Human Rights Violation Hearings — Mooiriver — 1997-05-29

WITNESS:   These were a group of people who were coming from the other side.  They were a large group of people.  This went on for quite some time, then thereafter there was some quiet and peace.  We went out to investigate as to what was happening.  It was very quiet.  We heard people screaming, shouting and crying. Everyone was crying.  There were screams, cries, all around the place.  After quite some time we heard that certain people had been killed, quite a number of households had been attacked, and people had been hacked and shot to death.  And thereafter my elder son came back.  They had gone to Makatini's house to hear about the death of Makatini's son, as well as Mthethwa's son, but they turned back along the way when they came across the impi and they ran into my neighbour's place.  And Sibusiso ran and went to the bridge next to Luzeke.  That is where they got him when he was running away from them, and he was stabbed.  They left him for dead.  And at that time I didn't know where my son was, and a certain boy from the Indaba family came and he told me that he had come before, but the soldiers refused him permission to go through and come to my place.  Now he had come in the morning to come and find out whether we had survived the previous night's attack.  I told him that I couldn't get hold of Sibusiso, I do not know as to where Sibusiso is, and he said to me that we should go and look for him.  And at that time I felt very powerless because I suspected that something was wrong.  I could feel it.  We went looking for a car, and we decided to follow the Luzetha route because I suspected that he was running away from the Inkatha members, so that's the only direction he could have taken, the Luzetha route.  We saw a large group of boys and we asked them as to whether they had seen Sibusiso.  They said they were running or fleeing with him the previous night, and that he proceeded to the Luzetha route, and we could look for him along the route to Luzetha.  We proceeded, and when we got to the bridge we saw his body lying there on the ground.  He was cold.  (Pause)

KHOZA MGOJO: Did you send for transport that he be fetched from that spot?

WITNESS:   I got to him, I touched him, and he was cold.  I cried over his body.  I was so stunned, and I was in a state of shock and disbelief.  I left him lying there on the ground.

KHOZA MGOJO: Had he been stabbed or shot?

WITNESS:   He had been stabbed.  His body had multiple wounds.  And we came back to Mooi River.  We reported the matter to a certain man from Majola's place who was a policeman.  He went to tell the other police, and they took a van and they went to fetch him from that spot.  They took him to the mortuary.  We stayed there and the situation was tense after we had come back from identifying my son.  I fell ill immediately thereafter and I was taken by one young man to my neighbour's place.

KHOZA MGOJO: Did you report the matter to the police?

WITNESS:   No, we never reported.  The situation was volatile and we couldn't even move around the place.  We couldn't even go to the centre of town because of the state of violence. Now, what you mean to tell us is that you never reported the matter to the police and there was no inquest?   ---   No, there was absolutely nothing I could do at that time.  We were not even able to go to police stations, towns, as well as courts.

KHOZA MGOJO: Did you get the death certificate?

WITNESS:   Yes, I did get it.  I got it just before the burial.

KHOZA MGOJO: How did the funeral go?

WITNESS:   Yes, we buried him quite well.  We never had any disturbances on the day of the funeral.  It was on that day there were soldiers who had come to keep guard over us.

KHOZA MGOJO: Could you just tell us as to how this affected you?

WITNESS:   I ended up suffering from high blood pressure, and I would get dizzy spells.  I would get dizzy spells and at times go to the extent of falling down.

KHOZA MGOJO: According to your statement you have made a request that you would like to move from the place at which you are staying at the moment.

WITNESS:   I moved from that time,  I went back to my house, but at the moment I am staying with my sister at Mjezi, but I do stay at Mooi River.  I came back after the violence.

KHOZA MGOJO: Now, would you like to go back to your house?

WITNESS:  Yes, I have gone back already.

KHOZA MGOJO: Now, your request that you've made in your statement, you said you wished that you could find another place because this place has such bad memories for you, you would like to move away from it.  Did you say that?

WITNESS:   Yes, I did say it, because I do not feel safe in this place.  I am also sickly.

KHOZA MGOJO: I can see it's apparent that you've been traumatised.  I do not want to delay you with a lot of questions, but you mentioned that you have some grandchildren with whom you stay.

WITNESS:   That is true.

KHOZA MGOJO: Are they attending school?

WITNESS:   Yes, they are.

KHOZA MGOJO: Where are they attending school?

WITNESS:   The other one is in 'Maritzburg.  The one who is in 'Maritzburg is in standard eight.

KHOZA MGOJO: And what's his name?

WITNESS:   His name is Seni.

KHOZA MGOJO: And the other one?

WITNESS:   His name is Siphiwe.

KHOZA MGOJO: Is he attending school?

WITNESS:   Yes, he's attending school in Newcastle.

KHOZA MGOJO: In what standard is he?

WITNESS:   He is doing standard 10.

KHOZA MGOJO: Now, you say your only source of income is your pension money.  Are you supporting your grandchildren and paying for their schooling?

WITNESS:   Yes, I am, and at times I ask for some assistance from my daughters who are already married.

KHOZA MGOJO: I would suggest that you be helped by the briefers in order to get a letter that can be forwarded to the respective schools at which your grandchildren are, so that they can continue with their education without paying.  When you were asked about as to how many children you have you spoke about Sikelo, and what happened to him?

WITNESS:   Sikelo has since died.  He was alive at that time, but he has since died.

CHAIRPERSON: Mrs Ndlovu, we thank you for being here today and telling us your story.  You gave us a very vivid and graphic description of the events of that night.  As I've said to a witness yesterday, when this thing happened in 1991 there were some newspaper reports about it, and they just simply reported that 18 people had died, and they went on to talk about the nature of the conflict in Brandville.  But you have told us in your evidence today in detail about what happened, and in such detail that we could almost - if we closed our eyes we could almost hear the sounds of the gunshots and we could almost see the flames burning the buildings.  And it's very important that you tell that story, not only for the people who are here, who were there and who know about that, but also for our records and for the press and the television.  It's important that you tell the story in the way that you did.   And it's a very sad story for someone like you to tell about the death of their child.  Many other witnesses who have come to this Commission have told about the death of their children, and we have seen many people like you becoming sad and upset, and we're very sorry about what happened and we extend our deep sympathy to you.  So, while we know it's hard for you it's still very important that you came here and told us that story, and told us in detail how it happened, so we want to thank you very much for that.  Thank you.
/CHAIRMAN

CHAIRPERSON: The next ... (inaudible - end of Side B, Tape 1) ... Bester Mnyandu.  Mrs Mnyandu, we welcome you here today.  You are also from Brandville, and you have come to talk about the death of your husband.  Before you tell us the story please can you take the oath.

KHANJANI BESTER MNYANDU: (Sworn, States)

CHAIRPERSON: Mrs Gcabashe will help you now.