Human Rights Violation Hearings — Umtata — 1996-06-20

MEMBER OF PANEL: Chairman, we would like to call Florence Nozibeli Ladlokova.

MRS LADLOKOVA: ... approaching in a very high speed.
We did not know what was happening.  The car stopped in front of our house.  I got out and I asked what is happening.  I asked, this person did not say anything. He just came inside and he took a knopkirrie.  Then I followed.  I followed trying to follow him the same way that he left.  Some men from the village heard that there were shots and apparently it was my husband who was being shot.  One of the elderly men from the village stopped him and so he did stop and young men who covered their face with balaclavas shot at him, but they did not shoot, they did not hit him, they shot at the car.  Let me tell you now what happened again.  
 Before he went back home the car was already hit though he was not injured at the time and now again in 1992 he went to town.  He was going to buy some stock for his father's shop.  On his way from the town he passed my place.  He left some of the things at home.  He was with another girl.  At home there was my mother.  On his way to Showvery he did not realise there was another car that was following him.  He wondered why is this car that has been following me, this car does not even have a number plate.  He kept on wondering about this.  Then when they were not far from where they 
UMTATA HEARING EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE
2 F N LADLOKOVA
were going to he heard some shots, but unfortunately they were not hitting at him.  Then they got the wheel of the car.  He then got out of the car.  They did not give him a chance even then.  Then he ran and he hid himself in this house.  They tried to search for him even in the house and then he tried to escape through the window.  While he was still trying to escape he fell into a hole, into a ditch.  They got him out of there.  There were shots being fired this whole time and then he asked, please man, forgive me, what have I done, but that was the time that they took him.  They had no forgiveness in their hearts.

MEMBER OF PANEL: And these people who were shooting him or in which organisation do they belong to?

MRS LADLOKOVA: They belonged to the ANC.

MEMBER OF PANEL: What position did your husband hold in the PAC?

MRS LADLOKOVA: No, he did not have any position

MEMBER OF PANEL: And then in the Vumalano village, did he belong in any committee, maybe in the Committee of the Headman?  On these perpetrators were they seen, were there any witnesses, did anybody know about them?

MRS LADLOKOVA: Their names were Umvuzo and Keesie and another was Nkosipendulie Kekengana.  The other one was Magunqa Madlavu.

MEMBER OF PANEL: Were these people arrested by the police?

MRS LADLOKOVA: Yes they were arrested, but they again got out very quickly.  This went on and we were all, we were told that there would be a court case on a certain day.  We were only told by people who heard this accidentally that our court case would be on a certain date, but it was never heard.  The case now was at the end of March, but we were
UMTATA HEARING EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE
3 F N LADLOKOVA
told that the Prosecutors were not there, they were out of town.

INTERPRETER: I am sorry, the Commissioner's mike is off so I am unable to interpret.

MEMBER OF PANEL: You said Umvuzo, Nkesie and his group they went into the grave.  What did they want on the grave?

MRS LADLOKOVA: I do not know what Nkesie wanted on the grave.  I just heard this from my mother who said did you see Umvozo that he is from the grave.  He passed here with his group and they were doing toi-toi and then when they were coming back he isolated himself and he stood on top of the grave.

MEMBER OF PANEL: Did the people attend the funeral from your community as usual?

MRS LADLOKOVA: Yes.

MEMBER OF PANEL: Did you get any restrictions from any other organisations?

MRS LADLOKOVA: Some of the people from other places could not come because they were scared even because of the way that he died.

MEMBER OF PANEL: What is you wish coming from the Commission?

MRS LADLOKOVA: My wish is that I would like the Commission to please investigate for the death of my husband.  I do not want him to die like a dog.  Moreover I would like to be helped out with the, with my children.

MEMBER OF PANEL: How many are your children?

MRS LADLOKOVA: My children are six.

MEMBER OF PANEL: In which standards are they in at the moment?

MRS LADLOKOVA: The first one is doing standard nine, she
UMTATA HEARING EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE
4 F N LADLOKOVA
was born in 1978.  The boy is doing standard seven, he is doing standard eight and the other one was born in 1989, she is doing standard five.

MEMBER OF PANEL: Thank you.  Over to you Mr Chairperson.

CHAIRPERSON: Any questions?

MR SANDI: Yes Sir.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Sandi.

MR SANDI: Mrs Ladlokova, from the way you answered the Commissioner who was guiding you now, you said your husband was killed during a conflict between the political organisations in the community.  Is that correct?

MRS LADLOKOVA: Yes, that is correct.

MR SANDI: Could you please explain and elaborate what exactly do you mean by that?  Was there any fighting between the political organisations in this, in your community and which political organisations are these?

MRS LADLOKOVA: At the beginning he was a member of the ANC, but apparently he was not treated well by the children and most of the people were not treated well in our community by the ANC youth.  If somebody wanted to express his or her opinion the ANC youth would howl at him and ill treat that person.

MR SANDI: When you say they use to sing the liberation songs, which words were they using in these songs?  Please do not sing just give us the lyrics of the songs.  Was there anything referring directly to him?

MRS LADLOKOVA: No, nothing was referred directly to him.  They were just howling at him so that he can stop voicing out his opinion.

MR SANDI: Were these youth, on which organisation were they?
UMTATA HEARING EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE
5 F N LADLOKOVA

MRS LADLOKOVA: They belonged to the ANC.

MR SANDI: Is that how they identified themselves or were they wearing t-shirts belonging to the ANC?

MRS LADLOKOVA: That is how they identified themselves.

MR SANDI: Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you Mama Ladlokova.  We like the fact that in your case we already have suspects.  We would go into the police and the Prosecutor, the Attorney-General, we will find out from him how far this case is so that this case can still go on and continue.  Thank you.
UMTATA HEARING EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE