Human Rights Violation Hearings — Uitenhage — 1996-08-27

CHAIRPERSON: Could we now call upon the next witness.  The next witness is Ms Tozama Jennifer Moyesha, who is going to be lead by Rev Xundu.

TOZAMA JENNIFER MOYESHA: (sworn states)

REV XUNDU: Ms Tozama Moyesha what is your clan name by the way?

TOZAMA JENNIFER MOYESHA: I am Mam Qhomasi.

REV XUNDU: Thank you Mam Qhomasi.  You have your story here in this statement which is the same as what was said by other people so I am not going to bother you much by asking you to say it again.  Except that I would like to confirm whether you were one of those people who were in that crowd and they met all the shooting that occurred?

TOZAMA JENNIFER MOYESHA: Yes, it is like that.

REV XUNDU: Now what happened to you?  Could you briefly tell this Commission what happened to you?

TOZAMA JENNIFER MOYESHA: We were coming from Maduna and we were going to a funeral in Kwanubushle, and we were walking down Maduna Street and there was a hippo opposite my home.  We stood there and this hippo was trying to disperse us but we walked UITENHAGE HEARING TRC/EASTERN CAPE
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further until we got to section 16 just down the hill.  There were hippos parked next to the John Wesley Church.  There was a Rastafarian from us who went to those, and he came back and we decided to stop singing because he said that these Whites where saying that we were not going to proceed to Kwanubushle.

REV XUNDU: Do you mean that this Rasta doesn't have a name because people have been referring to this person as a Rasta?  What is his actual name, because we would like to know his name?

TOZAMA JENNIFER MOYESHA: I really don't know his name.

REV XUNDU: But he is known as the Rastafarian?

TOZAMA JENNIFER MOYESHA: Yes.

REV XUNDU: You were shot by the police then?

TOZAMA JENNIFER MOYESHA: Yes, the Whites shot us.

REV XUNDU: So, you just heard from the Rastafarian, you did not hear the police saying there was no funeral?

TOZAMA JENNIFER MOYESHA: Yes, it is the Rastafarian who told us we were not going to Kwanubushle.  Then we said to the Rastafarian, if they say we are not going to Kwanubushle, we are going to take a short cut and walk.

REV XUNDU: And as a result of that, you were attacked by the Whites?

TOZAMA JENNIFER MOYESHA: Yes, they shot us.

REV XUNDU: Then, what did you see?

TOZAMA JENNIFER MOYESHA: I saw some people running away, some were on the floor and when I was trying to run away, they shot me on the back and here on the buttock and my false teeth, I lost them and when I was trying to pick them up, they shot me here on the arm, and here on my leg.

REV XUNDU: And then, how did you get your help?
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TOZAMA JENNIFER MOYESHA: An ambulance took me to the provincial hospital and they drained some blood from my system and then I was taken to the Livingstone hospital.

REV XUNDU: And were you discharged and went home?

TOZAMA JENNIFER MOYESHA: Yes, they discharged me and I was put into a police van and I asked what now, they said the ambulances were busy, that was the reason why they were putting me into a police van.  Then I became conscious because one of the victims was with me there and they asked me to alight from the van and as I was getting off from the van they opened the door of the van as if ...(intervention)

CHAIRPERSON: We will be asking for another witness and then we will come back to Ms Moyesha.