Human Rights Violation Hearings — Newcastle — 1996-09-11

WITNESS:   They used to pass near my house, and they used to pass remarks that in my house I am holding meetings for ANC.  They used to tell me that I am supposed to leave that place because I am a Xhosa.  This is the Zulu area, this is not Xhosa area.  As time goes on they came one day and they broke my house windows.  It was on the 4th of June 1990.  Again on the 7th of June they came and they burned my house.  Only my boys' bedroom got burned, not the whole house.  In December 1991, it was on the 21st, a certain guy from 'Maritzburg was shot by the name of Nganda.  He lost his eye.  He was sitting in the kitchen.  I saw them again on the very same day, IFP members.  On the 20th in 1992 IFP people came again.  They were having a rally at the stadium.  I am not quite sure who was there at the rally, I think it was Themba Khoza.  When they came from that rally they came to my house, they broke my house windows, and one guy from Khambule family got injured, glasses got into his eyes.  In 1992 again, August, IFP members they had a rally again.  They were with Mr Nxumalo, who was a councillor at Osizweni, and other members from Madadeni.  And they came and they beat me.  I saw them again that they were IFP members because it was during the day, and I was surprised because no one - we never had a case about this even though I used to go to the Osizweni Police Station to open a docket, but nothing was happen up until in 1993, February, on the 6th, when they burnt down absolutely everything from my house.  IFP members came.  It was early evening.  They were from Mambatheni Mortuary to fetch Thembe Mbatha's kid.  They passed next to my house.  They were singing.  They had traditional weapons with them, and also guns, and they promised that they are coming to burn my house.  And they said, "We don't need anyone who's Xhosa here.  This is Zulu's land."  Then they passed.  They went to Mambatheni, where they were going to have a night vigil.  In the early evening before sunset I was sitting outside my verandah with Xolani and Fikile.  They came again, and they were also singing, Inkatha members.  And I said to Fikile, "Fikile, you must leave because you are pregnant.  We are better, because even if we are left behind we can run, and I am used to them coming to my house, beating me."  And then Fikile left.  I was left with Xolani and Vukani, before Vukani died, and Nkosimphile, Nosipho, and Xelokuhle.  I was left with them.  When we were asleep I couldn't sleep because we were now going to bed with our clothes on.  We couldn't take off our clothes because we were scared, and I used to tell my children when I go to my bedroom that, "My children, you must please wear your clothes when you go to bed.  Don't take off, because Inkatha will attack us and they will never stop."  And I told them about the event that happened during the day when they told me that they will come and burn my house.  I told my children to go to bed with their clothes.  At 2.00 am I heard the gate opening and then I woke up, because I was ready because I knew they were coming.  And when I peeped through the window I saw it was dark, full of people, so I told my children to wake up.  I said, "Wake up, wake up, there's Inkatha."  And then my house was burning all around.  My doors were smashed down, windows were destroyed.  I was with my children in the kitchen.  The house was burning now.  My house was burning all over.  I was holding my children, Nonkululeko, Nosipho and Xolani.  I took a chair.  I took this chair and I told Xolani to hold one thing and I hold Nonkululeko.  So they thought it was a gun, and then that's when I got a chance of running away.  I got under the grape tree.  I got under the grape tree, I hide myself there.  Now they were fighting with my children who were inside.  They were swearing at them that they must come out, because they have been warning us that we must leave that area, this was Zulus' area.  I was with the small children outside.  I saw them.  The house was alight.  I saw Sikhumbuso Mthethwa, I saw Thulani Dube, I saw Mbekheni Mthethwa.  And these others I couldn't tell their names, but I know their names now.  They were from KwaMbatha.  I couldn't see my children.  One other person that I saw it was Tess Khumalo.  He was the IFP member.  He's the one who shot my son.  I don't know who contacted the police, but the police came.  When they were approaching we heard a gunfire and these Inkatha members ran away.  I only left with what was in my body, I didn't take anything.  Even my children had nothing with them.

COMMISSIONER: We know it's very difficult to ... (inaudible) ... terrible things, Mrs Mntambo, so please just relax if you can and take your time.  (Pause)  Perhaps you can tell us how Xelokuhle was shot.  How badly was he injured, and what happened to him?

WITNESS:   Xelokuhle was shot while he was running from the house outside.  I only saw him when he was trying to jump the fence.  That's when he got shot, when he was trying to jump the fence.  Sithelo Khumalo is the one who shot him.  I was under that grape tree and I saw that happening.  He ran away.  I don't know where he went to because I was also confused.  I heard neighbours crying, and I heard afterwards that other members went inside our neighbours' house and killed a boy from that house, and we discovered that Bafana from my neighbour had been killed.  We heard the police went to Mambatheni.  After that I had nothing.  I had no money, nothing to eat.  My children had nothing to wear.  They had nothing, absolutely nothing.  On that day neighbours gave me food because I didn't have food to eat.

COMMISSIONER: (Inaudible) ... to the police?

WITNESS:   Yes, I did report.  Police came the next morning after my house had been burnt early in the morning.  They came in the morning.  Also police from Nqutu.  They found bullets and they said they were Zulu Police bullets.  That's what they told me, and I heard that they were arrested.  Afterwards I saw them.  I went to Mr Dlamini, a police who was a station commander, and I asked him what was going on, and he told me the senior prosecutor has dropped the case.  After that I was staying in people's houses, and people were helping me, giving me food and giving me clothes, a bed to sleep, pots.  Red Cross as well also helped me.  They gave me blankets.  I was staying with Lindi Mhlungu.

COMMISSIONER: (Inaudible) ... now?  Did you ever go back to that area in Osizweni?  Did you rebuild your house?  Did you move from that place?

WITNESS:   Now I am staying there.  I am trying to renovate my house, because before I wasn't working.  I only used to design and knit clothes and everything, and I used to sell those things.  But now I am working.  I am working at Sandown Bolt.  What really makes me sad is that today I have to start it all over.  I am working just to feed my children.  It's difficult for me to rebuild my house.  I don't have power.  When I think of what I have lost I just don't have power.  I don't have a chair to sit in my house.

COMMISSIONER: (Inaudible) ... it must be for you, and you say that you don't have power, but although we know that you have suffered and are still suffering we see that you are powerful today, that you have gone back to your house, that you are rebuilding it, that you are still looking after your children, and that you have stood up again and that you are moving forward, and we think you are very brave to have done that.  Is there anything else that you want to say about what happened to you?