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

CHAIRPERSON: Nicholas Lulamile Gangca.  We would like to thank you for your presence here and we hope that you will take this opportunity and give us details about what happened.  As we always do, I would request Reverend Xundu so that you can take an oath before you can give evidence.

REV XUNDU: Thank you sir and we welcome you.  I would like you to stand up so that you can take an oath.

NICHOLAS LULAMILE GANGCA: (sworn states)

REV XUNDU: Thank you.  You can take a seat.

CHAIRPERSON: Over to you Ms Tiny Maya.

MS MAYA: Mr Gangca, we have a statement here - you are going to give evidence about Monde Gangca, who was injured and was fatally injured, it was in 1985.
 Could you please give us brief information and a short background about him, the organisations to which he belonged and anything that you can think of about him?

NICHOLAS LULAMILE GANGCA: Monde Gangca was a member of the United Democratic Front, he was also a boxer, he used to attend or perform here at Centenary Hall.  He would always go for training.  I was always selling liquor so he would assist me at times.
 So this particular day he requested me to release him so that he doesn't help me with the sales that I was doing, so that he can go for training.  He did go, I knew that he would come together here at Centenary Hall.  I think it was 
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at four, between four and five, it was in summer, so it was still not yet sunset.
 Somebody called me out and said I must come and look because Monde was being attacked by the AZAPO.  I went to the spot, when I came there, I was informed that he was taken to hospital.  I went to the police station to give a statement, they asked me with whom am I staying.  I stated that I was staying with my mother and Monde himself.
 My wife was at the church at the time.  They told me to go to their mortuary.  I saw him and I could identify him.  I was very angry because he was hacked.  There was a gashing wound on the head.
 I wanted to confirm and make sure so I opened it because I wanted to see the extent of the injuries.  He was hacked on the chest, the ribs were also chopped. I also took - I went back home and took my axe and I wanted to challenge those who had attacked my brother.
 In the mean time I was expected to go to the police station again after a day or two, I was prepared to revenge the death of my brother.  The police wanted to arrest me because they said I must not take the law into my hands.
 I waited for quite a long time, but nothing happened.  Whilst I was staying, I learnt information that they were threatening to attack me also - these members of AZAPO.
 I was informed by some of my friends that they were looking into the matter and they were going to attack me.

MS MAYA: Can you go back.  You said somebody came to inform you about your brother's injuries?

NICHOLAS LULAMILE GANGCA: Yes.

MS MAYA: Do you know anything about a person who might have witnessed the killing?
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NICHOLAS LULAMILE GANGCA: When I got there, I made enquiries to the people who were nearby.   Most of the people said they were afraid so the only person who was left behind, was my neighbour, Mabasho.  He is the person who closed his eyes.

MS MAYA: Is the person who closed his eyes, the one who found him dead?

NICHOLAS LULAMILE GANGCA: No, he just saw the fight and then he went there and then when he saw that he is my brother, he closed his eyes because he was just starring.  He assisted him to go to hospital.

MS MAYA: How could the people from the AZAPO organisation be identified?

NICHOLAS LULAMILE GANGCA: Most of the people knew them.

MS MAYA: How many were they and how old were they?

NICHOLAS LULAMILE GANGCA: It was said it was a mixture of both old and young.

MS MAYA: You said he wanted to collect his friends who was going with him for training.  Where were these friends?

NICHOLAS LULAMILE GANGCA: I was informed that all of them were hacked because it was a funeral of four people when they were buried.

MS MAYA: Are there any people who can mention?

NICHOLAS LULAMILE GANGCA: No, at the time it was very difficult to ask the people, because even if I wanted to know who were the people who were responsible for his death, nobody gave me the information because they were scared.
 They agreed and admitted that they had seen the people and the knew them but they didn't give me the information.

MS MAYA: In other words there was nobody that was arrested?

NICHOLAS LULAMILE GANGCA: No, because the police said I must wait they
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will make enquiries and investigations and find out what happened.

MS MAYA: Was there any investigation?

NICHOLAS LULAMILE GANGCA: No, I don't remember.

MS MAYA: In other words you have never been called to appear in court?

NICHOLAS LULAMILE GANGCA: No, because I went to lay a charge, because they said I must wait, I will hear from them, I waited until the day of the burial and nothing happened.

MS MAYA: Did he have his own family, the wife or children?

NICHOLAS LULAMILE GANGCA: No, he didn't.

MS MAYA: As you came here, what would you like the Commission to do for you?

NICHOLAS LULAMILE GANGCA: There are so many of them.  You know there were two of us, my mother was an old age pensioner.  This brother of mine used to work and then he would assist me with the contribution in maintenance.
 I am not working, I believed that my brother would have been assisting me.  As he was training he was trying to be a professional boxer, probably I would also be benefitting.   Maybe I could have also be having a car, be in possession of a car by now due to my brother's performances.

MS MAYA: You can continue Mr Gangca.  Is there anything that you would like to say?  You can continue.

NICHOLAS LULAMILE GANGCA: No, I've got only one thing.  The Commission can use its own discretion and see what it could do.  We called him Maqcina.  If Maqcina was still alive, that is why I say, I wouldn't be eating bread only, I would be well-to-do, probably.  I also want those people to be arrested.

MS MAYA: I'd like you to repeat what you've just said.
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NICHOLAS LULAMILE GANGCA: I want the attackers to be brought to book.  If I say I would like to be assisted myself, I don't refer to myself only.  I would also like the other people who were responsible for his death to be arrested.
 I am also afraid to go and beg to other people, because I don't know who is the next person to hack me to death, probably I would also be attacked because they had already threatened to do that.
 The Commission can use its discretion.  My electricity has been cut off because I am unemployed, I am unable to meet all the requirements, I am certain that my younger brother could have been supporting me, we would be working together cooperatively to maintain the family.

MS MAYA: We thank you very much Mr Gangca about your story.  Is that all that you would like to say?

NICHOLAS LULAMILE GANGCA: Yes, Ma'am, I am through.

MS MAYA: I will hand you over to others, maybe my colleagues would like to have some questions.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Xundu?

REV XUNDU: I would like to ask one question.  Who was the leader of the AZAPO at that time?

NICHOLAS LULAMILE GANGCA: The leader of the AZAPO as we always knew or heard, it was said it was Maqina.  I cannot hide that information, because that is what I know.