Human Rights Violation Hearings — Ermelo — 1997-05-22

MR LEWIN: Could we ask the next witness to come forward and I see  that our friends Ndabo have actually arrived.  Dave will have arrived, so I'd like to call Nonhlanhla Blose please to come forward.  Nonhlanhla can you hear me ?

NONHLANHLA BLOSE: Yes.

MR LEWIN: Just before we ask you to give evidence I would like to just mention a word of welcome to some of our visitors here to-day, to recognize them.  We're very pleased that so many people have not come.  I hope that you can all find seats and can actually see but I would like just to recognize, we have representatives here to-day from several Church Congregations.  We have Amazula, Izikoba, The Swede Free Church, Christian Church in Zion, Dutch Reformed Church, Nazareen Church and the Anglican Church.  We're very pleased that you have come to-day and we welcome you.  I'd also like to recognize, the Mayor is still here ? Mr Mardon Cello, thank you very much, Sir for being here.  The Mayor of Ermelo.  Would you just like to rise so those don't know, know that you are here ?  Thank you very much Sir.  We're also very pleased that Steve Ngwenya who many people knew here from, ... Is he gone ? No, he hasn't.  ...  many people knew as a lawyer who's also joined us to-day.  Mr Ngwenya, thank you.  Reverend Khumalo and Reverend Ntembo you have already seen.  There are also some others from the Ministers Forum.  There's Mr J.A. Mashinini.  There you go Sir.  Thank you.  From the Community Police Forum, Mr E.G. Sebeko.  Welcome Sir and Councillor B.C. Sebeko is also with us.  Good day Sir.  Archbishop Nkosi, I'm sure a lot of people have seen.  Where is he ?  Has he gone again ?  He's there.  Archbishop there.  Then from the Administrator of the ANC Provincial Office, Mr Nick Haywood, good day Sir, welcome, together with colleagues Tabele Kedikanetso.  Welcome  and Tabello Chilolane.  Morning.  Thank you.  Okay.
 Nonhlanhla, I'd like to welcome you here to-day and Dr  Russel Ally will lead you.  Before he does so, could I ask Tom Manthata please to help you take the oath.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Nonhlanhla, good morning.  Okay.  Sorry, can you stand up again.  Raise up your right hand.  Can you say the evidence I'm going to give here will be the truth and nothing else but the truth, so help me God.

NONHLANHLA BLOSE: (sworn states)

THOMAS MANTHATA: Thank  you.

MR LEWIN: Thank you.  If I ask Dr Russel Ally to lead you in your evidence.

RUSSELL ALLY: Good morning, Nonhlanhla.  Nonhlanhla you ... (interrupted)

NONHLANHLA BLOSE: Good morning.

RUSSELL ALLY: You've given us a statement in which you relate incidents which took place in 1992 involving the police and members of your family, your parents and also your brother you mention in you're statement.  I wonder if you can take us through what happened on that day in 1992.

NONHLANHLA BLOSE: It was during 1992, one policeman was killed.  After that incident I would say it was during the week-end., the next Monday at night at about two o'clock, the police came to our place.  They were knocking from door to door. We were asleep at the time.  They were wary and  they started assaulting us with their gun butts.  After that they started going all over the place, getting into all the houses and they were asking about my brother, Dumi, as to his whereabouts.  My mother said she didn't know and they hit her with the back of a firearm and when Dad tried to intervene and ask them what they are doing to her, they also assaulted him.
 As there was that confusion in the house I got out and tried to run away to the next house.  Just as I entered the house, there were a lot of police cars outside and as soon as I entered, they also came into the house and abducted me.  They took me.  I managed to escape, to run into the house.  They then followed me and caught me and they took me into their car.  After having assaulted most of the people in the house.  Others have ran away.  
 They put me into a private car and I went with them.  When we arrived in this one house, they also assaulted people there and they were also, they were saying they were looking for Dumi, my brother.  After they took us to Madelo.  They asked me to knock all over the houses to ask about the whereabouts of the young men who were staying there.  When the people didn't open they would knock down the door and they will push me from the back to the door so that they can open the door.  After this the woman in the house opened the door, they didn't ask any questions they started assaulting her.  They assaulted her until another lady came in.  They assaulted all the people in that house.  They had, the police had a list in their hand.  As they were going into all these houses they will tick each number of the house to make sure they've already passed the house.  We left that house and ran to another place of Mr Nkambule and I would say that when we were still at the Madela place I have to alight out of the private car because they were hitting me inside the car.  Later they took me into another van and they drove straight to Mr Nkambule.  They refused me to enter the house.  They entered the house alone and when they come back, together with the young man from the house, he was also assaulted and they took, put him into the car and we left the place.  We went to the Mashinini family.  When we arrived at Mashinini they stopped the car.  They alighted and said they're talking together and they entered the house.  They asked me to knock at the door and ask for a another Perchido.  They took a long time before they opened the door and the police had to knock the door down.  Then later  before, Mr Mashinini opened the door and they started assaulting him.  They thought he were dead because when we left they went back into the road and they took out some beer cases and they started drinking, celebrating that Mashinini is dead.  
 After that, one man, person come to intervene and said they must leave me alone.  So I have to, they released me and I left.  I couldn't run because I thought they will shoot me.  They ordered me to stand.  I thought they were going to kill me and thereafter, when they started getting into their cars, I started running away.  It was about early in the morning.  It was about five o'clock.  
 When I arrived at home I discovered that they also passed my house and they've assaulted all the people there.  I then went back to sleep.  I couldn't sleep and early in the morning we started trying to organize for transport, kombi transport to take us to Jo'burg, Johannesburg, Shell House.  When we arrived at the town the police stopped us.  They said we must alight and get into the ambulances to go to hospital.  We refused and one man by the name of Jackson Tembo said we have to get into the car because there was this ...  They used to take people to hospital and after that they will guard you there and after your release they will take you to jail.  They  told us later that they would like to ask forgiveness, police from the town and Davel.  Jackson told us that we have to go to Johannesburg therefore they took Blose and Mashinini to go and talk to the people at the police station and thereafter we managed to travel to Shell House where we gave statements and they were taken to hospitals.  
 At the hospital we were given some tablets and therefore we had to come back home.  When we arrived it was, I think Swekule the township.

RUSSELL ALLY: If you don't mind, I'd just like to ask you a few questions just to help us clarify some issues.  This incident that you're describing.  This took place in June 1992.  Correct ?

NONHLANHLA BLOSE: That's correct

RUSSELL ALLY: Now you said that the reason that the police came to your house in the first place was linked to this death of a Constable Jacques Scheepers.

NONHLANHLA BLOSE: That's correct.