Human Rights Violation Hearings — Tembisa — 1996-11-26

MR LEWIN: Mamma I am sorry to interrupt you, could you please end the story now because we must move on, I am afraid.  If you could just tell us if you ever did find out anything about what happened to David.

ZODWA MOFOKENG MLHABENE: There is nothing that I have heard afterwards.  There is nothing that's happened until today, that is why I say that this has affected a lot of things and even now I am still surprised and even my last born underwent an operation in her skull as she cannot even study properly.

MR LEWIN: Thank you Mamma.

YASMINE SOOKA: Mamma are you able to answer any questions?

ZODWA MOFOKENG MLHABENE: Yes I will be able to.

MS MKHIZE: We thank you.  We realise this is a very painful thing that you are telling us.  I would like to ask one thing that when they started assaulting you and harassing you when they said they wanted you to work with this person that they gave you his number, do you think that they were just giving that person's name or are you definitely sure that they worked hand-in-hand with this person?

ZODWA MOFOKENG MLHABENE: I am definitely sure that they worked with this man because they spoke about somebody who is a taxi man that I suspected from the very first day.  When they brought us her in the location he was accompanying us but they wanted him to know me well.  He was not detained.  It was quite obvious because they just dropped him off at Mfuyanene, he was not detained.

MS MKHIZE: Another question.  Regarding your husband's disappearance, as you have mentioned in front of us here and TEMBISA HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
18 Z MLHABENE
in your statement you were people who were involved in the political struggle, was there anything that you did to try and get help from the political parties regarding him?

ZODWA MOFOKENG MLHABENE: No they never helped us.

MS MKHIZE: People used to go to Lawyers for Human Rights and to the SACC, did you ever try doing that as well regarding your husband's disappearance?

ZODWA MOFOKENG MLHABENE: SACC used to help me a lot, and Black Sash as well, and Black Sash even tried to find him across the borders, but in vain.

MS MKHIZE: I thank you.

YASMINE SOOKA: Mamma I notice in the papers that you gave us that attorneys Nicols and Kambanus acted for you, is that correct?

ZODWA MOFOKENG MLHABENE: First it was Naidoo, but they were working hand-in-hand.  I cannot remember clearly but it is here on paper.

YASMINE SOOKA: Were they never able to find out anything from the police about your husband's disappearance?

ZODWA MOFOKENG MLHABENE: They never, but what they said is I must just realise that it is obvious that they killed him because they kill all activists because...(tape ends)
...it is true, he has run away.

YASMINE SOOKA: Mamma thank you for telling that and sharing that with us.  It's a very painful story and again one where we have heard a number of people who were last seen in the company of a policeman and who never actually came back.  We will contact the people that you have named in your statement as well as your attorneys and try and find out anything more.  We will also contact the police and ask them if they know anything more about this matter.
TEMBISA HEARING TRC/GAUTENG
19 Z MLHABENE
 Your story is very painful and you yourself have been a victim of harassment.  You have lived under a lot of fear, but yet with all of that you have survived but the impact on your family has been tremendous.    You have explained to us how your own daughter has been affected by this as well.
 We have taken note of all the things that you have told us and I wonder if there is any last thing that you would like to tell us?

ZODWA MOFOKENG MLHABENE: Perhaps what I would say to the Commission is I have a request that if it's possible for my children to further with their education so that they should be able to bridge that gap, the time lost, because some of them are too old to be at the standards they are at the moment.  So if it can be helped that they should be able to bridge this gap.  Moreover this one who underwent an operation and she is progressing slowly and the doctors have recommended that she goes to a school for special children.  I know that if my husband is dead I won't be able to bring him back, but if Oosthuizen can only show me where his bones and body are.  And they must come forward and tell me as to why did they take him away from his children and talk the truth.  Maybe this will make me be at peace, if they can show me where his bones are.  Thank you.

YASMINE SOOKA: Thank you Mamma.  We have heard that, and as I have said that we will contact the police and see if we can trace this policeman so that at least we can be able to give you some kind of answer.  Thank you for coming today and we share in your pain and your sorrow and we hope that we will be able to find you some kind of answer to at least let your heart rest in peace in this particular matter.  Thank you for coming.