Human Rights Violation Hearings — King William's Town — 1997-05-12

REV XUNDU: Mr Chairperson, I would like to swear in Mkhululi Mvuzo Sizani.  Please stand up.

MKHULULI MVUZO SIZANI: (Duly sworn in, states).

REV XUNDU: Thank you.  Mr Chairperson, he has been properly sworn in.

JUNE CRICHTON: Thank you Mr Chairperson.  Good afternoon Mr Sizani.  Can you hear me?

MKHULULI MVUZO SIZANI: Yes, I can hear you.

CHAIRPERSON: Can we ask that the cell phone be switched off please.  It is constantly interrupting us.  I think I have heard it more than twice now.

JUNE CRICHTON: Mr Sizani, you are understanding that you can answer in Xhosa and I will have an interpretation.  Now, the  incident that you have come to tell us about today happened on the same day as the Bisho massacre.  Is that right?

MKHULULI MVUZO SIZANI: Mr Chairperson, I made a mistake in the date, because it was on the 19th.  I stated that it was on the seventh.  That is a mistake.  It was on the 19th of September 1992.

JUNE CRICHTON: Alright then, Mr Sizani, would you then like to tell us what you were accused and by whom you were accused.

MKHULULI MVUZO SIZANI: Mr Chairperson, I was accused by our headman, Mr Malangeni Makapela, he accused me of burning down his home.  On that day I was at home.  I heard that the house was being burnt down.  I saw flames in that house.  My uncle said that I must stay at home, because people were gathering together to go and look at what was happening.  I stayed at home.
 The next morning the police came.  I am sorry, the soldier, Lindile Mashiqa and Luvuyo Matyila.  When they arrived I was in my grandfather's house.  I was eating bread, because I did not eat the whole day.  While I was still eating Luvuyo Matyila came in together with Makayise.  He asked whether I was Mkhululi Sizani.  He was having, he was holding a R4.  I said, yes, I am Mkhululi Sizani.  He said that I must finish what I was eating.  After a while Lindile Mashiqa also arrived.  I think he was outside at the time.  When he got inside he said to me, let us go.  He did not ask anything.  Because they were drunk they took me.  I asked them where are we going.  They said that we are going to Mr Malangeni's house.  They were assaulting me all the time with the back of their R4's.  They beat me in my head.
 We then arrived at Mr Malangeni's house.  I was shown a letter.  They were beating me.  They said that Thembinkosi Jakaza.  They asked me to go and point Thembinkosi Jakaza's house.  We went there, but Thembinkosi was not there, his father was there.  My grandmother told my uncle that these soldiers were going to kill me.  My uncle would go and talk to them so that they can stop what they were doing.  He went to these men.  He told them that this young man was not in this incident.  He was then also assaulted, because these men did not want to listen to him.  I told them that I have a witness, the person with whom I was with during this incident.  Lindile ...

JUNE CRICHTON: Can you just, I just want to stop you for one moment.  Can you tell me the name of that witness.  Was that Thembinkosi?

MKHULULI MVUZO SIZANI: Yes, it is Thembinkosi.  When we were about to approach a corner Lindile came, shot me in my left knee.  I did not hear that I have been shot, but while I was still  walking I saw that I was shot and I fell down.  When I was trying to stand up they were beating me and assaulting me with their rifles.  After a while two young boys at about 12 years of age, they passed us and they were called.  They were, these men told them to take me.  We were then on our way to this eye-witness, but unfortunately he was not there.  We arrived at the house of Simphizwe Mabambolo.  The door was locked.  They were beating me at this time.  I could not do anything, they were assaulting me.  After a while then they instructed these boys to take me to Mr Malanageni's house.
 While we were on our way approaching this house they put me down and they told these boys to leave.  I was told to go with, I was told to crawl.  Lindile and Luvuyo would insult me all the time.  They said that I was going to tell  them who actually burnt this house.  When we arrived there I asked for water, because I was thirsty.  Lindile Mashiqa gave me a five litre.  I was forced to finish the water.   Like a monkey I would drink the water partially as some of it would be spilt out.  They then would take my teeth and hit them against a rough stone.  My teeth are damaged.  It was at about three when the police came.  I was then taken to the hospital.  
 As I was being taken to the hospital the police van went via a village.  I was in great pain.  When I got to the hospital, but before we got there I was taken to the charge office and I was identified.  At the hospital they then referred to, referred me to Makiwane Hospital.  I spent four months there.  I just need a glass of water.

JUNE CRICHTON: While you are drinking that I just want to ask  you a question.  When you were being taken by the two 12 year old boys, what were they, why were they asked to help with that process of taking you to Mr Malangeni's house.

MKHULULI MVUZO SIZANI: There was no transport as such so they took a wheelbarrow and put me on it.

JUNE CRICHTON: I see, so they were just helping, alright.  So when they had finished assaulting you they took you to the hospital?

MKHULULI MVUZO SIZANI: I was taken to the hospital, Victoria Hospital.

JUNE CRICHTON: And you were there for four months.  Now, during that time did you make a statement then or did you make a statement after that to the police about what had happened?

MKHULULI MVUZO SIZANI: I gave them my statement after I was released from hospital, January 1993.  I was referred to Makiwane Hospital.  That is where I spent the four months.  The investigators came to my house.  They said that I must go to Dan Hans to get, to give a statement.  It is where the investigators have their offices.  The investigator said to me that they are still investigating the matter until Lindile and Luvuyo were found.  I heard nothing after that.

JUNE CRICHTON: Up till this time you have heard nothing?  Is that right?

MKHULULI MVUZO SIZANI: That is right.

JUNE CRICHTON: Now, at the time that this all happened, you, were you still at school?

MKHULULI MVUZO SIZANI: Yes, I was still at school at the time of the incident.

JUNE CRICHTON: What standard had you completed?

MKHULULI MVUZO SIZANI: I was in standard nine at the time.

JUNE CRICHTON: Is there anything particular that you want the Commission to consider doing about this?

MKHULULI MVUZO SIZANI: Yes, I am not well.  I was never well after this.  My request to the Commission is that the people who are perpetrators must come forward to the Commission.  I need compensation.  I was not born like this.  People who see me now cry.  They cannot believe it is I who is like this.  There are a lot of things.  Even when I am thinking  I get very nervous.  This does not make me happy at all.  It depresses me.  I need these perpetrators to come before the Truth Commission.  They have to divulge all.  I need to know why they shot me.  I was not one of the people who ...

JUNE CRICHTON: Did you say earlier on that you do not know where these people are, because in your statement it says that they stay in the same neighbourhood.  Was that at the time of the incident?

MKHULULI MVUZO SIZANI: Yes, they were in the neighbourhood.  They were in a village next to us.  The distance is between Bisho and King William's Town.

JUNE CRICHTON: But they are no longer there?

MKHULULI MVUZO SIZANI: There is one that is still there, Mashiqa.  I see him now and again, but apparently he is a soldier in Dimbaza.

JUNE CRICHTON: And how is your relationship with him and how is the relationship between your communities?