Amnesty Hearings — East London — 1999-11-02

XOLISA MKONWANA: It was not easy to deal with those people.  What we should understand is that these people, especially the leadership, there were a conservative element who had nothing to do with the youth who understood politics not within the Ciskei context but from a national point of view so they did not regard us very seriously and we were even told that if we wanted freedom, let us get out of the borders of Ciskei and go to South Africa, go to Queenstown, go to ...(indistinct) so that we can be able to raise these issues with the White government and we were free in Ciskei and if there was no way by which they were going to listen to us and the only party that was going to act in Ciskei was the seniors and that was the case so we could not raise any issues with them because they couldn't listen to us.

CHAIRPERSON: Or wouldn't listen?

XOLISA MKONWANA: Like Mr Mpeteka, when Mr Mpeteka was targeted on that night on a previous occasion he had said we were "omokolot", I understand that "omokolot" means rebels and so we have to be dealt with once and for all and he even threatened to take action and lead the people to burn the comrades and we thought that now he was joking because he could not do anything to us, we were far stronger than they were but we took it seriously.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Mkonwana, I know that you apologised to the families and said what you wanted to say.  Maybe that's appreciated.

XOLISA MKONWANA: Yes, sir.

CHAIRPERSON: If at all it can be arranged that you are able to meet the families in private without the spectacle of television, would you be willing to do that?

XOLISA MKONWANA: I would.  For that matter I have been in the past from Cape Town up to East London with Mrs Paka and I realised that she was Mrs Paka.  I fought so much with myself and I wanted to go to her and tell her that how much sorry I was but I did not muster the courage to do that.

CHAIRPERSON: But if there is a way that it can be done are you willing to?

XOLISA MKONWANA: I am, Mr Chairperson.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Mapoma and Mr Malusi, do you think that can be arranged or can you investigate the possibility?

MR MALUSI: We certainly will Mr Chairperson.

CHAIRPERSON: I mean the Panel need not be involved in it, I mean we don't want - we'd appreciate it if it can be done.

MR MALUSI: I'm certain it can be done.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Mkonwana, tell me, when did you leave Whittlesea?

XOLISA MKONWANA: Whittlesea, I left Whittlesea on the 6th May 1986, no on the 8th May 1986, I went to Mdantsane because I was running away and when they released me they said I must not move from my yard because they revisit me and I told myself okay, I will stay only for one day and on the 8th in the middle of the night they took a private car and went to Mdantsane and I knew they could not find me in Mdantsane because they did not know my relatives in Mdantsane and I waited for a call from Cape Town and I was told, I was asked whether I was ready to go to Cape Town and I told them that willingly and I went back to Cape Town on the 6th June 1986 a month after I was released.

CHAIRPERSON: And what have you been doing since in respect of the struggle?

XOLISA MKONWANA: Mr Chairperson, I wouldn't like to tell you how I've suffered about his.  You know there was nothing while I was still in this region.  I lived in the shacks there and every time, every day when I see a shack burning, I see that house of Digane burning and after that nightmare the house  just transforms itself as being the face of Nomboniso so I've known her for quite some time and the pain I've gone through has caused me a lot academically because I lost concentration.  When I came back here to East London in 1996 I was staying in Mdantsane, I was treated for depression here at St Dominics Hospital because of these nightmares and I had a private doctor, Doctor Theron, in East London and he treated me for depression and there was nothing that I could do which is concrete which I say I have done from then on other than going back to school and passing Standard 10.

CHAIRPERSON: Yes, thank you.  We reserve this judgement as well.  Mr Mapoma, is that the roll for the day?

MR MAPOMA: Yes Chairperson, that is the roll for the day.

CHAIRPERSON: What has happened to that matter that was postponed yesterday or was supposed to have come on yesterday?

MR MAPOMA: Yes Chairperson, the investigator, Kaiser matter, came to me this morning from Uitenhage.  He says that he did meet the mother and the mother reported to him that the applicant left with a friend of his some time ago who promised to be looking for a job for him.  Unfortunately the traces of that friend and the applicant could not be made and the parents did not know the particulars of those people.

CHAIRPERSON: Was the applicant informed to be here?

MR MAPOMA: Not personally Chairperson because the notice was sent to prison because the TRC records showed that he was still in prison.  It came to the notice of the Amnesty Committee I think last Thursday that he was in fact released from prison, from prison officials and then we asked them to send notice to his original address which they did and they met the mother who said she does not know his whereabouts and then we ended up sending our investigator to attend to the matter.

CHAIRPERSON: So it looks like we'll have to postpone that matter?

MR MAPOMA: By the look of things Chairperson, yes because his whereabouts still now have to be followed.

CHAIRPERSON: Then I think I must make an order indicating or stipulating that an investigator must make irregular visits to his mother and explain to the mother and leave a fresh notice there that he should contact the head office of the TRC as soon as possible.  If arrangements can be made for that hearing.

MR MAPOMA: Yes Chairperson.  That will be in order.

CHAIRPERSON: We'll adjourn till tomorrow morning, 9 o'clock.
WITNESS EXCUSED
COMMITTEE ADJOURNS