Human Rights Violation Hearings — Port Shepstone — 1996-08-13

DR MAGWAZA: Let's go back also.  It looks like there is some direction as to who killed your husband.  Please, if you can, tell us who were the suspects, where are they?

WITNESS:  They are still around.  They are still around and alive.

DR MAGWAZA: Do you know their whereabouts?

WITNESS:   Yes.

DR MAGWAZA: What surprises me is that these suspects it looks like they attended the funeral.

WITNESS:   Yes, they did attend the funeral of the father.  It's only the son that they did not attend his funeral.

DR MAGWAZA: When they came to the funeral did you know that they were suspects?

WITNESS:   No, we did not know, but we already heard from the hearsay.

DR MAGWAZA: The suspects, did you know the suspects very well?

WITNESS:   Yes.

DR MAGWAZA: And were they also used to your husband?

WITNESS:   Yes, because one of them is the brother-in-law.

DR MAGWAZA: After that, after all this happened, was there any case that was opened?

WITNESS:   No, there was no case that was conducted.

DR MAGWAZA: Did you report the matter to the police?

WITNESS:   Yes, we did report the matter to the police and nothing was done.  It was just absolutely quiet.

DR MAGWAZA: The police that you reported the matter to, would you happen to recall them or one of them?

WITNESS:   No, I don't know those police, because Harding we went to Port Shepstone.  But it was something that was to no avail, it was not taken serious.

DR MAGWAZA: Well, let's pass this one.  Let's go back to when your husband was killed.  It did not end there, and it also continued to your son right in December.  How did that happen?  Let's go to your son.  Was your son someone who was involved in organisations?

WITNESS:   Yes, he was involved in the organisations.  He was going to school to Gamalakhe, and he was being called to Qabane.  Our neighbours were calling him Qabane, so that tells me and it's obvious to say he was a Qabane member.  And the people around were not Qabane members. How old was he?   ---   In December he was 21 years old the very year he died.

DR MAGWAZA: I would like for you to explain what happened.

WITNESS:  In 1991, on the 24th in the afternoon - I think it was about five - my son came and told me that there are some boys he was attending school with, because he could not see them, and said one other guy was taking some money to Madlala family, and he said he wanted to accompany them, and they left.  He accompanied them to the house.  After some time they have left the house we were just relaxing at home, because my mother-in-law was still at home since the funeral of my husband.  Around seven my son, Nkosinathi, said, "Just turn on the TV, Mum, please."  When I turned on the TV I just heard the gunshot.  It was around seven.  And I heard the gunshot three times.  I ran, I went to my mother-in-law.  We switched off the lights and we were in darkness.  We were there up until around eight.  We heard the knock suddenly.  It was dark, and you can imagine one is knocking and we were there sitting.  Yes it was my sister-in-law, and she came in and asked, "Where is Bhekani?"  I said to him, "He had left with a group of young men, telling me that they were taking some money to Madlala."  He said, "There were some shootings around that house, and it looks like Bhekani was also there.  Some others ran away, but it looks like Bhekani was affected.  Where is he?"  Then one said, "Just call to Mbanjwa."  We called Mbanjwa's place, asking where were the boys.  Yes, the boys were there already.  And we called Mbambo's place and they said Mbambo's boy was there already.  And then I asked around, "What should I do now because Bhekani is not yet back, especially after those

DR MAGWAZA: /"three

DR MAGWAZA: three gunshots?"  We were there up until the next morning.  We could not sleep.  As we were still there we just heard

DR MAGWAZA: a knock suddenly, and it was one of my sister-in-laws telling me that Bhekani was sleeping around somewhere in the neighbourhood, lying down.  We went there.  When we got there I found Bhekani lying there, and we sat down.  We sat there for quite some time up until the police arrived, and the children said they can actually show us the perpetrators, those marauders, and the police said, "Where will you live after pointing those people, after identifying those people, because it won't be peaceful?"  Then that was scary enough for the children not to identify those children.  They were still around, the perpetrators.  After some time the car that carries the corpse from the police station came and took the corpse, and there is nothing that we gave to the police.  There was no statement whatsoever that was made to the police up until to this day.

DR MAGWAZA: Your story is pathetic and very sad.  If I should ask, I know spiritually you are not feeling well, your soul is disturbed.  Bhekani left with some boys.  Were they belonging to one political organisation?

WITNESS:   Yes.

DR MAGWAZA: They went to Madlala.  Was that a house or what?

WITNESS:   Yes, it was a house that also belonged to the same organisation.

DR MAGWAZA: At the time when you called to these houses to find out where was Bhekani did they have any knowledge as to what happened to your son?

WITNESS:   No, they did not have any knowledge or idea as to what happened to my son, because in the morning they were running, they came to tell us that something has happened around the ground. It looks like there are some suspects here, those who shot Bhekani, and the surnames of the suspects are the same that shot your husband?  ---  Yes, they are the same.

DR MAGWAZA: And it also appears as if the one who shot Bhekani used others' cars, not his car, or what?

WITNESS:   I know the people who were in the car, and one of them since flee, and one of the children said he was going to identify the perpetrators and he flee, and up to this day we don't know where his whereabouts.  There is one other, but he is not around.

DR MAGWAZA: But do you know his name?

WITNESS:   Yes, I know his name.

DR MAGWAZA: Maybe you should furnish us with the names.  Those who said witnessed this, can you please tell us the names if there were any who witnessed this scene?

WITNESS:   Yes, there's one girl who was getting out, because those people were coming from Bhekani's place, where Bhekani's big brother was.

DR MAGWAZA: And that girl, tell us about that girl.  Just explain clearly.  Does that girl know the names?

WITNESS:   Yes, she knows the names.

DR MAGWAZA: We'll also like to have those names.  One other thing you are saying is that during his funeral the police were there present, apparently watching and moving around.  Why?

WITNESS:   No, it's because the situation was not stable at that time.  We were sleeping at the hospital.  That's where we were going all the time.  Things were bad.  That's why we were under the police security.  We had actually asked the police to secure us.

DR MAGWAZA: Did you open any case or something?

WITNESS:   Yes, we did go to the police, but it was just to no avail.  Up  until to this day we have heard nothing, because each time you say anything about ANC they will say, "No, don't say anything, just keep quiet."  Nothing was ever done.

DR MAGWAZA: The police that you went to are the same police that you went to in Port Shepstone regarding your husband?

WITNESS:   We went to report in Port Shepstone, and Harding as well.  It looked like in Harding the perpetrators are from Murchison.  That's the picture we got.  They left Murchison for Harding.

DR MAGWAZA: So it means even now no police that you know, or what?

WITNESS:   No.

DR MAGWAZA: Now, I would like to direct all this to you now, because it appears like you health condition is not good.  What changed in your life after these events?