Human Rights Violation Hearings — Pietermaritzburg — UNKNOWN

WITNESS:   During the Seven Day War.  There's a mountain called Nontwele in Xaluza, and this mountain has some bush nearby, and that bush goes up to Siniya(?).  Now, when there's an attack it will come from Sweetwater and from all areas through the bush, that I would probably refer to it as a bush that was separating Xaluza and Sweetwater, the forest.  Now, you will find that our people will be on the other side and they will be on the other side of the forest, and now the helicopter would fly so close that you can be able to see anyone down there.  As we were on the other side we could see clearly when it was flying, because it will fly so close and start shooting.  They will shoot from the helicopter, shooting those who were lying down or hiding in the forest, and after that you will hear things like someone has died.  And Rudolf, for instance, died in that kind of an attack.

SIBONGILE CLARABEL MKHIZE:  The second area I wanted you to clarify for me if possible is, do I understand you correctly to say that the Henley Dam was deliberately opened whenever there was violence so that people couldn't cross the river?  Is that what you're saying?

WITNESS:   Yes, that's what I am saying.

SIBONGILE CLARABEL MKHIZE: Thank you.

SIBONGILE CLARABEL MKHIZE:  Mrs Mkhize, somewhere here in your statement where you elaborate about the incident that took place when the man with R5 gun started shooting.  His name was Kihla Mbuni.  Where is he?  Where is this particular man?

WITNESS:  I don't know presently, because after this violence I had never seen him.

SIBONGILE CLARABEL MKHIZE:  Was he insane, or what was wrong with him?

WITNESS:   I don't know, because it was not the first time he started shooting.  And as for that day, for him to shoot, I don't know what led him to do that.  One time he shot one boy, Siphamandla - by the name of Siphamandla.  He shot him six times and died right on the spot.

SIBONGILE CLARABEL MKHIZE:  Where was his place?

WITNESS:   He also was - he was coming from Umphumuza.  His house was in Umphumuza.

SIBONGILE CLARABEL MKHIZE:  Was he and Inkatha member?

WITNESS:   I don't take him to be an Inkatha member, but I do know that he was their friend because he was a policeman.

SIBONGILE CLARABEL MKHIZE:  Sibongile, I have two questions.  You have been asked a question regarding Henley Dam.  Maybe to make a follow-up, did you ever get any explanation from Water Board that the dam will be opened when there is violence taking place?  Did you get any explanation?

WITNESS:   No, we never asked.  We never asked them as to why they opened the dam.  It haunted us so much, and bothered us so much, but we never went straight to them.  And the Umgeni Water Board, no one will just go freely to them.

SIBONGILE CLARABEL MKHIZE:  Did this occur just once or several times?

WITNESS:   It was common knowledge that when there will be violence or attacks you will see - the sign will be the dam.  It will be over-flooded.  It will be completely filled, and right then unexpectedly the attacks will begin.  They will come from Zaire and from Sweetwater, and also from Harewood.  It was not one place.  We will always find ourselves in a problem because we have to be careful of three different places.

SIBONGILE CLARABEL MKHIZE:  Now, let me put myself in their shoes.  Would you think they were using the Henley Dam as one way of getting through to you?

WITNESS:   All the time before the attacks the dam will be opened, so that was a sign enough for us.  And unfortunately that day it was drizzling, but there was no point of opening the dam.

SIBONGILE CLARABEL MKHIZE:  The second question for you.  Maybe I did not get you.  You said there were those who sent you the first aid kit, and it was not complete.  Are you saying so because you suspect that that was done deliberately, or perhaps it was truly a mistake, or you were just relating your story simply as that, innocently?

WITNESS:   No, I was highlighting the fact that we were all confused, and Monica is a nurse by profession and will not forget some other things.  She forgot this important part of the kit, but my point was to emphasise on the fact that we were so confused about the situation, not anything more than that.

SIBONGILE CLARABEL MKHIZE: I just want to clear something about Monica Wittenberg.  I am not surprised that she forgot this.  Let us not forget that Monica is involved in many things.  There were times when she had to sleep at Imbali during difficult times.  When some of us could not walk at Imbali Monica with some few people was walking at Imbali, sleeping with the families at Imbali to protect some of the families.  Some of the families would have died at Imbali if there was no Monica.  So if the history is written about what happened in this area, and the name of Monica is not there, that history will not be complete.  I just want to say that.

SIBONGILE CLARABEL MKHIZE:  (Incomplete - end of Side A, Tape 4) ... important evidence that we will hear at this hearing, and because it is an account of what actually happened to you, and other people like you, and it is not affected by opinions and perceptions.  In many other areas in this province we've heard evidence from women who have lost their husbands and their sons, their property, but in most of these areas the women were usually not harmed.  Sometimes they were, but by and large the women were left alone, they weren't assaulted or killed.  But what makes this period different, this so-called Seven Day War, is that the people who invaded your area, and many of the other areas, showed no mercy towards women.  And Professor Aitchison yesterday handed in a list of the known dead, and there were, I think, almost 200 of them, people who we know died in that week, and many of those people were women and children.  And all we can say is that that is brutal and cowardly behaviour for armed men to attack and kill women and children, and the people who did these things should be deeply, deeply ashamed of themselves.  On the other hand what you did you can be proud of, helping to nurse people as an untrained person, and taking them to hospital.   So thank you again very, very much for coming in and telling us your story.

WITNESS:   Thank you.