Human Rights Violation Hearings — Newcastle — 1996-09-12

WITNESS:   Yes, there is something that I would like to add.  After we had started arranging meetings for Peace Accord at Osizweni I was the one who was harassed at that time.  I think that emanates from that time that ... (inaudible - end of side A) ... follow this up I could not get an explanation as to how the case was finalised.  Nobody told me anything about the case.  Now this is another thing that disturbs me, because I was looked upon as a criminal by the community for having killed certain policemen, because I was taken to be a very violent person, and a killer as well.  But I don't know what made them keep on coming to me whenever there was a policeman who was killed or who was injured.  I think this emanates from my past that they kept on accusing me, and it's still continued.

MR DLAMINI: Sibusiso, you have requested to be assisted with regard to your education.  What standard did you leave school?

WITNESS:   I got my matriculation certificate.

MR DLAMINI: Did you undertake any studies?

WITNESS:   Yes, I am doing some courses.  I am doing computerised business management.

MR DLAMINI: Is it this course that you are requesting to be assisted?

WITNESS:   Yes, I do have some other courses in which I would like to be assisted.  I would like to do a Bachelor in Business Administration.

MR DLAMINI: /COMMISSIONER

COMMISSIONER: (Inaudible) ... to add to what you have said?  She doesn't have to at all.  If she says something she must take the oath.  Mrs Mhlungu, do you want to say something?

MRS MHLUNGU: Yes, I would like to say something.

COMMISSIONER: (Inaudible) ... to add something to what Sibusiso has said.  Can you stand to take the oath?

LINDIWE MHLUNGU: (Sworn, States)   (Through Interpreter)

COMMISSIONER: Okay, thank you.

WITNESS:   What I want to say is from the time that Nthokozo is referring to life was never quite the same, and I started developing high blood pressure, and before then I was quite healthy.  The life that we live changed very drastically for the whole family, and he does not have a clear recollection, he does not know what happened after he had been detained, because I was always harassed by the police on a daily basis, up until such time that I also had to be rude in order to protect myself.  After they had taken him in, and after he came back I took him to the doctor, and the doctor said his condition was beyond him, and that I should take him to the hospital.  This is one of the reasons that when I went to the court they asked me as to why I stayed with my son when he was so ill.  And I was earning so little money, and I did not even have money, and I had to hire cars.  I was earning R152,00 per month at that time.  And what traumatised the family was that my mother was also admitted because of the trauma that we went through as a family.  And when I went into the hospital he was shivering as if he was getting cold.  The following day when I went back to the hospital my mother was going to undergo the operation, and Nthokozo was also in the same hospital and he could not eat.  Now I think this is the cause that led to my mother's death due to a heart failure.  She had to go and see Nthokozo and feed him because he could not eat at that time.  And I contacted his father and told him about his son's condition.  And at that time Nthokozo had changed drastically.  His condition had deteriorated, and he cannot sit up straight.  He says he has got a kidney problem.  And at that time his legs as well as feet were swollen, and when you press him there would be a hole in his flesh.  I think when his father came to take him to Baragwanath was in June 16, and one of the incidents which disturbed me was when he was left at Baragwanath Hospital.  The police kept on harassing me even when he was not at home.  They would come looking for him even though they knew that he was not there, and I ended up telling them that he was at the hospital, and they said I should submit a statement to them.  I don't remember whether it's Mbuthu who came to my place.  I went to submit the statement on that particular day, and it's this statement where I was told that I had fabricated the statement.  They changed the statement which I had written and put in their own information, and towards the finalisation of the case I was told that I was going to wait for Swanepoel's decision, and I don't know what Swanepoel was in the equation.  That was the end of the case.  I only started getting some rest when Priscilla Jana came into the picture.  And in 1990 some other things started now, and it was as if some people were informing the police about us.  We were now trying to protect ourselves from the police, from the KwaZulu Police, from the Inkatha, and I was in quite a predicament at that time, but I realised that this originated from Nthokozo's past.  I think it was June 1990 when a certain man who said he was a councillor at that time, that is Mr Nxumalo, who encountered a problem.  But I think the problem was actually Nthokozo, because each time they sang their songs they were saying they wanted Nthokozo's head.  And I did not know who to run to for help, because whenever I went to the police - one time I came to my place and I got some information that we were being threatened, and I went to report this matter to the police station.  And I came across certain police and they were - as I was stopping the van to tell them that I had a problem, I was being attacked - and when I went to the police station the warrant-officer took me to the police station and he said he wanted me to tell him all about the fight.  When we got to the police station I realised that we were not the ones, but my name, as well as my children's names, were listed there.  When I got into the police station a certain station commander who had been assigned to come and quell the violence at Osizweni, which was allegedly started by the ANC - when I got there to seek some help the station commander who got in told me that, "We thought that this country was a prisoners' country."  He said that he had come especially for us.  He asked me as to what I was.  I did not know what to say because I did not understand his question.  I told him that I was a woman, and the other one said they wanted to know my political affiliation, as well as my children's political affiliation.  From that time onwards I started being harassed, and they said I should go to the councillors to tell them.  And I told them that I was not in good terms with the councillors because the councillor had told me that he was going to attack my house.  I told the councillors that I was - that were present at that time, I told him about my problems.  Now I am relating this from 1988 up to now how we were harassed.  Each and every moment we could not sleep because the policemen used to come at that time, and they used to threaten us, telling us that we were not going to rest until they got what they wanted.  And when we asked them what they wanted they did not know, they said we should go and ask Venter.  I don't know what they wanted even today.  And I went to report the matter, thinking that there would be a case.  That was in 1990.  And this man had told us that he was going to kill us.  Then in 1991 certain youths who were in Robben Island came back, and that's when the problems started.  Whenever the police came they would ask me even for information that I did not know anything about.  They would ask me about certain Mrs Mhlungu, and I would tell them that I knew nothing, and they said the Mhlungu family was a family of troublemakers.  And we experienced some problems.  Up until now Nthokozo has got a big problem.  He is so forgetful.  He has got a constant headache.