Human Rights Violation Hearings — Port Elizabeth — 1996-06-27

MISEKA NANCY NGONGO: I was charged, I was charged, I was charged for terrorism.   And the case was heard in Humansdorp where I was taken in 1988, 1990, we used to go to Humansdorp.  My lawyer was Sali Ganunu.  Sali Ganunu.  The Advocate was Musenaki and Potgieter, Advocate.
 The case was heard and then they came to the conclusion that myself and another gentlemen who lived in, who is a shopkeeper Numzakazakhele and Nontubekho, they argued for our release.
 So that the case should fall on the shoulders of these two young men and they agreed and that's how we were released.  I am trying to summarise now.  Then when I was
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released I was called to Lusaka, Chris called me to Lusaka.  So on my release I went to Lusaka in December.
 And Chris asked some questions about what happened, then I explained how we were discharged.  Then he said, no, he had not yet found Mbulelo, he searched for him all over, everywhere and Lesotho authorities said they never arrested, but he was sure that Mbulelo was arrested.
 And then he said when I go home, I should look for Mbulelo, but I should know that the Boers would kill me because in a family, they just want to wipe out everyone in a family.  At the time I was leaving Zambia there were two young men from  Transkei, from Muluwi, from the Jaftha family.
 This place you mentioned, where Mbulelo and his friend fought and this young men said I should go and see their parents and explain and get other details in case Mbulelo may have been taken to the Transkei because it was known that he was operative in the Transkei.
 Indeed, in January I came back from Lusaka and then I went to the Transkei, I went to Willovale districts and then I saw this house.  They had described the house and the house was now - had been bombed and I got there, because that is where Mbulelo and other were attacked, so this man here, Mr Jaftha was exited, he explained everything to me, but he was so kind, he was so kind.  Despite the pain that he had gone through and I searched and searched and searched, but I never got any direction or news or trace, some of the documents I left in Grahamstown ... (tape starts) ... documents I left in Grahamstown because I wanted them to make an article in the newspaper on my return from the Transkei.
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 Then I could almost give up, but I didn't really give up because there is no parent who can give up on her child.
 Then I came and asked from the ANC what was happening, then someone came who was sent from the offices of the ANC to tell me that Mbulelo was killed in 1986.  That's when I said no, you don't know what you're talking about.  Leave it, because in 1986, Mbulelo was in Willovale, he was still alive in 1986 and 1987.  Mbulelo's disappearance was in 1988.
 So I said to this gentleman no I can't even tell this to the children that Mbulelo had died.  I won't mention this to my children, but I am not saying he is not dead, but what you bringing is not clear.  There is nothing about Mbulelo that one can hear, it is all quiet about him.
 And when Chris was here, he said I should send all the documents to the head office in Johannesburg.  This was done because the documents were with (indistinct).  I asked (indistinct) to send them, he gave them to Paqi to take them to the head office in Johannesburg.
 I don't know whether those documents are still there, but they were sent up to - some documents with details about Mbulelo's case.  However, Majodina tried to investigate even after my release from jail.  Tried to investigate, find out from Lesotho and then Lesotho authorities admitted this time that Mbulelo was in fact arrested when Majodina compared the names that (indistinct) gave us.
 Then they admitted that they did arrest him, but he escaped on that same day.

UNKNOWN: How?

MISEKA NANCY NGONGO: The toilets, they said the toilets were at the back.  He asked permission to go to the toilet and he
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went to the toilet and he never came back.
 There was no further investigation about ...

UNKNOWN: Is that possible for a person who is under arrest to be allowed to go to the toilet on his own here and then a toilet which is outside a prison or police station?

MISEKA NANCY NGONGO: That's all the Lesotho authorities said about him, admitting that they arrested him.

UNKNOWN: Mrs Ngongo, we want to get to the conclusion of this story.  I am just checking, I think we have taken too long.  Can you grind to the conclusion now?  What is the situation now?  Is it possible to - is there any news about him?  Is he alive, or is he killed?

MISEKA NANCY NGONGO: At the time of my release a  policeman, I met a policeman and  I spoke to him and I requested him.  I don't want to talk about the one who was hit by the limpet mine.   He said Mbulelo was in with the first aid, but the policeman was still alive now is the one I am going to mention.  He is still alive, he is still alive, Mr Bobeqe.
 He is the one who said to me, when I asked him, when I asked for help from him, if he knew anything about my son, then he said, he said which one, and I called him to my house and he went.  We are in the same church, I think that softened him a bit.  So I said Mr Bobeqe, the reason I called you, I want you to tell me if you know anything about my son, he said I'll come back tomorrow morning.
 He left and he came back, he had a photo, he said is this him?  I said yes.  Where is he?  He said he is in the Free State.  Is he alive, I asked?  He said, no, I don't know, that was his answer.  But this file I got and in this file it is said that he was arrested in the Free State, that's what is written in this file.
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 But I will try and make a means for you to get a copy of this photo and all the contents of this file and then I'll give it to you.  I don't care whatever happens to me because I really sympathise with you.  So I said, that's good, I will be very happy.
 However, I think he chickened out because he never did that.  He never brought those copies.

UNKNOWN: Is that in 1990 now?

MISEKA NANCY NGONGO: Yes.

UNKNOWN: From 1990 to 1996, this year, any other news about your son?

MISEKA NANCY NGONGO: No, no news at all.  Not at all, not at all.
 Of all those people, and those who come back from exile, none of them have brought any news about him.

UNKNOWN: Thank you.  Thank you Mrs Ngongo.  I am sure your requests like a parent, you would like this Commission to investigate about what happened to your son and they must investigate the truth whether he is alive or not alive any more.
 And if he is dead, you would like his remains to be brought back to you so that you can give him a decent burial.  Do you have any other request to make to the Commission?

MISEKA NANCY NGONGO: That is my main wish.  If I could get the remains, even if it is his ash, if they burnt him, they could just tell me where they burnt him, the bones and I want to give him a decent funeral, because I didn't even have a service, memorial service for him.
 That's what I would like to have now.

UNKNOWN: Chairperson, I am sorry I took so long.  This case, it was a very long story which brought up a lot of
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things that were handled in the Transkei police, please do accept my apologies.

<UNKNOWN>: I just want to ask Mrs Ngongo, have you ever seen Nebe thereafter?