Human Rights Violation Hearings — Nelspruit — 1996-09-04

CHAIRPERSON: Mamma, can you hear me?  Mamma, before I ask Mr Lewin to help you with your story, I am going to ask him to ask you to take the oath, please.

MR LEWIN: Mamma, if you could stand?  Thank you.

BEAUTY MKHAJWA MTHETHWA: (sworn states).

MR LEWIN: Thank you.  Mrs Mthethwa, we would like to welcome you and thank you for coming.  The story you have to tell us is a very particularly strong one.  I think the best is just to explain that it was based in Bosfontein.  We are going back to the time of 1986 which over the last two days we have heard have been very tough times in this area. If you could please relax and in your own time, your own words, tell us what happened.  Thank you.

BEAUTY MKHAJWA MTHETHWA: Thank you very much. I thank the Commission that they visited us here at Umpumalanga at Nelspruit.  As I look at the Commission today I see as if I see the family members of my husband. What I will explain to the Commission here is that in 1986 on the 1st of June, my husband was killed.  But my husband was killed by people who claimed to be comrades of the very same place of Bosfontein where I am from.  Those comrades they came to my house while I was sleeping. It was during the morning.  When they came they were just big numbers, they were coming behind the houses, some in front of the houses, on all sides.  Some with sjamboks, some with stones and they entered our houses.
NELSPRUIT HEARING TRC/MPUMALANGA
2 MTHETHWA
When they entered our home they found that my husband wasn't there.  From the morning my husband wasn't there, he went to the meeting for the water project.  Because yesterday, the day before it was announced that there would be a meeting for the water because we had a problem with water in the area.  My husband went to attend that meeting where there was the water meeting.  When these comrades came to my home they found out my husband wasn't there.  Only myself and the children were there. One of the comrades came to me direct.  He said to me where is your husband. I answered him and I said I don't know. I was sitting during that time. I was shivering. I was seeing many peope coming to our home, some with sjamboks, stones and sticks. I had to sit down.  One of them came to me and questioned where my husband is. I said I don't know. They entered our houses.  They beat everything, they opened even the tanks. My husband was a farmer.  They destroyed everything, the mealies and they therefore went out of the house.  After that the following morning, they said they wanted the boys, they do not want to tell us where they were going to.  Then they encouraged members of the committee to come to the school.  As they were going out they were going to hunt my husband. They also take my child, my boy with them. They told him that they are looking for my husband, they want my child to see what they are going to do to my husband.  On their way they got a car.  They were stopping all the cars on their way.  They stopped one of the cars there.  They went to the place where my husband worked.  They got him there.  They met him on the way when he was coming to our home. They took him with them to the car, together with his bicycle.  They went on with him.  They travelled with him to the school where the
NELSPRUIT HEARING TRC/MPUMALANGA
3 MTHETHWA
meeting was held.  They did not bring him to our home.  My child was also there. Then they arrived in the time while the meeting was held.  There was also some of the others also like my husband.  They placed them there. The other two husbands too.  The three of them were down there.  As they were there they tied their hands and their legs.  Our children were being beaten and were instructed just to look.  After that they throw petrol on their bodies.  After finishing (indistinct) were dirty (indistinct).   After that they took a match and my husband was given this match to lit to set alight. What my husband said, if I am guilty to somebody he must set me alight, I have not committed suicide.  If I am guilty because of offences you must kill me. My husband was set alight and burnt.  The others were set alight too.  Those people they are here today.  The three husbands were killed.  After they had murdered the group left. On their way my child came.   When my child came it was shouting me, I was also angry and shivering and I was hugging my child. I could hear that my child was suffering. He said to me my father has been killed. I therefore decided that I need to go and give myself to them, so that they can come and kill me too.  I went to my house and stayed there. We are all afraid that they are going to come and kill us. They killed my husband, what about myself and children.  From thereon we were sitting. I therefore decided that it is better to go and report this to our relatives.  The whole day those people were still there.  I mean, those who were dead there were still lying there.  When I came back and some of the relatives, they still sat with my husband.  During the night we went there to the corpse. When we arrived there there were dogs.  The dogs were busy eating.  NELSPRUIT HEARING TRC/MPUMALANGA
4 MTHETHWA
We took the corpse, I took my husband and the other corpses were still lying.  They only took the corpse of my husband.  The dogs were busy eating them.  They took the corpse up to our home.  In the morning the policeman came by the name of Mr Mahlela from Durban(?) police station.  When Mr Mahlela arrived they took the corpse to Komatipoort police station where they checked how the damage was.  When they arrived in Komatipoort they did search the corpse. After that they took the corpse to the Mangweni mortuary.  From that mortuary that's where we were given permission to take the corpse.  Then we had to buy the coffin so that we can take the corpse with us to our home.  When the funeral was to be held then people were intimidated not to attend the funeral. I can remember now (indistinct) there used to be a night vigil so that the people can come, but people were intimidated not to come. We had to go and bury them.  After the funeral the police investigated into the matter.  The case was in Nelspruit magistrate court. It took a very long time because this happened in 1986. It took a very long time for the case to be attended to.  Those people were charged and they were given 12 years sentence in prison. But they didn't stand the trial yet.  When the President was inaugurated, then those people were released.  What is really upsetting me, why I am here present today, because I am having children and they are still attending school.  I don't know how am I going to pay for them.  The other one is Std 10, the other one is St 9, the other one is still Std 5, the other one is in Std 1. It was painful for me. I feel very much happy when I am here to explain myself to the Commission. Thank you very much.

MR LEWIN: Mrs Mthethwa, thank you very much too for telling us your story, which is a very terrible one for us
NELSPRUIT HEARING TRC/MPUMALANGA
5 MTHETHWA
to hear. There are just some points that I would have liked to have asked about so that we get a full picture.  I would like to ask how many children you now have, to start with.

BEAUTY MKHAJWA MTHETHWA: I have got nine children.

MR LEWIN: And they are all with you now still.

BEAUTY MKHAJWA MTHETHWA: Yes, they all live with me.

MR LEWIN: Could I take you back to that day in June 1996, when you say this large group came to your house, and ask if you at that stage recognised any of the people who were there.

BEAUTY MKHAJWA MTHETHWA: The people at that place - if I can be protected I can give their names, I can reveal their names.

MR LEWIN: Could I ask this, were they the three people in particular that you mentioned, were they the ones who were sent to jail in 1987?

BEAUTY MKHAJWA MTHETHWA: They are still alive.

MR LEWIN: And they are the ones who went to jail?