Human Rights Violation Hearings — Lusikisiki — 1997-03-25

REV XUNDU: We will come back to the Ngquza incident because of the request we have got.  We will call Elliot Skhosana to come forward.   The statement of Nomgwena Mancanceni we will request her to come forward, together with Sipho Jackson Phangomso.
 We would like to swear them in Mr Chairman.   
 Your testimonies will be almost similar and we will ask Ntsiki Sandi to lead you with questions on behalf of the Commission.

MR SANDI: I would like to greet you all gentlemen this afternoon.  I will start with Mr Skhosana.  Can you please bring the microphone nearer to him?
 Mr Skhosana, here I am, this side.  I would like you to look straight to me.

ELLIOTT SKHOSANA: (sworn in)

MR SANDI: Can you hear me Mr Skhosana?
 Where are you from, from what village?

ELLIOTT SKHOSANA: I am from Khimde.

MR SANDI: How long were you a resident there?

ELLIOTT SKHOSANA: A very long time.

MR SANDI: In other words you mean, you were born in that village?

ELLIOTT SKHOSANA: No, I was not born in that village but I have stayed there for a long time.

MR SANDI: You remember that you made a statement to this Commission?

ELLIOTT SKHOSANA: Yes, I do remember that.

MR SANDI: Shortly, as I am looking at your statement in front of us, you made a statement that your hut was burnt down.  Do you remember that?

ELLIOTT SKHOSANA: Yes, I do.

MR SANDI: Can you please, Mr Skhosana, tell us what happened when your house was burnt down.

ELLIOTT SKHOSANA: We were joining an organisation, called ANC, together with my children.  And the organisation requested to hold a meeting in my home because it was raining and there was no place where they can gather.
I agreed and Simo Dlamini came and he said that he met a lady, Khethiwe, who is a sister to Chief Bukrula and he heard a message that I am not supposed to allow ANC 
meetings in my home.   And he told me that I would get what was coming to me.
 And one day, late afternoon, I heard a dog barking outside and I went out to look what was going on and the dog stopped barking.
 After a while I heard gunshots and I ran back to my house and I told my children to come inside because there were gunshots outside.
 I think at about nine o'clock I heard children crying and we saw that the house was burning.  We went out to look what was happening and while the house was in flames and we could not go in and we watched this hut while it was burning.
 After this I sent a message to the Chief to report this matter and the Chief came and there were arguments between the members of the ANC and the Chief.   And the members of the ANC were trying to find out what happened in one of my huts.   And I was told to go to town to report this matter to the police.
 The police took my statement.  They asked me where the Chief was.  I told them that he was in my hut but that he left.   They told me to come back the following day with the Chief so that he can sign the statement.
 We went there at nine and they told me the Chief was not there and he had already left.  I asked them what to do.  They told me to go to one office.  They told me to go and investigate and find out who burned down my house and bring this person to the police so that they can arrest this person.
 Chief Nonkonyane came to our village.  He told us that he will not allow our organisation to continue in our village.   We were too scared at the time.
 That is all I know.

MR SANDI: Thank you Mr Skhosana.   This Simo Dlamini you have mentioned who said that he met Khethiwe, was he a member of the ANC?

ELLIOTT SKHOSANA: Yes, he was a member of the ANC.

MR SANDI: Your hut was burnt three days after you got this message from Khethiwe.

ELLIOTT SKHOSANA: It was burnt on Thursday after Khethiwe gave the message to Simo Dlamini that you are allowing meetings in your home.

MR SANDI: Four days after that your house was burned?

ELLIOTT SKHOSANA: Yes.

MR SANDI: Was there any other person whose house was burnt in the village before?

ELLIOTT SKHOSANA: No.  The only person whose house was burnt, it was Mr Sohlobo's son.

MR SANDI: Was he a member of the ANC?

ELLIOTT SKHOSANA: No, he was not a member of our organisation.

MR SANDI: In your village, before your house was burnt is there any other person who sent a message to you, accept for Khithiwe?

ELLIOTT SKHOSANA: No.

MR SANDI: Except for this incident, is there any other thing which happened at your home.

ELLIOTT SKHOSANA: No there is nothing else which happened except that my house was burnt.

MR SANDI: Did the police go to your house to investigate what was going on?

ELLIOTT SKHOSANA: No the police did not come.

MR SANDI: They did not come to look at what was the cause of this fire?

ELLIOTT SKHOSANA: No, not even one of them.

MR SANDI: Is that all you want to say Sir?

ELLIOTT SKHOSANA: Yes, that is all.

MR SANDI: Thank you.   When there are questions we will ask you when other witnesses have finished to testify.
 Let us now go to Mr Mancanceni.