Human Rights Violation Hearings — Uitenhage — 1996-08-26

MS MANYI: We waited when we had to bury the body. We were unable to get the body because they were saying they were still busy and talking. After a long time they said we could bury him.

REV XUNDU: Did you bury him at Sisonke?

MS MANYI: Yes, we did.

REV XUNDU: Vuyani's mother, was she old or young at the time.

MS MANYI: She was quite old.

REV XUNDU: Now, you say in your statement after the death of her son, her health was affected?

MS MANYI: She said she would sometimes think, it was haunting her and she would keep on talking about it.

REV XUNDU: Now what was the actual illness that his mother had which could have been caused, for instance, by the shock.

MS MANYI: She has got a heart condition, she is diabetic, she becomes dizzy to an extent that she can't walk all by herself.

REV XUNDU: Now, as you ask telling us this story, you are indicating that you were not satisfied as to who exactly was the murderer of Vuyani and would like therefor to know.
According to you, how do you think this Commission could help you, but before you answer the question, I would like to find out, that before the funeral you say the body was taken from you or was this body taken from the mortuary?

MS MANYI: It was taken from the mortuary and it was difficult for them to release the body.

REV XUNDU: And then when the police did not allow you to transfer the body from the police mortuary to the mortuary owned by Head Bush?

MS MANYI: I am not certain about this, so I will hand over to my sister here.

CHAIRPERSON: We are about to conclude.

MRS MXOLI: We just want a few things to be cleared. At the time, they gave problems at the time the body was at the mortuary, but we waited for the body and then a comrade came to tell us that they had taken the body to the charge office and I had to go there with the Minister to the charge office.
 We found the policemen sitting on the coffin and they asked who were the people who were in my company. I said they were people who had attended the funeral. 
 It was the Boers who were sitting on the coffin. Then I told there I wanted my brother, we wanted to bury him because he was dead and I did not understand why they didn't release the body and they asked me very silly questions and I ended up crying and after ten minutes they released the corpse.

REV XUNDU: Now, in your conclusion you have made mention that there are certain things you would like the Commission to help you with, could you state them?

MS MXOLI: My wish is that my mother is still unhappy about this death. I would like this Commission to help and investigate and find out the murderer of my brother because one other day in Mzontsundu some children came to burn a school and my brother stopped them from doing so. Now, I want this Commission to investigate the person who shot my brother and why he shot him.

REV XUNDU: Now, you say your brother was standing with the girlfriend. Do you know the name of the girlfriend?

MS MXOLI: No, we don't know the girlfriend and she also did not give us any clue, she said something that we did not understand, even Nkululeko did not tell anything.

REV XUNDU: Is Nkululeko still alive?

MS MXOLI: Yes, he is still alive.

REV XUNDU: What are the full names of Nkululeko.

MS MXOLI: He is Nkululeko Mkyliphi.

REV XUNDU: Over to you Chairman.

CHAIRPERSON: Are there any questions Mr Denzil Potgieter.

MR POTGIETER: We have noted your request that we should assist and try and find out what happened. I am just waiting for you to to get the translation.
 We have noted your request that we help to try and find out what happened actually to your brother but it might be of some assistance to us to get a little bit more information from you.
 This happened in August of 1985 you say in your statement? What was the situation in the area where your brother was shot at the time, was there unrest, what was the situation like?

MS MANYI: That was the time when it was rioters in our area, but at the very moment he was shot, there was no fighting.

MR POTGIETER: You say it was riots. Were there police patrolling in that area at the time, during that time?

MS MANYI: Yes. Policemen were patrolling, I think it was during the time of the State of Emergency.

MR POTGIETER: And you said that you noted that there were various marks caused by birdshot pellets on the clothing and the body of your brother. Is that correct?

MS MANYI: Yes, both sides, that is the front, the back and the sides, all over the body. There were many holes.

MR POTGIETER: So it appears as if your brother was shot with a shotgun, the one that shoots the small bullets.

MS MANYI: Yes.

MR POTGIETER: At that time, who was using this sort gun, this sort of shotgun in that area.

MS MANYI: It was the police.

MR POTGIETER: This kind of gun that shoots the pellets?

MS MANYI: Yes, it was.

MR POTGIETER: Thank your for assisting.

CHAIRPERSON: Ms Pumla Madikizela-Gobodo.

MS GOBODO: Thank you Honourable Commissioner. Nombuyiselo, many a times words cannot explain the suffering and pain within a person especially when you see the body of a beloved person like Vuyani tattered as it was.
 We have taken note of your pain, we sympathise with you, you did explain to us that the policemen were hunting Vuyani, which was the reason why he was staying with you.

MS MANYI: It's because he was running away from the police.

MS GOBODO: Could you explain to us, what were certain things you observed that could have caused the police to want Vuyani.

MS MANYI: Vuyani was a Comrade and he used to attend several meetings. He was very active and even at the time when he died many people of high position in our area came up and they used to say he was of help to us and they said Vuyani's death was a loss to them.
 I remember one day, we were walking together, he was from a funeral and he had a T-shirt that was written "Steve Biko" and we met a lot of white policemen and they dragged him because they wanted him to take off the T-shirt and he talked to them, he struggled and they wanted to take him into a police van and I intervened. Then they took the T-shirt.

MS GOBODO: Thank you Nombuyiselo. We can see that you were very close as siblings with Vuyani.

MS MANYI: I liked Vuyani because you could see that he was going to take care of my mother.

REV XUNDU: Was he the only son at home?

MS MANYI: No. There are two, but those surviving are not at good as Vuyani.

MS GOBODO: Yes, we know it is very tough especially when you think of what Vuyani could be doing today and you are just left there without Vuyani.

MS MANYI: Vuyani was an asset to the family and he used to help my mother and my mother keeps on talking about this.

MS GOBODO: Thank you. We can see that there is a lot you could say about Vuyani but I know it is very painful to talk about him. We thank you, Mr Chairman.