Human Rights Violation Hearings — Sebokeng — 1996-08-06

SOPHIE NOMFUTSE SEMELANE: (sworn states)

COMMISSIONER: Thank you Mrs Semelane.  Mrs Semelane can you please tell us who is accompanying you and introduce her to us please?

SOPHIE NOMFUTSE SEMELANE: This is my next door neighbour.

COMMISSIONER: Thank you.  We welcome her too.  Mrs Semelane I am going to actually hand you over to my colleague Dr Russel Ally who is going to help you in telling your story about your son Andrew Mbuyiselo Mxwane.  Thank you very much.

SOPHIE NOMFUTSE SEMELANE: Thank you Sir.

RUSSELL ALLY: Welcome Mrs Semelane.

SOPHIE NOMFUTSE SEMELANE: I can't remember the dates but in that month I was with Andrew who was my son-in-law.  We used to knock-off at the same time.  We were working in Johannesburg and then we used to travel together home and he said to me mum I'm going to a night vigil and I said to him brother, well that's fine, if you're going to the night vigil it's okay.  I asked him where is the night vigil, he said in Zone 7, a friend of ours has passed away and then we are now going to the night vigil.  I said to him okay that's fine with me, go.  And thereafter he said no, I think I'll wait for a few friends of mine to arrive.  Yes duly they all arrived.  Both girls and boys came because they were all comrades and they prepared food before they could leave and after eating you know they decided to walk to Zone 7 because I was staying in HRV/820 Everton/...
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Everton, until the reached Zone 7 on foot because they were using shortcuts.  And as I was alone at home I decided to sleep.  As I was sleeping since the time he left it was about 7 o'clock, we slept with the children and his wife, at about 4 o'clock in the morning I heard a knock at my door and I asked who are you?  No Mother this is me the comrade you saw yesterday, and I was worried.  What is it now?  The comrade said please mum open the door it's me.  I woke up and I opened the door.  When I opened the door he got into the house and he said mom I am going to fetch you, things are bad in Zone 7.  I asked him what happened?  He said no I am here to fetch you, things are just not right.  Truly I took my blanket and I put on my clothes quickly and I went straight to my neighbour, to this woman next to me, and I said to her please woman accompany me to Zone 7, I have just received the news that things are not right.  She said to me wait a few minutes I want to take my blanket as well.  I said okay I remembered that his aunt was also on our way to Zone 7 and we decided to get a taxi to pick her up. Well the three of us left to Zone 7.  We used a passage that is leading to the place.  When we were about to enter the dining room door we saw Father Macamel and Father Macamel said please do not use the front door use the back door, just go and use the small gate because we are busy here with the people who have died here.  When we were at the gate here is my son Andrew lying on the floor, on the ground, red of blood.  We stood there puzzled not knowing what to do.  This woman next to me took her blanket off and then cover it over his body.  We went to Macamel and said, Father Macamel we found our son and he said who is his name?  We said it's Andrew and he was taken to the others that have already been HRV/820 placed/...
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placed on the ground.  We were now waiting for the corpses to leave for the mortuary.  We waited in the tent.  I now saw this other lady who was with them the previous night at 7 o'clock and I asked this lady what had happened actually?  And she said mum, we arrived here and we were told that there's not going to be any funeral at all, and another woman said please let us not talk now can we clean the blood and then we decided to clean the blood and then we were sweeping this blood.  While we were still sweeping the police arrived.  We were told to stop a few minutes so that the police can come in.  They were together with a White person wearing a khaki trouser.  We continued sweeping the blood and then we finished and then we sat down.  We were waiting for the mortuary, the funeral undertakers to come and get the corpses.  I will end there.

RUSSELL ALLY: Thank you Mrs Semelane.  You say that Andrew was your son-in-law, he was married to your duty?

SOPHIE NOMFUTSE SEMELANE: Yes he was my son-in-law.

RUSSELL ALLY: And your daughter now, did they have children together?

SOPHIE NOMFUTSE SEMELANE: My daughter is at home Sir.

RUSSELL ALLY: And did they have a family?  Did they have children together?

SOPHIE NOMFUTSE SEMELANE: They were staying with me.  They had a shack erected at the back of my house.  Their child passed away.

RUSSELL ALLY: Now when Andrew said that he was going to this vigil was this because Christopher was a friend or was this because they were linked together in political work, or in the same political organisation?

SOPHIE NOMFUTSE SEMELANE: My son-in-law was a great politician, he was together with Christopher, everywhere you would see them
HRV/820 together/...
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together.

RUSSELL ALLY: And before he left did you get any idea from him that he knew that the situation was quite tense in Zone 7B and that there had been threats that people would possibly be attacked if they went to this night vigil?  Did he mention anything to you?

SOPHIE NOMFUTSE SEMELANE: He never said anything, he was just telling me about the slogans that he used to sing and that would be the end of it all.  If you'd say to me I am leaving for such a place it would be true, you will find him at a political meeting.  That will be his duty only.

RUSSELL ALLY: And some of the names that came up today with other witnesses, Keteswe and Hunter Ndlovu, did you ever hear those names before?

SOPHIE NOMFUTSE SEMELANE: No I didn't know the names before.  I do not even know the names, I do not want to lie because I live in Everton not in Zone 7.

RUSSELL ALLY: Thank you very much Mrs Semelane.

CHAIRPERSON: Dr Randera?  Professor Piet Meiring?

PROF MEIRING: Mrs Semelane one question, you've come to the Truth Commission with the very sad story of your son-in-law, your life, your daughter's life was very much affected by what happened to him, what do you think the Truth Commission could do to help you live through all of this?  What would you like the Truth Commission to do for you?

SOPHIE NOMFUTSE SEMELANE: I really do not know Sir.  I am just about to die, I don't know what you can offer me.  You can help my daughter because she is trying to get employed but she cannot get employment anywhere.

PROF MEIRING: Thank you very much.  We take note of that.

CHAIRPERSON: Dr Randera.
HRV/820 DR RANDERA/...
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DR RANDERA: Mrs Semelane can you please tell us about Andrew's parents, are they still alive?

SOPHIE NOMFUTSE SEMELANE: This is Andrew's aunt and his father is still alive, he is staying in Stradfort, his mother passed away.

DR RANDERA: Thank you very much.

CHAIRPERSON: Mrs Paulina and those accompanying you we are grateful that you came to tell us your story.  We are very sorry about Andrew and I am sure that when you were called and you saw him lying on the ground as you saw him it was a painful thing, of wiping and cleaning up the blood of all those people who were slaughtered there, and it must have been traumatic.  We are very sorry and we hope that some light will be shed on this matter.  We want to thank you.

SOPHIE NOMFUTSE SEMELANE: Thank you.