Human Rights Violation Hearings — Heiderveld — 1996-04-23

MIA EUNICE THEMBISO: I am Eunice Thembiso Mia, I have five children, the fifth one is Jabulani, he is the one who passed away on the 3rd March 1986.  I am from Bloemfontein, on this day, the 3rd of March 1986, I was working in the offices in Town.
 I was leaving my house at half past four in the morning rushing for a quarter to five train, rushing for six o'clock at work.  But on that morning, just before I left, it was usual for my son to go through the back kitchen from where she - from where he slept.  He knocked and I opened - I opened for him.
 Now that time it was - it was quarter past or twenty past four.  When he came in, he ate bread and cold water.  He said mamma please give me R2,00.  I said to him I only have R5,00, now I'll be short if I give you this R2,00 because I want to buy a weekly ticket.
 But now because I want him to get a job, I gave him this R2,00 because I want him to work.  He said thank you, then he said mommy but I want to accompany you to the station.  I said no but you are not use to this.   I've been going to work at this time of the morning every - every year, but you never accompanied me.  No it's all right you don't have to accompany me.  But he forced too, he said no he insist that.
 He left through the kitchen back to his place where he usually sleeps, then I closed the door, I bolted it.  We have a garage here next to our house.  He appeared through the garage and he was insisting that he must accompany me.  Now at that time now I was becoming suspicious don't do this - now I told him not to do it - not to shock me like this.  I said to him look turn back I don't want you to accompany me.
 But then he insisted he did accompany me and up to NY59 if I am trying to cut a story short.  He wanted to still go on with me but I told him no turn back.  That was actually the last time I saw him.  I got into the train at quarter to five, got to work, I was working two shifts, two hours in the offices from there I would go to the char, just to have more pocket money because the money that I was getting from the offices was too little.
 I worked as usual, I continued working but around about half past ten my boss Ms Van Horvet I can't remember the actual station of the radio where we listened to all this, she came to me and she said Eunice, I looked at her, I said madam in response.
 I just heard from the news that in Guguletu there are - there are Russians in Guguletu who have been killed.  They from Russia and then he said is your son involved in politics, I said no, I don't have - I don't have any - a son involved in politics.  So well I just continued working.  Around two or - around two o'clock in the afternoon it was time for me to go home.  I did my usual  shopping, I finished them.  Then I went home, no I mean I went home with the train.  The train that I took home was a quarter - around five past five train or something to six.  We  switched on the TV for the news, it's my daughter who did that her name is Thombisodwa who switched on the TV..

DR BORAINE: It's okay just take your time, would you like to have a short little break just sit there quietly.

MIA EUNICE THEMBISO: I am going to continue.  When the music started for the news, then in the news I was told that there are this seven children who were killed by the Guerrillas from Russia.  And one of the children was shown on TV who had a gun on his chest.  He was facing upwards and there was a gun on his chest and now we could see another one and the second one only to find that it's my son Jabulani.
 We were arguing myself and my daughter, she said it's him, I said no it can't be him, I just saw him this morning, it can't be him.  I can - I can still remember what he wore this morning.  He had navy pants and green jacket and a warm - and a warm woollen hat.  I prayed I said oh! no Lord, I wish - I wish this news can just rewind.  Why is it just him, why were the others not shown why is it just him.
 I was told it is - it was just a hand grenade that did this to him, that was next to him.  And now policeman came to me to tell me anything, I saw it with my own eyes on TV.  That's the time I collapsed, I don't know what happened after that.  What makes me to cry now is that these policeman they were treating people like animals, that's what makes me cry right now.
But even a dog, you don't kill it like that.  You even think that the owner of this dog loves it, even an ant a small ant you think you have feelings even for an ant.  But now our own children, they were not even taken as ants, if I say they are treated like dogs are, that's not how it happened, I am actually honouring them they were treated like ants.  If there is anything that I've left out I think I will just say it later, even now I didn't even take my high blood tablets.
 I haven't been well since this incident, I've been going for a treatment every month since the incident.  If I don't take these pills I have short memory I usually loose memory.  I would ask you - the people who killed our children to please - sorry I cannot finish.  Please give me a few moments there is something else I want to think about, give me a few minutes.

DR BORAINE: Okay don't worry.

MIA EUNICE THEMBISO: The pain that [indistinct] - I would like to say some more, something has really disturbing me now, this is something that took me to Court.  If the Courts - when they called somebody's name they would laugh, now we wouldn't know what they were laughing at us or who else, we didn't even have companions with us.
 We were just families - some of us were working.  There is a play that our children usually do that is the play by the crucification of Jesus Christ.  We heard that the boers were fighting with these children, our children.  But we can't find out  who was it exactly who did all this.
 If  I am not - if I am not mistaken there were two, these boers who did this to our children.  If somebody puts his arms up, he is actually giving up, he is giving himself up and he says that I am defenceless.  But the police kept on, he was my only son - he was the only one.  I can never forget - I can never forget him.  He has now three children, I am trying to struggle with his kids and his wife.  Sometimes they don't' even have money to go to school and while he was still alive he would sometimes get some casual jobs.
 And I am just staying at home, I am just knitting and crocheting and selling all those things to people so that we can have bread for the day.  Sometimes when he came back from this casual jobs he use to have, he gave me some money.  But now today I don't have anyone to do that for me.  I have - I have daughters, one is married  end of Tape 7, side A ... [a bit of information has gone astray during the changing of tapes] ...when I saw here on stage the day Mr Mandela was released, I saw all this on TV.  This all still hurts me now.  In 1985 we are still looking for our daughter who left that time.
 We don't even know where she is, no police came to me and I couldn't even go to the police that my daughter has just disappeared.  On the 4th of June 1987 my husband died.  He was taken by a - by [indistinct] at work, lots of horrible things happened to me.  I am living - I am living a horrible life.  My son has three children

DR BORAINE: Ms Mia we have two very short questions then perhaps you should rest a while and if my fellow Commissioners has additional questions you might be ready to receive them.  But first just to make very sure, your son was killed, who's name was Jabulani.

MIA EUNICE THEMBISO: Yes his name was Jabulani.

DR BORAINE: How old was he when he was killed?

MIA EUNICE THEMBISO: He was born in 1963 so he was 23 years.

DR BORAINE: Last question is - I just want to be absolutely clear first news you had of your sons death was when you saw it on television.