Human Rights Violation Hearings — Nelspruit — 1996-09-04

MR MALAN: Thank you, Mr Mdawe.  When did you say this young soldier by the name of Frans came to see you?  When was this?

JABULANI MICHAEL MDAWE: The young soldier is staying, for information, he is staying at my township, I know him. I did not know that he was involved in what has happened. He came to my house. I thought he came on a friendly basis.  Then he related the story to me.  I want to mention the fact that I could not mention the date now, I don't know remember what date was it.

MR MALAN: More or less when was it, was it this year or last year or when was it?

JABULANI MICHAEL MDAWE: It was early this year.

MR MALAN: Will you give us a supplementary statement as to that discussion, because you had not disclosed that in your statement to us.  You told us nothing about the visit of the NELSPRUIT HEARING TRC/MPUMULANGA
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soldier in your statement. So if you could see one of our statement-takers and give us the full story in writing about what transpired there. So we can follow that up.  Will that be okay with you?

JABULANI MICHAEL MDAWE: It is true in my statement amongst the four, only two I wrote that.

MR MALAN: Then could you tell me a little about yourself at the time.  You say that you were initially interrogated because of your membership with the United Democratic Front. Were you an activist at the time, did you hold any office in any of the movements, any of the organisations?

JABULANI MICHAEL MDAWE: I was the founder member of the Mazulu Civic Association, which was an affiliation of the UDF.

MR MALAN: Were you also an office bearer or only a founder member?

JABULANI MICHAEL MDAWE: I was an office bearer and I was chairing that civic association.

MR MALAN: You were the chairman, the chairperson of the civic?

JABULANI MICHAEL MDAWE: Yes.

MR MALAN: What was the programme of the civic, that they would have followed you and checked on you?

JABULANI MICHAEL MDAWE: Our rule was to make sure that the government at that time is ungovernable.  But we were trying our own level best to see to it that even the people that we are referring to as enemies are not injured.  What we were arranging was consumer boycotts, stay-aways and to make sure that we pressurise the government, to listen to the plight of the people at the township.  Amongst other things that I did, there was no purified water in that township. I did send a bottle of water to the then Bantu Administration Board, to
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investigate whether that water was water that should be drunk by the people.

MR MALAN: There was a, according to our research, in the first week of April, there was a stayaway.  Did you organise that stay-away?  Is that perhaps the reason why they started following you?

JABULANI MICHAEL MDAWE: With the stay-aways, I made it a point that I am always there, to make sure that there is no injury, there are no comrades who are out of way, who are not following the policies of the civic association and the UDF.

MR MALAN: Thank you. I think that at least gives a perspective, your activities, why you were being watched, because you only referred to your membership of the UDF. You didn't give us the other information. I am glad for that input. Now we can understand why they were looking for you.   Both in your detention, initially, you say you were, when you were released, you were clapped and pushed against the wall, but at no stage did they torture you.  You made no reference to any torturing or so.

JABULANI MICHAEL MDAWE: I don't want to call that torture, because I wanted to tell this house that those police were also mentioning the fact that we don't kill people here, we know that your brother died here.  What happened, the pushing that was happening, was not related to the point where I can talk of torture.

MR MALAN: Thank you very much, Mr Mdawe for your straight and forward and honest testimony. I enjoyed and appreciated yuor approach. Thank you very much.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Ndawe, I am going to ask the other Commissioners if they have any questions for you.

MS MKHIZE: Thank you very much.  For me it is just a small
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point.  There are quite a number of people who we have listened to, who have gone through similar experiences. I would like to take advantage of your wisdom and hear what needs to be done to make sure that people who made major sacrifices for the liberation we enjoy today, for them to begin to heal.  Also, what needs to be done to make sure that what we have gone through never happens again.

JABULANI MICHAEL MDAWE: Thank you, Chairperson.  The concern that I have that can make healing to the comrades, who suffered the same as I suffered, is that most of them are unemployed.  If some means can be devised to create jobs for them and most of them are members, I know them, are members of the ANC.  I believe that when they came home, they were dreaming of staying at home well and working.  But most of them are unemployed.
 The other thing that I am much concerned about the healing of those who suffered, is that most of them it appears they are not being visited.  I would appreciate it if social workers can follow up, even those who came from exile, who are not known, should be traced and socially helped.
 The other thing that I think can also help, is that most of the people feel very insecure, even myself. I hear of the very same people whom I believe made me suffer, they have resigned from the Army, others have resigned from the security ranks. I don't know where they are. If some means can be devised that we see them and they come before this Commission. If they don't, then I don't think there would be healing.  Thank you, Chairperson.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.  Mr Mdawe, we often wonder why it is after such a conflict, that South Africa has reached this NELSPRUIT HEARING TRC/MPUMULANGA
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point, where in a sense, the world looks on us as a miracle nation. I think we in the Commission are struck by your forthrightness, your courage, even though you and your family have suffered enormous injustices at the hands of the system. Yet, when we ask you what can be done, you again refer to people other than yourself, as needing help. We salute your courage, and it is because of you that South Africa does indeed have some kind of future.  We thank you for sharing your story with us.  We will investigate it and that of your brother, and we hope that we will be able to bring you some kind of answer.  Thank you for coming today.

JABULANI MICHAEL MDAWE: Thank you, Chairperson.
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