Human Rights Violation Hearings — East London — 1996-04-15

CHAIRPERSON: I would like to invite the new witnesses now please.  Mrs Elisabeth Hashe, Mrs Monica Godolozi and Mrs Gomali Rita Galela.  Would you please come forward?
 We would like to welcome all three of you to the witness stand.

ELIZABETH NOTHEMBILE HASHE: (sworn states)

NQABAKAZI GODOLOZI: (sworn states)

RITA GALELA: (sworn states)

CHAIRPERSON: In welcoming you to the Commission, one of the worst things about suffering is not to know what happened, is to wonder where our loved ones are, where they are resting, what happened to them,  why they disappeared, who took them away, how did they die.  And you now have an opportunity to tell this Commission exactly, in your own words, what happened.  And we invite you now to continue this time of witness-giving, and John Smith will lead the evidence.  Thank you very much indeed for coming.

MR SMITH: Thank you Mr Chairman. Good afternoon Mrs Hashe.  Are you okay?  How do you feel.

ELIZABETH NOTHEMBILE HASHE: Very well thank you.
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MR SMITH: You're not a bit nervous?  Mrs Hashe, you are here today to testify before this Commission about the disappearance of your husband, Sipho Samuel Charles Hashe, is that correct?

ELIZABETH NOTHEMBILE HASHE: Yes.

MR SMITH: Can we, before we proceed to talk about your husband's disappearance, can you tell us something about yourself and your family?

ELIZABETH NOTHEMBILE HASHE: Yes I can.

MR SMITH: Please proceed.

ELIZABETH NOTHEMBILE HASHE: I am Mrs Hashe.  I have nine children. My biological children are five, four others are my sister's children.  I take them as my own children also. My husband was a very considerate person and was and had a good heart because he wanted to support all those who were suffering.  That's how we got to adopt these children.  I'm a woman who loves children and that is why it was easy for my husband to adopt those children.
 When I come to giving an account of what happened, I would like to give an account without making any mistakes. I married Hashe, I want to reveal everything that I have and give the honest account of what happened.  My husband was a staunch struggle person, but the way he worked committedly during the struggle was more conspicuous in 1963 when he was arrested.  He was arrested in our first house where we were staying in 1980..... (end of first side of tape )
(second side of tape)....my husband woke up and went to open the door.  When he asked who they were they said they were police.  And when they came in they just said, "Put on your clothes, we have arrived". 
 In our identity documents, called Domboek, at the time, EAST LONDON  HEARING TRC/EASTERN CAPE
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he was written as Charles and the police discovered that he was really Hashe.  There was a security officer who is George and he has a very big head, that's how we could identify him. At the back there were some people in the shadow and this person came forward and asked, "Is it Hashe?", and then when we affirmed that it was him, they said he must just put on his clothes and then he must go. And then they were not certain because in the I D document his name was reflected as Charles and they were looking for Hashe, but when he confirmed they took him. And during this period when they came to arrest him, they were kicking everything in the house and there was something which had a sentimental value, my sewing machine which I got which my husband bought for me when I attended a school.  They broke this machine to which I was so sentimentally attached and they took my husband away.
 We went around looking for my husband.  As you all know, this is what happens when somebody disappears. We were vendors and we were selling vegetables.  And that is the way in which we were sending our family.  When my husband left us I was unable to continue as a vendor and I went to visit him at Royal, the jail, and when I came back I received a letter, and this letter was from an office. I was being called by the headman.  When I arrived there, they told me that I am selling vegetables but that I am unlicensed and I confirmed that I didn't.  They also told me that I should remove everything which I sold, and I agreed and then I went away.
 I continued and I disregarded the questions.  They came along again, took my vegetables, threw them outside, and I felt hurt about this.  I was dependant on these little 
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earnings that I received and when my husband was taken away I became the sole bread winner and I was also sending my children to school, using the same money which I obtained from vending.
 They called me again and I was summoned to appear.  They threatened again that I must stop selling. But when I came back I continued selling.  I went to the attorney to Tiche, and told him about the harassment that I experienced from the headman and I don't have a licence. The attorney took the case.  I request that the Commission should excuse me  for my uncertainty because the Black Sash was also coming and there was a bit of a relief.  Tichi took the case and I got a chance and an opportunity to get some relief from being hounded by the police and I continued without any disturbance.  
 But one day when I came back from the market, I found that all my belongings and my property were taken outside as well as my children.  I rushed to my home and when I got there, and asked what was happening, I was informed that the headman had come and evicted us from the house.  I went immediately to the office to establish what the problem was and asked where I should go to.  I also asked them what the reason was for their harassment and they expressed their views that I am suffering because of my husband who they branded as a terrorist. They also told me that the house  is owned by my husband and because I do not own the house, I am evicted therefrom. I cried bitterly and I thought of what I should do. 
 I went to our headman, Milisiswe is my relative, and expressed my feelings about what has happened. He said to me, I'm not sure you will understand exactly what I want to 
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say, but they said in the beginning they evicted me because I owed rent on the house and also electricity.  When I went to pay the rent they refused to take it.  I accumulated this money and continued going to them to pay for every account that I owed but they kept on refusing to accommodate me.
 This continued for several times, I asked my brother what I should do because the same thing is happening again, and he told me to come to him so that he can take me to Mr Lamani, and my brother explained what has happened to me, to Mr Lamani.  He was asked to go with the money and they discussed the matter at length and in the end they took the money.  But at the same time they said they have taken the house and repossessed it again.  Mr Lamani ordered them to take me back to my house, a four-roomed house.  When I arrived back at my house, they told me again that they repossessed the four rooms and have given me a two-roomed house.
 I questioned their way of doing things because I was wondering how I'm going to continue staying with such a big family in a two-roomed house?  But we agreed that I should consider the fact that, rather than having nothing, I must be at the two-roomed house.  They also told me I cannot get my four-roomed house back because they have already sold it.
 I went on selling again.  At some stage.

MR SMITH: Sorry to interrupt you, I'm just trying to assist you in giving your evidence. During this period, your husband was still in detention, did you ever have access to your husband?  Did you ever see him?

ELIZABETH NOTHEMBILE HASHE: Before going to Robben Island, I never saw him.

MR SMITH: Was he charged in a court of law?