Human Rights Violation Hearings — Cradock — 1996-02-10

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: I was detained here in Queenstown with my children.  The children were taken to Essex.  They were told to identify Sonwabo and Constance Ngesi.

MR SANDI: Did you know Constance Ngesi?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: Well, we didn't know her well, but she came with Sonwabo to our house.  She was an MK soldier.

MR SANDI: After you were detained, what happened?  You were beaten up, could you tell us about that?  Who beat you up?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: I was put in a room, there were a whole lot of policemen there.  They beat me up saying that I should tell them about Sonwabo, his whereabouts.  I was beaten on my head and I fell down.  Also on my lower right, I then bled through he nose and the ears.
 Doctor Copperwords who was a District Surgeon diagnosed me as being well.  I was then taken to a cell.  That night I was transferred to another prison.  The following week we were both taken to Queenstown.
 I asked my husband how he was and I was told that I could not even ask my husband how he was.

MR SANDI: Were you already beaten up when you were taken to Doctor Copperwords?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: Yes, I was already beaten.

MR SANDI: Did you tell him that you were beaten?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: Yes, he could see that I was bleeding.  There was a lady there, a police woman that gave me cloths to wipe the blood off.  Dr Copperwords said that I must be taken
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back to the cell, there is nothing wrong with me he said.

MR SANDI: Please continue Mrs Sizila.

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: My husband and I were then given our clothing but when I really looked at the clothing, I realised that it wasn't our clothing.
 They threatened that they would take us away from our children, I told them that I could not accept the clothing.  Then the Detective took me to the house to get my clothing.  The children were there.  
 I wrote a note and left R50-00 for the children.  We took the clothing, then we were driven back to Queenstown.  We were handcuffed together.  He could not walk, I had to lift him up.
 We were then put into a van where a man actually sat on him.  I asked this man not to sit on my husband, because my husband was ill.  He sat on my husband.  So I pulled my husband to sit on top of me.  When we got to Grahamstown they stopped for a moment.
 My husband then said to me that we were going to be beaten up.  I said to him, it would be better if they beat me up, because he was ill.  When we got to Port Elizabeth the van stopped in front of the Rooi Hell.
 I tried to lift my husband up.  As we were handcuffed together, the police said that we are getting married.  A Black policeman then just dragged my husband.  I said to him that he must not drag him, I'll lift him up, but he insisted on dragging him into the cell.

MR SANDI: Were you in Grahamstown?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: No, we were in Port Elizabeth.  We were at the Rooi Hell.

MR SANDI: Which policemen were there?
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NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: Myburgh was there.

MR SANDI: Is this the man that kicked you the one time you were detained?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: Yes.

MR SANDI: Please continue Mrs Sizila.

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: My husband and I were then separated.  He was taken to Rooi Hell and I was taken to Le Grange.  They would call us in now and again asking us about Sonwabo and other issues.
 They said that my children said I know where Sonwabo is.  They had put something on my ears and on my children.  The one morning I was taken from my cell by four policemen.  There was an Indian attorney.   On the way to Grand Bushes, there is a dam.  They put something on my face, that just allowed me to breathe.
 I was beaten up yet again.  I could not sleep that night, they took me to Livingstone Hospital.  I was at the hospital for a week.

MR SANDI: How were you beaten up, what were they using?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: They used a sjambok.

MR SANDI: How long did they beat you up for?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: It was not too long a time, because as they were beating me up, a car came.

MR SANDI: ; So you stayed a few days in the hospital?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: It was a week.

MR SANDI: What did the Doctor say about your condition?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: The Doctor realised that my bladder was infected and I could not urinate.  It was a fat policeman from Port Elizabeth that was told.

MR SANDI: Did the Doctor give the results to you?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: No.
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MR SANDI: Which Doctor was this?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: I don't know.

MR SANDI: You then left the hospital after a week, what happened after that?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: I was taken back to jail.

MR SANDI: In Port Elizabeth?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: Yes, sir.

MR SANDI: What happened in jail?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: I asked if I could go see my husband.  I was allowed to.  They said that maybe if I do see him, maybe he will give a statement, he is not talking.  I went.  When I got there, he asked what I was doing there, I said no, I just wanted to find out how you are.
 The Boers then said I must talk to him.  They were swearing, they were being derogatory.  They said he might as well there, because he is not saying anything.

MR SANDI: Were you taken to court by the police?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: No, after a month and three weeks we were released.  The police then said Olga and Aron, there is nothing we can say to you because Sonwabo is dead, he shot himself.

MR SANDI: Was Sonwabo really dead?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: Well I don't know, because we couldn't even go to the funeral as we were in jail.

MR SANDI: So what happened to Sonwabo?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: Where?

MR SANDI: You said that Sonwabo had been shot.

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: I don't know sir.  Even though Sonwabo would come to the house and leave, I would not know his whereabouts.  It is the day that we were released that I found out that Sonwabo had died.
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MR SANDI: So your husband died in 1989?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: Yes sir, he would urinate blood.

MR SANDI: Where did he die?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: At the hospital in Queenstown.

MR SANDI: You said that he died from all the injuries that he sustained?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: Yes, sir.

MR SANDI: Is that all that you have to say?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: Yes.

MR SANDI: What is your request to the Commission?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: I need a tombstone for my husband.  I have nothing also to support my children.

MR SANDI: Thank you Mrs Sizila.  I will hand you over to Mr Chairperson.

BONGANI FINCA: Mrs Sizila, amongst the police - do you have their identities?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: I don't know them, I don't know their names.

BONGANI FINCA: But you knew Jakq?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: Yes, I knew Jakq.

BONGANI FINCA: Is he still alive?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: I don't know, that is the last time I saw him.

BONGANI FINCA: Because we need to investigate him.  And Myburgh, is he still alive?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: Yes, he is.

BONGANI FINCA: Where is he?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: He is here in Queenstown.

BONGANI FINCA: And the Doctor, is he still alive?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: Yes, he is, he still practices in Queenstown.

BONGANI FINCA: Thank you.

MS MAYA: Good afternoon Mrs Sizila.  What happened to CRADOCK HEARING TRC/EASTERN CAPE
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Sonwabo?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: Sonwabo was buried.

MS MAYA: Who killed him?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: I don't know whether he was shot or not?

MS MAYA: I thought you said Sonwabo was your brother?

NOZITHANDISO OLGA SIZILA: Yes, he is my brother, but we never got details of his death.  I was not even allowed to go to the grave, I was only allowed after six months.

MS MAYA: When were you able to come back to Cradock?