Human Rights Violation Hearings — Grahamstown — 1997-04-09

REV XUNDU: Chairperson, I would like to swear him in, starting with Mava Zolela Rwexu.

MAVA XOLELA RWEXU: (sworn states)

NOMAKHWEZI GEORGINA SIKO: (sworn states)

PATRICIA FUNDISWA SUKULA: (sworn states)

TENJIWE QUENETTE MADINDA: (sworn states)

REV XUNDU: Chairman, the witnesses had been duly sworn in.

CHAIRPERSON: Have you all been sworn in?  Who is the lady?

MAVA XOLELA RWEXU: Mavis Siko.

CHAIRPERSON: Are you also going to testify?

MAVIS SIKO: (sworn states)

REV XUNDU: Thank you Chairman, they have all been sworn in.

CHAIRPERSON: Ntisiki Sandi?

ADV SANDI: Mr Rwexu, could you please come closer to the microphone, so that we can hear you.  In 1986, you house was set alight and am I correct that it was in Mphanthi township?

MAVA XOLELA RWEXU: Yes, it was, that is correct.

ADV SANDI: Could you tell us very briefly what happened
there and who the victims were who were burnt there?

MAVA XOLELA RWEXU: I was not present when this incident took place Mr Chairman.  When I got there, the place had already been burnt.  When I came up the street where I stayed from M Street up Lelombo, it was at approximately 9 pm, the other houses' lights were on and I was wondering why my house was so dark.
 I was approaching by car and I though perhaps the people are sleeping already and then I wanted to know why this car, the police and soldiers cars were outside my house and when I got to my house, I saw that it was smoking.  I was wondering what had happened.
 When I was going to get to my yard, the soldiers approached me and wanted to know what I was doing there and where I was going.  I told them that I was coming home, that that was my house and they told me that my house had been set alight.
 They did not want to let me in, but I insisted because I was hoping to find, I wanted to see if there was anyone inside.  I went in with a torch, it was dark in the house, it was still smoking and as I, when I got in by the door, I tripped over someone. 
 When  I shone the torch on that person, I realised that it was someone in my house, that stayed at my house, one of the children there.

ADV SANDI: Who was that?

MAVA XOLELA RWEXU: It was Vuyiswa Hoboshe.  Duzana Hoboshe was the policeman, was the lady who was, my sister who was a policewoman and because of that, the house was set alight.

ADV SANDI: Where was she staying?

MAVA XOLELA RWEXU: She was staying at Juaza, at the police camp.

ADV SANDI: Is that the place that was called Mqundwandeni?  Did the police tell you who had set your house alight?

MAVA XOLELA RWEXU: No, I never heard who had set the house alight.

ADV SANDI: But there were some people who were seriously injured, some fatally injured.  You already told us that the first person was Vuyiswa, who was the second person?

MAVA XOLELA RWEXU: The second person is my mother and my sister's one child, three of them were fatally injured.

ADV SANDI: Did you hear of anyone being arrested?

MAVA XOLELA RWEXU: I heard that people were arrested, but I never even went to court because I was never summonsed to court.  And I don't know what happened, all I was told was that the police said to me that they would call me on the day of the trial.
 And afterwards I just heard that the matter had been finalised.

ADV SANDI: What did you hear about the sentences?

MAVA XOLELA RWEXU: I never heard that they were sentenced, all I heard was that the matter had been finalised and only one of them had been convicted and I was not even interested in knowing what the sentence was.

ADV SANDI: What time do you think it was?

MAVA XOLELA RWEXU: The whole house was burnt down, I don't know.

ADV SANDI: Did you receive any compensation?

MAVA XOLELA RWEXU: Yes, we did receive an amount of money which we were told was to help us with funeral expenses.

ADV SANDI: Where did it come from?

MAVA XOLELA RWEXU: We were told that it was the State President's fund.

ADV SANDI: How much was it?

MAVA XOLELA RWEXU: It was R16 000-00.

ADV SANDI: By your presence here today Mr Rwexu, do you have any wish which you would like to express or any request which you would like to make?

MAVA XOLELA RWEXU: My mother's children and also the children there at home, are left in my care and I would like to ask that they be assisted with their education because this has all effected us.
 When there is any - when you are a family, you dream together and things like that, and when you have a mother in your home, you know that even when something bothers you outside, you can come home and talk to your mother and life is priceless, you cannot bring back the life of that person, but I would ask that these children be assisted in their education.

ADV SANDI: You come across as being very strong even though you are talking about something as gruesome as the death of these three persons when they were burnt to death on the same day, including your mother.  Is there - can you just tell us where you draw your strength from, because you seem exceptionally strong?

MAVA XOLELA RWEXU: I am not really as strong as I seem.  I suffer from severe depression due to this incident.

ADV SANDI: Where do these children live now that you referred to?

MAVA XOLELA RWEXU: We all live together at home after I had fixed up the place.

ADV SANDI: Where is Duzana?

MAVA XOLELA RWEXU: Duzana is in Port  Elizabeth.

ADV SANDI: Is that all you would like to say Mr Rwexu?

MAVA XOLELA RWEXU: There is nothing else I would like to say beyond
that, Mr Chairperson.

ADV SANDI: Thank you very much, Mr Rwexu.  Let us now go to Mrs Siko.  According to your statement Mrs Siko, your statement was from Nomakhwezi Georgina Siko, is that your daughter?

MRS SIKO: Yes.

ADV SANDI: Who is going to give testimony, is it going to be you or your daughter?

MRS SIKO: I will be the one who will be testifying, but  because I was not there, she will help me?

ADV SANDI: Is that correct, Ma'am?

MS SIKO: Yes, that is correct.

ADV SANDI: You are going to talk about what happened to you Nomakhwezi  and you are also going to tell us about Nontozake?

MS SIKO: No, Ndumasi.  Ndumasi Siko.

ADV SANDI: Please continue, Nomakhwezi.

MS SIKO: I will talk about Ndumasi first.  In 1985, on the 27th of December Ndumasi Siko, my brother was burnt in the stadium.  My mother was not there at the time, when people came to tell us, she was at work.
 The police went to her work to tell her about this.  She was then informed that Ndumasi was burnt down at the stadium.

ADV SANDI: How old was Ndumasi at that time?

MS SIKO: He was 14 years old and he was doing standard 3. My mother was told that Ndumasi was burnt in the stadium.  She could not go to see him, my father went there to see him.  He found out that there was blood in the stadium, on the steps of the stadium.  We do not know whether he was stabbed or not.
 He was also gagged.  The people who did this to him, they ran away.

ADV SANDI: Were they arrested for this incident?

MS SIKO: No, they were not arrested, but only one of them was arrested, it Mncedisi Mgxotheni.  Others, they ran away.  The case was conducted in 1988, but it did not continue any further.

ADV SANDI: Why were they killing Ndumasi?  What reasons did they give?

MS SIKO: It was said that they were looking for me, they asked Ndumasi where I was, but Ndumasi did not tell them.

ADV SANDI: Why were they looking for you?

MS SIKO: I don't know whether they wanted to kill me, because they had burnt me before.

ADV SANDI: Were you also burnt before?

MS SIKO: Yes, in 1985.

ADV SANDI: Please tell us about your incident?