Human Rights Violation Hearings — Durban — 1996-05-10

DR MAGWAZA: 17B/1 Committee is that since your family was harassed we do have a way to those who are suffering, specially who need counselling and therapy can contact us.  Thank you very much.

CHAIRPERSON: Virginia Gcabashe.

MRS GCABASHE: Thank you, Chair.  Mrs Magwaza's questioning has covered my ... (incomplete)

CHAIRPERSON: Somebody else?  We also are bringing messages of condolences.  We are very painful.  We are very hurt together with you.  May God be with you and help you.  We are going to try, as you have already heard.  We do not have much powers, but those powers that we do have we are going to try to assist you, including the issue that you could be assisted to look after you, to also see to it that you are also not harmed.  The Commission does have a witness protection programme and we are going to contact the office here to point towards these people who are going to give you protection to come to you and guard you.  Thank you very much.

CHAIRPERSON: We are a little late on our schedule for tea.  Can we take a 15 minute break.
SHORT ADJOURNMENT
/ON RESUMPTION
17B/2 ON RESUMPTION

DR BORAINE: The next witness that we call to the witness stand is Mrs Khuzwayo, and I would ask her please to come forward.  Chairperson, whilst we are waiting for the headphones to be in place and for the witness to be comfortable, let me just say a word of welcome to Mr Ndebele, who is the Minister of Transport in the KwaZulu Government.  We are very pleased that he and others from various parties and affiliations have attended these hearings.  We've also received many letters of encouragement.  One, in particular, that we've received today from the Faith for Daily Living Foundation, who send, through the Reverend Arnold Walker, their warmest greetings and support to the work of the Commission and also special prayers for the work that the Commission is attempting to do.  Mrs Khuzwayo, can you hear me all right?

MRS KHUZWAYO: Yes.

DR BORAINE: That's wonderful.  This gives me an opportunity of welcoming you very much to the Commission.  We have heard from other witnesses earlier today of the events which took place in Clermont in 1987, 1988, and we are grateful that you can give us also some more information, although it's a very sad story - the death of your husband, Zazi Khuzwayo.  Perhaps you could start by telling us who is with you today.

MRS KHUZWAYO: I am with my son, Hopewell, and my daughter, Nkosazana Princess Khuzwayo.  There are also my relatives who are sitting there - my aunt, the sister to Khuzwayo.

DR BORAINE: I would like to welcome them as well, very
 /warmly, and
17B/5 warmly, and thank them, not only for being here, but being of comfort to you.  They must have felt very deeply the death of their father, and also to your cousin and any other members of family who are here.  The one thing that we have noticed over and over again that someone is killed and it's not only the wife or the children that are deeply hurt then, but it goes on and on and many, many people are affected by one act of violence, and we feel for you very deeply.  Mrs Khuzwayo, would you please stand to take the oath.

PHILISUYA KHUZWAYO: (Sworn states) (Through Interpreter)

DR BORAINE: Mrs Khuzwayo, I'm going to hand over now to Mrs Gcabashe, and she is going to lead you as you tell the story of your husband's death.  Thank you.

MRS GCABASHE: Thank you, Chair.  I greet you, Mrs Khuzwayo, and your family.  We greet you.  We are happy that you are able to come before this Commission.  We greatly appreciate that, because we really do like to hear and the whole country should hear about what really happened in the past years.  The Deputy Chair has already said that we are going to request you to relate your story, but before you do that I would like you to give us a background about your family.  I know you've got your children, but also you've got other children that you are still looking after.  Just tell us about your family.

WITNESS:   I am very happy to be before this Commission, so that I can explain about my family.  My husband, Zazi, he was a traditional man.  He had three wives.  Therefore he has got many children he left behind.  We also have got children that are here.  There are 32 children he left behind.  He left when all these children were still very

MRS GCABASHE: /young.  There

MRS GCABASHE: 17B/7 young.  There was none of them who were at the university then, but now there are seven children at the universities and others at colleges and others at lower primaries and others at higher primaries.  All these children eat at home, they live at home.  Another thing is that he left another woman in an accident which happened in 1991, so we are also with another woman where Zazi was born, Mam Thethwa.  Thank you very much.  I have explained what a big family we have.

MRS GCABASHE: Thank you.  We've already heard that the situation -the time you are going to talk about, there was a lot of chaos in Clermont, as you've already heard from those who gave this morning before you.  Could you relate what happened up until your husband was killed and what happened thereafter?  Just relate that to the Commission.

WITNESS:   If I could request that we've written this statement down.  I would like my son, Hopewell, to read it so that I don't leave other details outside.  If that is possible.

DR BORAINE: If I could just interrupt for a moment, if your son, Hopewell is going to read that, and we have no objection, but then I must ask you to take the oath, because he will be under oath when he makes that statement.  So, Hopewell, if you would please stand.  Then I'll hand you back to Mrs Gcabashe.

HOPEWELL KHUZWAYO: (Sworn states) (Through Interpreter)

DR BORAINE: Thank you very much.  You may proceed, Mrs Gcabashe.

MRS GCABASHE: We thank you, Hopewell.  We are then going to request you to relate what's written here.

WITNESS:   I am also thanking you for this opportunity of being before this Commission.  I will start by reading the statement,

MRS GCABASHE: /which has

MRS GCABASHE: 17B/10 which has been written by my mother.  (Witness proceeds in English)  Judge Tshabalala's testimony has covered much of the background and the events leading up to the murder of our father.  I will read the statement, after which my mother will take questions on clarification and further amplify her statement.

MRS GCABASHE: "I, Mrs Philisuya Zazi Khuzwayo, widow of the late Zazi Khuzwayo.  My husband, Zazi Khuzwayo, was gunned down in his office on the ground floor of his shopping complex in Clermont on the 9th May in 1987.  Zazi was for many years a prominent businessman, community leader and an ardent supporter of black economy and educational empowerment.  His achievements in this regard include being a member of many school boards, the Clermont Advisory Board, Inyanda Chamber of Commerce and Ukhamba Liquor Association.  He built a primary school for the rural community of Oqaqeni in Stanger, where he was born.  He also sponsored many children and university students who could not afford fees and books.  He provided free office space for community organizations on his properties.  These include, amongst many, the Muthanda Society for the Aged, and sports organizations.  In his last years he was an active sympathiser of the UDF.  It was during this time that he was murdered amidst much confusion and uncertainty.  I am at much pains recounting my husband's murder, as I have relived his murder

MRS GCABASHE: /"every day