Human Rights Violation Hearings — Duncan Village — 1996-09-24

MS MAYA: Do you have a request to ask from this Commission, except the request that you want to be helped to go back to the Doctors, do you have any other request?

UNKNOWN: Yes, I do.

MS MAYA: What is your request?

UNKNOWN: My request is that I want the Commission to do anything for me what it can - it can do anything for me.

MS MAYA: I'll give this opportunity to the Chairperson.
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BONGANI FINCA: Revd Xundu?

REV XUNDU: Thank you Mr Chairman.  Do you get any pension?

UNKNOWN: No, I don't.

REV XUNDU: Did you apply for it?

UNKNOWN: No.

REV XUNDU: Are you employed?

UNKNOWN: No, I'm unemployed.

REV XUNDU: Do you have a wife and children?

UNKNOWN: No, I don't.

REV XUNDU: Thank you Mr Chairman.

BONGANI FINCA: Thank you Mr Macwashe.    We will now call on Mr Fivana.

MS MAYA: Mr Fivana, can you hear me?

UNKNOWN: Yes.

MS MAYA: In August 1985, you said you were shot here in Duncan Village by the soldiers of the South African Defence Force.  You said you were amongst the people who were toyi-toying.  What really happened?

UNKNOWN: Yes.

MS MAYA: Please come nearer to the mike so that we can hear you.

UNKNOWN: Yes, I was one of the people who were toyi-toying.

MS MAYA: Do you remember what was happening at that day?

UNKNOWN: Yes, at that time, it was a very difficult time.  We were toyi-toying and the soldiers were shooting us.

MS MAYA: Were you a member of any political organisation or were you active in politics?

UNKNOWN: Can you please repeat your question?

MS MAYA: Were you a member of a political organisation around the township or did you play any part in politics at
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that time?

UNKNOWN: I was not a member, but I was under ANC.

MS MAYA: What happened when you were shot?

UNKNOWN: We were toyi-toying on that day.

MS MAYA: Where were you? Where were you exactly?

UNKNOWN: We were here in Dunga.

MS MAYA: Do you still remember the date here in August?

UNKNOWN: No, I don't.  I just remember the day.

MS MAYA: Which day was it?

UNKNOWN: It was on Tuesday.

MS MAYA: Was it this Tuesday of the first week when this unrest started here in Duncan Village?

UNKNOWN: Yes.

MS MAYA: Where did the soldiers shoot you?

UNKNOWN: They shot me all over my body - my legs, my hands.

MS MAYA: Did you go to hospital?

UNKNOWN: No, I didn't, because at that time when you went to hospital, the soldiers were taking you to prison so that's why I didn't go to hospital.  Just went to the clinic here in Dugashe.

MS MAYA: When did you go to the clinic, was it the same day?  When did you go to the clinic?

UNKNOWN: I went to the clinic on the next day, the day after I got shot.

MS MAYA: Did you sat with these bullets in your body?

UNKNOWN: Yes.

MS MAYA: And then what happened?

UNKNOWN: I went to the clinic and they gave me medicine to apply to the places where I was shot.  They just said the bullets will just come out, that didn't happen.
 I stayed and I could feel the pellets in my body, my 
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body was in pain and then in September I went to Transkei where I was admitted at Tafalofefe hospital, they removed the three pellets in my body.  And other bullets, I just removed them myself with a blade.

MS MAYA: What happened in Tafalofefe in Transkei?  Do you have any relatives there?

UNKNOWN: No, there is no one I know in that place but because I was afraid of going to prison, I went to Transkei..

MS MAYA: Mr Fivana, at the time you were shot, were you employed?

UNKNOWN: No, but I just used to get one day jobs.

MS MAYA: After you were shot, did your life go back to the normal way?

UNKNOWN: No, I didn't feel, I'm still not feeling all right at this present moment.

MS MAYA: Are you employed now?

UNKNOWN: No.

MS MAYA: Do you have a family - wife and children?

UNKNOWN: Yes, I do have a wife and a child.

MS MAYA: Did you make any claim or did you get any money?

UNKNOWN: No, I didn't claim.

MS MAYA: Did you get any other help  or help from the Government?

UNKNOWN: No.

MS MAYA: What supports you with your family?

UNKNOWN: I just live with the one day jobs to support my family.

MS MAYA: Do you have any other thing you want to raise in front of this Commission?

UNKNOWN: The request I would like to make to this
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Commission, I want the Commission to help me since I'm unemployed.

MS MAYA: In what way?

UNKNOWN: Firstly I'm suffering and I can't even support myself.  I can't buy clothes for myself because I'm unemployed and I can't even support my child.

MS MAYA: How old is your child?

UNKNOWN: My child is 9 months old.

MS MAYA: Do you have any other request?

UNKNOWN: I would like the Commission to help me.

MS MAYA: Thank you Mr Fivana, I'll give this opportunity to the Chairman - maybe he's got questions to ask you.  Thank you.

BONGANI FINCA: Now, June Crichton.

JUNE CRICHTON: Can you hear me Mr Fivana?  Can you hear me?
I just have one more question, that is whereabouts exactly were you when you were shot?  You say you were toyi-toying, but in what area, what part of Duncan Village?

UNKNOWN: I was shot here in Dunga Street.

JUNE CRICHTON: Thank you.

BONGANI FINCA: Ntsikelelo Sandi?

MR SANDI: Mr Fivana, on this day you were toyi-toying in the street, what time was it?

UNKNOWN: It was early in the morning.

MR SANDI: How did you know that there was going to be a toyi-toyi?  Did you just see people toyi-toying or were you called by someone?

UNKNOWN: Everybody was toyi-toying at that time.

MR SANDI: Were there any other people who were injured at that time?

UNKNOWN: Yes, there were many other people who were
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injured.

MR SANDI: Do you know any people you know who was shot at that time?

UNKNOWN: No, I don't know these people.  There is no one I can say I know.

MR SANDI: In Pefferville Clinic - on the day you went there, what happened in the clinic?

UNKNOWN: We went there to the clinic, I was not the only one.  There were also others who went with me.
 The nurse who was there was on duty, treated us.  He just applied a red ointment to our wounds.

MR SANDI: Thank you Mr Fivana.  Thank you Mr Chairman.

BONGANI FINCA: Thank you Mr Fivana and Mr Macwashe who had to leave.  I think, your testimony or your evidence would help us to clarify what happened on the day people were shot and people were injured, others were killed in the massacre which continued for three days.
 Thank you for your evidence which you brought forward because your evidence is important and it gives clarity to what happened at that time.
 Your requests which you brought forward to this Commission, we will look at them and we will forward them to the President who is going to see what he can do.
 Thank you very much and we also thank Mr Sakhile Macwashe, wherever he is now.  Thank you, you can now go back to your place.