Human Rights Violation Hearings — Louis Trichardt — 1997-04-09

RUSSELL ALLY: And you yourself, do you believe that there is something like witchcraft?

MAKHUVHA NDOUVHADA: Yes, well according to me.  Not in me.  I do not know anything about witchcraft.

RUSSELL ALLY: No, I am not asking whether you are a witch.  I am asking do you believe that there is such a thing as witchcraft?

MAKHUVHA NDOUVHADA: I do not believe.

RUSSELL ALLY: You don't believe there's witchcraft.

MAKHUVHA NDOUVHADA: No I don't, I haven't seen such a thing.  I do not believe in that.  I just hear people say there's witchcraft.  I haven't seen even a witch.

RUSSELL ALLY: And now after all of these events, what is your relationship like with the young people in the area where you live?

MAKHUVHA NDOUVHADA: Well, we remained well, since I came back.  Even if I did not recognise them, I know we are relating well.  Generally there is no problem.

RUSSELL ALLY: And there's been no more accusations of witchcraft?

MAKHUVHA NDOUVHADA: You mean subsequent to that?

RUSSELL ALLY: Subsequent to that yes, you have never been accused again after this incident?

MAKHUVHA NDOUVHADA: No, there was no other accusation.

RUSSELL ALLY: And the council that you used to serve on, is this council still in existence, do you still serve on this council?

MAKHUVHA NDOUVHADA: Well, I was ordered by the Police not to go there.  I was given some standing orders that if it is before sunset I do not have to move around and I am no longer drinking.  That is how I was ordered.  I used to drink.

RUSSELL ALLY: And now presently, what do you do?

MAKHUVHA NDOUVHADA: Well, I do not do anything at the moment.  I have poor visibility.

RUSSELL ALLY: And from the Truth Commission, what is it that you expect?  Is there any request that you want to put to the Commission?  Your reason for coming to the Commission, can you tell us a little bit about that?

MAKHUVHA NDOUVHADA: Well, my coming here.  You know these people, these statement takers just came to me and I did not have much to say about it.  They just said well, you better go to the Truth Commission.  Just tell us something about what you experienced with the youth.  I just told them.  I could not even recognise the people.  I even said that at the charge office.  So I just stick to how I experience it.

RUSSELL ALLY: Thank you very much.

MAKHUVHA NDOUVHADA: Well, I never thought it will ever be a big issue again.

RUSSELL ALLY: Thank you very much.

CHAIRPERSON: Dr Randera.

DR RANDERA: Was there any political activity taking place in your area in 1990, which may have made the youth take action against you, or want to take action against you?

MAKHUVHA NDOUVHADA: I only remember the very same incident.  I do not know of any other.

DR RANDERA: There was not any unrest in the area, there was no boycotts, there was nothing else going on?

MAKHUVHA NDOUVHADA: No, because I am afraid I can lie.

DR RANDERA: Do you consider yourself to be lucky that you got away that time?

MAKHUVHA NDOUVHADA: I cannot say I was lucky.  Well, I just know that is how it happened, because nobody is saying another things subsequent to that.

DR RANDERA: I just want to remind ourselves that in another incident in this area, and I am not saying that this could have happened to you, but in the village of Njelele, which is apparently thirty kilometres from Louis Trichardt, a young woman, a pregnant woman, who had broken the consumer boycott, was made to drink the paint that she had actually gone to buy from the town.  And she actually died subsequently.  So there have been instances like that.  She had to drink it, yes.
 I just want to ask my last question.  Do you know of any instance, in either you village or close by, where a person who has been accused of being a witch has been burned to death or killed?

MAKHUVHA NDOUVHADA: In my area I do not remember of a single incident.  I think there were four of us who were taken for - I do not remember anybody who was banned.

RUSSELL ALLY: Thank you very much.

CHAIRPERSON: Makhuvha Ndouvhada, thank you so much for coming.  I think you are a very lucky man to have escaped death and you must thank the Venda Police for having saved your life.  Witchcraft is one of those inexplainable myths that we are still struggling to understand in our culture.  There is not much we can say about it, but we are happy that you are alive today to tell the story.  I just wanted to find out, if you receive any state pension at the moment?

MAKHUVHA NDOUVHADA: Not at all.
_______________________________