Human Rights Violation Hearings — Newcastle — 1996-09-10

WITNESS:   His whole body was ripped, but he still does walk.  He is walking on his own feet.

COMMISSIONER: (Inaudible) ... at the time?

WITNESS:   He was a student at that time, he hadn't started training.

COMMISSIONER: Did you come to learn who was responsible for planting that - I presume it was a bomb that went off and blew the wall over and injured your legs.  Do you know who was responsible for placing that device there?

WITNESS:   I never knew at that time, but I later discovered that there was a certain boy from the Nkosi family, as well as two others, because the case was investigated and it proceeded to the Supreme Court in 'Maritzburg, and they were convicted.  One got 15 years, the other 16, and the other one nine years, but they were released immediately thereafter.  President Mandela at that time had not yet been released from Robben Island.  From that time I feel I had been traumatised and tortured because I always have to have a person to help me, and at that time nothing was done to try and help me.  Now friends are always helping me, but they are not always reliable, especially when I want to go somewhere where I have to do important things, as well as run my errands.

COMMISSIONER: (Inaudible) ... around.  How do you get to work and things like that?  Do the police provide transport for you?

WITNESS:   They do fetch me at times from home, and drop me off at work and bring me back from work to my home, but over the weekends I do have problems, because taxis do not want to take people like me on their taxis because they say I pose a lot of work for them.

COMMISSIONER: (Inaudible) ... able to use the artificial limbs at all?  Was it because the amputation was too high up your leg?

WITNESS:   I tried using the artificial limbs, but they became tight because I grew bigger because I wasn't exercising, so I grew a little bit fat, so the artificial limbs grew smaller.

COMMISSIONER: Just looking back on this incident, which took place nearly 10 years ago, do you - you must have had a chance to reflect on what happened to you, and do you have any understanding of the motives which drove this person to put that bomb at the Magistrate's Court?  Do you have any understanding of what made that person do that?

WITNESS:   This was planted by ANC members.  I think their victims were some people who were in the court, but I do not have anything to do with politics and I do not know what their motives were because I was just an ordinary policeman.  And I was not sitting there because I was having anything to do with politics, I was just like an ordinary civilian.  Because even the person I had arrested was supposed to appear in court.

COMMISSIONER: (Inaudible) ... had a chance to see or confront the person that did this to you?

WITNESS:   I do know this Nkosi boy.  He grew up right in front of me.

COMMISSIONER: Has he ever said anything to you about what happened?  Has he seen you since this happened, or has he not been able to face you?

WITNESS:   I saw him at the police station in Pretoria, and I had gone to another case after I had been injured.  He said it was not his intention to injure me, he had just planted a bomb.

COMMISSIONER: Do you know what was going on in Newcastle at that time?  Were there political trials going on, or what was going on at the time?  Was there trouble in Madadeni, Osizweni?  What was happening?

WITNESS:   There was some violence, but there wasn't much because it was in 1986.  It was the first time that I had this experience of a bomb exploding.

COMMISSIONER: How long had you been in the police force when this happened?

WITNESS:   I was already five years in the police force.

COMMISSIONER: Now, it's very common in the police that when somebody is involved in an accident on duty that they receive a lump sum compensation.  Did you receive compensation at that time from the police?

WITNESS:   No, I never got a lump sum, but they said to me they were going to give me some pension and I was going to receive it monthly.  This amount cannot keep me up until the end of each month.

COMMISSIONER: (Inaudible) ... receive that pension from 1986 until you started work again in 1980?  You said you started work again I think in 1980.  Is that right?  Sorry, 1990.

WITNESS:  /No, I

COMMISSIONER: No, I started working in 1987 in August.  I started getting pension in 1988.

COMMISSIONER: (Inaudible) ... still getting that monthly pension?

WITNESS:   That is correct.

COMMISSIONER: As well as your salary?

WITNESS:   That is correct.

COMMISSIONER: And you've said in your statement here that you expect further compensation if possible from the Truth Commission, is that right?

WITNESS:   If the Government can do something for me I would welcome any help because I am really in need.  It doesn't matter what the amount is, but I want to be able to get a living wage.

COMMISSIONER: Are you able to drive any sort of vehicle?

WITNESS:   I could drive, but I do not have a licence.  I used to drive then.

COMMISSIONER: I'll give my colleagues an opportunity now to ask questions.

COMMISSIONER: Mr Nene, how do you feel healthwise besides the fact that you are now wheelchair-bound?  Are there any illnesses that developed after you got injured that need treatment?

WITNESS:   There is plenty, because my right-hand ear got affected and I am partially deaf on the right ear.  And I have got a backache problem because I never get to exercise, and I don't walk, I am always on the seated position.

COMMISSIONER: Is there any treatment that you are receiving presently?

WITNESS:   Yes, I do go to see the doctor whenever I am experiencing any pains.

COMMISSIONER: Where is the doctor that you visit?  Is it a specialist or just an ordinary practitioner?

WITNESS:   It's Dr Makubane, just an ordinary practitioner.  He is working at Extension 5.

COMMISSIONER: You further said that one of the people who planted the bomb is known to you.  Without repeating what you've already said I just want to find out as to whether you will be able to sit down and talk with him, or have you ever got that chance?

WITNESS:   Unfortunately he died before I even talked to him.  I do not know where the other one went to.

COMMISSIONER: (Inaudible) ... wants to say, Mr Nene?

WITNESS:  No, they do not want to say anything.

COMMISSIONER: Anything further that you want to add to what you've already said?

WITNESS:   I think that's about all that I could say, but what I have to point out is that I am no longer the same person that I was before the accident.  I am very intolerant, very insensitive, and I've got mood swings.

COMMISSIONER: (Inaudible) ... very, very much for coming here today, waiting all day to tell us this very sad story.  We know that people who opposed apartheid went sometimes to terrible lengths to show their opposition.  People became angry, frustrated, and they acted very, very irresponsibly.  We know that there were bombs that were placed in many part of this country by both sides, and some of those bombs were aimed at installations like electricity pylons, where know one was injured.  Other bombs were placed irresponsibly in public places, and you unfortunately became a victim of one of those bombs, and there were many other innocent victims like yourself on both sides.