Human Rights Violation Hearings — Empangeni — 1996-11-05

WITNESS:   I do talk to people that maybe they can buy the house, and other people, they do promise me that they will.  I did go back to my house and I repaired the windows and I haven't yet met someone who wants to buy that house.  I am trying to talk to people to buy the house.  Even if it means someone renting the house and then maybe after the person has rented the house he might decide to buy the house because if there's no one inside the house, it gets bad or the condition becomes bad.

MRS GCABASHE:  Who is this neighbour whom you went to ask for assistance and he didn't want to offer assistance because he said it was at night?

WITNESS:   I would like not to mention his name before this Commission because  this person is still at Mevamhlope and he might be in danger.

MRS GCABASHE:  Do you know if he's still there?

WITNESS:   Yes, I know because we do contact each other.

MRS GCABASHE: If you don't want to reveal his name, we understand that and it's your wish.  We will honour that.  Thanks, Mama, for relating your story to us and it's a very sad story.  And we can tell that your children are still in pain even today.  Maybe it will be better if you go and see our social workers, the ones that we have here and maybe they might refer you to counsellors, to a psychologist, so that you'll be helped.  We know it's difficult or you won't forget what actually happened to you but you will have the courage to talk about it over and over and you can handle it.  Now I'll hand over to my chairperson.

KHOZA MGOJO: Mrs Ngubane, this is a very sad story that you just related to us.  You worked hard as a black person in our country to have what you have.  And then other people - in fact other people who know what it means to suffer and who know how difficult to live in this country is and they come and destroy everything that you build for years and they even kill yourself.  It's very sad that people will do that.  I would like to ask one question.  You said before you had been attacked, police came who were wearing soldier's uniform and they were with Mr Mthembu and they were looking for guns.  Do you know this Mr Mthembu?

WITNESS:   I saw him.  I didn't know him but even today I can't identify him because he was a young boy.

KHOZA MGOJO:  Do you know this Mthembu's house?

WITNESS:   No, I  don't.  I didn't know a lot of people, more especially who were far away from me.  I only knew my neighbours.   That area is rural.  It's not a township.  How come you don't know each other because people from rural areas are the ones who know each other?   They can actually show you - once you say a name they'll show you where the house is.  How come you didn't?   ---  No, I didn't.  I only know my neighbours.

KHOZA MGOJO:  From these people who attacked you, you didn't identify a single person?

WITNESS:   No, I didn't.  I only saw them and they were not even wearing balaclavas so if you knew them you would identify them.

KHOZA MGOJO:  Was it a usual thing that people will come to Ngwelezana Hospital and kill someone after the person has been admitted because you said you were taken by your kids to Eshowe Hospital because they were scared that those people will come and finish you there.  Was it a usual thing?

WITNESS:   No, I can't say it was a usual thing but my children were scared because they didn't know why we were being attacked.

KHOZA MGOJO:  You don't know why your children suggested that you should be transferred?

WITNESS:   No, I don't but it came to them that they were terrified.  They were scared.  They said I wasn't safe at Ngwelezana Hospital.

PROF MAGWAZA: Mrs Ngubane, we heard everything.  I only have two short questions with regard to this group of people who came from the mountains and rushed down to your house.  You also mentioned that the people who stopped the ambulance from coming to the house were ANC youths.  You also said that you have suspicion that the people who attacked you belonged to a certain  political organisation.

WITNESS:   My suspicion is that it can be ANC youths because they are the ones ... (Side A ends mid-sentence.  Side B commences mid-sentence without overlap.)

PROF MAGWAZA:  ... you lost your husband.  We usually like to know more about him, even if we didn't know him before while he was alive.  Where was your husband working?

WITNESS:   My husband, when he died he was already on pension.  He was working for NPA.

PROF MAGWAZA: Thanks, Mrs Ngubane.

MR LYSTER: Thank you very much for coming and telling us this story today.  There was a time not long ago in the 1970s the 1980s when the people in your area around Ulundi, Mahlabatini, lived very happily side by side.  Some people leant towards the IFP, some people favoured the other parties, what was then the UDF, but most people, in fact most people did not have very strong political views and certainly they didn't hold views for which they were prepared to kill and die for.  And over the past months, while we've been listening to evidence all round this province, there's overwhelming evidence that members of the previous government, senior policemen, politicians, manipulated the politics in this province in order to set people against each other so as to prevent the people of KwaZulu/Natal from forming a common united front against that previous government and its policies.  The violence in this province has only been going on for about 10 or 11 years since the mid-eighties and it is time that the people of this province cast their minds back to those days when they lived happily together, when they lived peacefully together,  when there was peace between the IFP and the ANC and to remember their common humanity in order that they can move forward together.  So thank you again.  You've told us a very sad story.  We hope that it has helped you and your family a little bit to be able to come here and tell it in front of all of us and in front of the television and we hope that you are able to stay together as a family and support each other.  Thank you very much indeed.
/MR LYSTER

MR LYSTER: Good morning, Mrs Mngomezulu.  Can you hear me?  Thank you very much for coming in.  You're from Esikhawini Township and you have come to tell us ... (intervention)

DOMINIKA MNGOMEZULU: I'm from Swaziland.

MR LYSTER: Sorry.  You have come to tell us about your father-in-law, is that correct, Jimson Ngoloyi Mngomezulu, who was abducted in 1985?

DOMINIKA MNGOMEZULU: That is correct.

MR LYSTER: Can you please stand and take the oath before you tell that story?

DOMINIKA MNGOMEZULU: (Sworn states) (Through Interpreter)

MR LYSTER: Just before you tell us your story, Mrs Mngomezulu, please tell us where you are residing at the moment.  Where do you live at the moment?

WITNESS:   I'm staying in Swaziland at Mbulili.  I was married at Mngomezulu.  My father-in-law is the last born at Mngomezulu family.  We left and we went Mbulili and that's the place for Mngomezulu.  I was working at Bethesda.  I'm a nurse.  When I left my husband, I transferred to Eshowe.  When I was at Eshowe, my children were staying with my father-in-law.  In 1985 between June and July two boers came and they were driving a Cressida, a bottle-green Cressida, and they took my father-in-law at about half past eight in the evening.

MR LYSTER:  Sorry to interrupt, where did they take him from?  Where was he staying at that time?