Human Rights Violation Hearings — Newcastle — 1996-09-12

MR LAX: Thank you.  Mr Buthelezi, when you were relating you also pointed out that you have tried to get together with the ANC and to talk and reach one conclusion.  I would like you to tell me if you've started something like that now, or you haven't?

WITNESS:   No, we haven't.  After we failed we never sat with the ANC.  I only heard the Newcastle community had tried, but we haven't.  It's quiet, no one is standing up and trying to negotiate with each other.

MR LAX: I would like to say this to the community, to the Reverends, and to the community in general, and ANC and IFP people, that this was a good thing for them to do. They can still do it.  They can sit back and try to have peace and put their past behind and sit down and talk.  In that way they can reconcile.  I will also like to mention one thing.  When people are fighting they need someone to stand up and talk about it with them.  Thank you.

COMMISSIONER: (Inaudible) ... as I said to IFP members who came to the Commission yesterday and the day before, people like Mrs Rita Nkabinde, I said that violence is wrong from whichever side it comes.  It is counter productive.  It divides and it often destroys communities, and it affects people's lives for many, many years.  Communities like Osizweni, Madadeni experienced years of violence, and both sides, ANC and the IFP, suffered  extensively.  One would expect people to shy away or to
shrink away from violence because of the destructive and the misery that it brought to their communities, but the thing about violence is that it is self-perpetuating and it sets up cycles of revenge and counter attacks.  And we hope very much that we are now reaching a time where people are making a commitment to live together, and that we can start the slow process of reconciliation which is so badly needed, especially in this part of the world. 
So thank you for coming in and giving us the other side of the story, which we don't hear often enough.  The party of which you are a member has not openly encouraged its members to come to this Commission, and we are glad that you had the courage to come forward and tell us your story.  Thank you very much indeed.

COMMISSIONER: Mr Masondo, can you hear me, can you understand me?

MR MASONDO: Yes, I can hear you.

COMMISSIONER: (Inaudible) ... are also from Sibongile township.  In fact you are the fourth and last person who will be giving evidence about your detention by the Security Branch in 1986, along with the other three witnesses.

MR MASONDO: That is correct.  I would request you to give me some more time because I was the most tortured and harassed person in Sibongile.

COMMISSIONER: (Inaudible) ... take the oath please.

MDUDUZI MASONDO: (Sworn, States)   (Through Interpreter)

COMMISSIONER: (Inaudible) ... also want you when telling your story to bear in mind that there are many people who will be coming after you, and so we don't want you to take too long and to use their time, because they will then feel unfairly treated.  Okay?  Mr Lax will help you.

MR LAX: Thank you.  Good morning, Mr Masondo.

WITNESS:   I also greet you.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... your wife sitting next to you.

WITNESS:  That is correct.

MRS MASONDO: I also greet you.

MR LAX: Before we start with your story proper, just for the record you were born on the 28th of November 1938, is that correct?

WITNESS:   That is correct.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... that your wife is with you.  How many children do you have?

WITNESS:   I have three children.

MR LAX: And what do your children do?

WITNESS:   The other one finished school whilst I was in custody.  In actual fact it's two, and the other one is still at school.

MR LAX: What do you yourself do?  Are you working at present?

WITNESS:   I am not working presently.

MR LAX: At the time of this incident were you working?

WITNESS:  I was working at that time, yes.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... work, please?

WITNESS:   I was working at the hospital from 1971, and then in July 1979 I was transferred to the NPA regional laundry in Dundee.  That is where they arrested me and detained me later on.

MR LAX: So at the time of your detention you had worked for the NPA and for the hospital since 1976.

WITNESS:   That is correct.

MR LAX: What was your role in the Sibongile community?  Were you involved in the civic?

WITNESS:   I was involved in the civic organisation.  It was for the community of Dundee which was fighting the oppression of the residents.  For instance I would recount one of the incidents.  We were using the bucket system at Dundee, which used to be taken only twice a week, and on holidays they would not come to fetch the buckets, and ... (intervention)

MR LAX: If I could cut you there.  We've heard about the bucket system from a previous witness, so we've heard all the problems about it.  Let's rather focus on some of the other issues that you dealt with.  One of the other things that came up was increased rentals with no services, poor roads, things of that nature.  Is that right?

WITNESS:   That is true.  There is something that they left out.  It was the taps.  There were only two taps for the whole street.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... very helpful to have that extra.  Now, you've told us that you were detained on the 17th of June 1986.

WITNESS:   That is correct. Please tell us about that.   ---   On the 17th of June 1986 I was fetched from work.  Even before then Mr D A Mann, who was the manager where I was working, when it was at about quarter to five he came straight to me and he told me that I was going to work overtime on that particular day, and I wasn't going to knock off at the usual time.  That quite surprised me because I had never worked overtime.  And he also told some other workers that we were going to work overtime all of us.

MR LAX: (Inaudible)  ... this man's name again please.  I didn't catch it clearly.  The man who told you to work overtime.

WITNESS:   It's the manager.  It's Mr D A Mann.

MR LAX: Please continue.

WITNESS:   Just immediately after he told me that I saw Security Branch from Newcastle.  It was three white policemen as well as two blacks.  They were in two cars.  When they got to my work place they went straight to Mr Dunn, and Mr Dunn called me to him.  Then he pointed me out to the police.  I did not know what was going on.  Then I realised that he was actually delaying me so that they could arrest me.  As they were still talking to me he told the other workers that the overtime is no longer there, they could go home.  Then the Security Branch took me.  They handcuffed my hands to my back and they took me into their car.  They went home with me and they searched my place.  I was in the van at that time and I was pointed with guns.  They were following me behind, having their guns.  It was a white policeman as well as Zwane.  They were standing outside whilst the other policemen were searching my house.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... there.  You've said there were three whites and two blacks.  You've given us the name of one of the black policemen, who were the rest?  Do you know the other names at all?