Human Rights Violation Hearings — Port Elizabeth — 1996-06-27

MS MAYA: Was he still recognisable?

NOMATHAMSANQA MELIA WILLIAMS: Yes, his hand was lifted and the leg didn't get burnt, it was not burnt.  So I asked my sister were you asking him to come to Port Elizabeth to bring him to this, she said no, he has been damaged, he has been injured and thereafter there was talking next to this coloured and this coloured asked if I was the husband and I said, no tell him, don't hide anything.
 If this is the wife, then I went again because I was shocked, I wasn't sure if it was him so I went again, I looked at him and I satisfied myself that it was him.  So we went back to where we were given the report where we found him.
 And then they said we should wait the van is coming from Uitenhage.  We waited for two hours and then she said we should go.  I said where to, because we have been asked to wait for the police here and then she said, no let's go and buy apples.  I said no we can't go and buy apples, we can't waste time on apples, things are bad now.  It is a sad moment and she was now crying, she was the one who was crying and I was trying to comfort her.
 So we left, went out the gate and told the watchman at the gate that we are going to buy apples and then we went to buy the apples.  We didn't buy the apples and then that's how we left, because we had to go and give a statement.

MS MAYA: So you left before the police came?  You didn't get any instructions from the police or anything?
PORT ELIZABETH HEARING TRC/EASTERN CAPE
7 NM WILLIAMS

NOMATHAMSANQA MELIA WILLIAMS: Yes, that is so.

MS MAYA: Was any investigation made about the death or your husband?

NOMATHAMSANQA MELIA WILLIAMS: No.

MS MAYA: Does that mean no one was ever charged for his death?

NOMATHAMSANQA MELIA WILLIAMS: We were once called after two years.

MS MAYA: What did they say?

NOMATHAMSANQA MELIA WILLIAMS: When we were called after two years, we were called about reports that have been coming which my sister didn't pass on to us and I just got from one lady and we went with my sister, she went first, when we got there, they were already coming back, they were at the stop, at the bus stop.
 She didn't explain, didn't give me any explanation and her brother was crying.  I couldn't get any clear explanation about the case so she took my child and said she will do everything for her, for my child.

MS MAYA: But you say you were getting request to come to the police but she wouldn't give her to you?

NOMATHAMSANQA MELIA WILLIAMS: I said no her, at her home, but she wouldn't pass them to us, but this third one, I got from another lady from her family.

MS MAYA: When they came from court did they tell you that there was someone who was charged for the death of your husband?

NOMATHAMSANQA MELIA WILLIAMS: No, they didn't give my any report.

MS MAYA: What happened eventually?  How did you know what happened, did you know anything about the death of your husband?

NOMATHAMSANQA MELIA WILLIAMS: No, I know nothing up to today.
PORT ELIZABETH HEARING TRC/EASTERN CAPE
8 NM WILLIAMS

MS MAYA: So by coming here you have an aim or a request about what you would like the Commission to do for you?

MRS WILLIAM: Yes, yes.  I need, I would like the Commission to find out for me what happened, how he died because it is said that there was a fight and some damage was done to the chest and when I asked my sister-in-law to take me to PE so that I could get a report, she didn't, she refused.

MS MAYA: And do you know where his sister stays, do you have her address?  Thank you Mrs Williams, I am going to hand you over again to the Chairperson, maybe my colleagues here would like to ask some questions.  Thank you.

DESMOND MPILO TUTU: Thank you, Mrs Williams.  I first want to express our gratitude to you and I would like to comfort you and tell you that we share the pain.  We share the pain with you and we have been listening to all these sad stories.
 You are too young to be a widow, but there are very many people who have had the same experiences as you and as I am looking, I think indeed what we didn't notice that our ladies who were not recognised as the real heroines because you are the ones who are in the majority who come and give their stories here, we as men, I think we should take our hats off for you because of you, because the freedom that we've got eventually, many a time, it is true that it is because of the hard work of men, but I can see the majority, and the majority of us can see that the contribution of women is very very great.
 We thank you for that.  Thank you to you to, thank you very much.