can you stand while you take the oath please.