Human Rights Violation Hearings — Mooiriver — 1997-05-29

MRS GCABASHE: Good morning, Mrs Mnyandu.  Can you hear me?  We thank you for coming here before the Commission because this will help us in obtaining the truth as to what happened in those days here in Brandville.  We know that your story is one of - a sad story, and that because of the violence that's how you lost your husband.  Before we can start I would like you to just give us a picture of your family.  In your statement you have mentioned that you have a son by the name of Robert.  How old is Robert?

WITNESS:   I don't know his age.

MRS GCABASHE: Is he the eldest son?

WITNESS:   Yes.

MRS GCABASHE: And you also have a daughter by the name of Regina.

WITNESS:   Regina is the one after Robert, and there's another one, Simon.  Jane is after Simon.

MRS GCABASHE: I don't think you have mentioned Simon in your statement.

WITNESS:   The one after Robert is Regina, and after Regina is Simon, and then Jane.  And then the last one is Jane.  And then there's Joanna.  And there's Wilson.  And I lost Julia and Alson.  I am only left with six and grandchildren.  My grandchildren are Mphume.

MRS GCABASHE: How old is Mphume, do you know?

WITNESS:   No, I don't know.  And there's Lindiwe.  She is also my granddaughter.  And Sbu is my grandson.  Sibusiso is my grandson.  Yes, they are staying with me.  Yes, they are still in school. Wilson is also still in school.  Wilson is in standard 10, and Joanna is still in standard 10.  She is supplementing some of the subjects which she didn't pass last year in her matric.  And Nomphumelelo.  Only two are still in school who are my children.  Mphume is in standard seven, and Lindiwe is in standard three, and Sibusiso in standard four.

MRS GCABASHE: Are you working or are you a pensioner?

WITNESS:   Yes, I am a pensioner, I am receiving a pension, and I am not working.

MRS GCABASHE: Is there someone from your children who is helping you to maintain your family?

WITNESS:   No, there's no one who is working.  They are being maintained by me.

MRS GCABASHE: Are they working, your children who are not in school?

WITNESS:   Jane is working.  She is working in the corporation.

MRS GCABASHE: You can take your time.  Where is Jane working?

WITNESS:   She is working at the corporation - municipal.

MRS GCABASHE: And who else is working from your children?

WITNESS:   Simon and Robert.  They are married and they have their own houses.

MRS GCABASHE: Now you can start relating to us as to what happened.  In your statement nothing has been mentioned as to a date or a year.

WITNESS:   I don't know which year he died, but it was in the early stages of the violence.  It was the first of its kind, the first time the violence started here in Brandville.

MRS GCABASHE: What happened on that day?

WITNESS:   Early in the morning - I wasn't in the township, I was still staying in a slum area.   The name of the slum area - what was the name of that slum area?   ---   No, we didn't have a name of that area.  They used to refer to it as the slum area.  In the early hours of the morning we saw a group of people near the hostel, and later on during the day those people were still there.  They were going up and down.  We were in our areas.  Later on during that day - I am not quite sure whether it was 1 o'clock or 2 o'clock - we saw this group of people running towards the township.  We realised this and we left our respective places.  We went on the other side of the area.  I was in front, and when I turned back to look my husband was following me.  And then all of a sudden he was lying down, and then I went back.  And my other children were already gone and I went there.  I tried to wake him up to make him sit.  At that moment he wasn't even talking, or he was unable to speak, and I went to look for a car to transport him to the hospital.  He was admitted there.  The next day in the morning I went to hospital.  That's when I discovered that he had passed away.

MRS GCABASHE: We are very sad about this.  It's very difficult to relive something like this.  You can take your time.  (Pause)

WITNESS:   When we arrived there he was already dead.  We came back home to make preparations for the funeral.  The funeral went on and it was okay.

MRS GCABASHE: You said you were going up the street.

WITNESS:   He just died.  He just fell there.  It was a steep slope and he just fell and he couldn't speak again.

MRS GCABASHE: Why were these people attacking - or rather why were you running away, because these people were attacking the township?

WITNESS:   No, we were scared. Did you report this to the police?   ---   No, the police came and I gave them my statement, and they never came back to me or contacted me.

MRS GCABASHE: Did you receive a death certificate?

WITNESS:   We did, but I don't have it any more with me.

MRS GCABASHE: What was written on the death certificate?  What was the cause of ... (incomplete)

WITNESS:   They said he broke his neck.

MRS GCABASHE: Did the funeral go well?

WITNESS:   Yes.

MRS GCABASHE: There was no inquest?

WITNESS:   No, there wasn't.

MRS GCABASHE: Now, what about you, how do you feel?  What about your health since you were running away, you and your husband and your children?

WITNESS:   I am very sick.  I am -on and off I am very ill.  Sometimes I am okay.  I have high blood pressure, and I didn't have it before this incident.  I have high blood pressure, and also my legs are giving me problems.

MRS GCABASHE: What are the doctors saying about your legs?

WITNESS:  I was once attacked by a stroke.

MRS GCABASHE: You were not crippled by it?

WITNESS:   No, I wasn't, but it's painful from time to time.

MRS GCABASHE: Are you seeing any doctors or are you receiving any medication?

WITNESS:   Yes, I do see doctors sometimes.  I see doctors whenever I have money.  If I don't have money then I don't go.

MRS GCABASHE: In other words you are paying for your medication?

WITNESS:   Yes, I do pay.  I do go to a clinic sometimes because there I don't pay, but I also go to doctors and I do pay there.

MRS GCABASHE: How do you feel mentally?  Are you all right, or something is wrong with you?

WITNESS:   I think I was mentally disturbed after I lost my husband, because now I am left with a burden, everything is on my hands.  I have to do everything for my children.

MRS GCABASHE: You also mentioned in your statement that you would need help, financial assistance.  Is there anything else besides this?

WITNESS:   No, nothing.

MRS GCABASHE: I heard you saying that you only go to the doctors whenever you have money to go there.  Now, I would like to advise you that you need to see these people from the Commission, these counsellors.  They will be able to help you as to write you a letter and give you so that you can see government doctors, so that you don't have to pay for those doctors.  And also we can also help you by giving you a letter to take to schools so that your grandchildren and your other two children who are still in school will be able to study free.  Thank you, I will hand it over to the Chairperson.