Human Rights Violation Hearings — Piet Retief — 1997-05-21

CHAIRPERSON: Can Rose Magudulela come forward please?
 Rose good afternoon.  Welcome and thank you for coming today. Rose you're also taking us to 1993. It's the time that Sipho's already been talking about.  Before I ask Mr Manthata who's going to be helping you tell your story can you please tell us first who's accompanying you?

ROSE MAGUDULELA: The one I'm with is Theresa Malinga.  Her husband was also killed with my husband on the same day.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you very much Theresa for coming today as well.  Can you please stand to take the oath and can Dr Russel Ally please help you?

ROSE MAGUDULELA: (sworn states)

THOMAS MANTHATA: Rose and Theresa, welcome.  Do feel at  home. Rose are you working?

ROSE MAGUDULELA: Yes I am working.

THOMAS MANTHATA: What are you doing.

ROSE MAGUDULELA: I am a nursing sister at the Belfast hospital.

THOMAS MANTHATA: How many children have you got Rose?

ROSE MAGUDULELA: I have three children.

THOMAS MANTHATA: And they are all at school?

ROSE MAGUDULELA: Two are at school and the other one is still young.  She is only three years old.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Otherwise how is the family?  Are you still intact with your in-laws?

ROSE MAGUDULELA: Yes.  I have my mother-in -law with today, she is here.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Can you please give us the story of that fateful day when your husband was shot?

ROSE MAGUDULELA: It was on the 9th of June 1993.  On that day I was at work.  I worked here in Piet Retief hospital.  I was going to knock off at seven in the evening.  When I got home at seven my husband wasn't at home.  He had knocked off at two pm and was working at Montybord(?).  I got off the bus and went to where we were staying at Theresa's place - the one sitting next to me.  I used a different route, a shorter one. When I got to the house Theresa was outside by the tap and she told me that there was somebody in the house looking for my husband and I asked Theresa where he came from. Theresa didn't know as well. We got inside the house, the two rooms that we were renting.  I was curious, I wanted to know who this person was who was looking for my husband. Then I went to the big house where he was and when I got inside I saw a small boy who was short and light in complexion sitting on the sofa with a brief case.  I greeted him and I asked him as to where he was coming from.
 He didn't tell me but told me that he was Dhlamini.  I asked where and he said at Fing(?).  And I stood up, I went to the kitchen and I went back and said to Theresa, let's go back to this boy, I want to look at him properly because I don't know him.  I went back to him and Theresa played a cassette on the tape and I asked him ...(indistinct) how do you know Magudulela and he said that he knew him from Inkandlha, because I knew that Magudulela was coming from KwaZulu Natal and Inkandlha is in KwaZulu Natal.  I thought that he was a relative, only that I didn't know him.    
 When I left the big house I went back to the two-roomed house that was outside, the one we were renting.  When I got to the room I sat down. On that day it was my husband's birthday.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Do relax please.

ROSE MAGUDULELA: I waited for my husband to come back home because they told me that he was going to attend to that meeting.  I waited and I prepared supper and also I had bought him a birthday present, and I tried to hide it so he can be surprised.  Suddenly I saw the car lights and the car parked and he got out the car and I met him immediately and told him that there was a boy in the big house waiting for him. He asked where that boy was coming from and I told him that he said he was coming from Feni, and I could tell that he didn't know anyone from Feni and he went directly to the boy in the big house and I didn't know what he said to him because I wasn't there.  I didn't follow or go with him to where the boy was.
 After some time as he was conversing with the boy, he came back to me in the room and said "Rose I'm coming back, I'm escorting this boy, I'm taking him half way". And I asked him where this boy came from and whether he perhaps knew him.  He said that he would tell me when he got back. He took a paper out of his back pocket and read it and gave it to me.  I don't remember well but what I do remember is that it had a Dhlamini surname and I don't remember the names and also what was said.
 He left and I called him as he was leaving I called to him that he must not go alone with a strange boy and to ask Mpigelele to accompany him, meaning Theresa's husband for company, and they left.  It was quiet and he hadn't got back until I got troubled asking why he was delaying coming back. It came into my mind that maybe they were going outside Piet Retief, but it didn't look like that. I felt that maybe I should go to bed but I wasn't too sure if I should.  I was restless.  After a long time I heard this big scaring knock at the bedroom window calling for Theresa and the person who was calling or saying Javo.  I opened the curtain and found it was a local taxi driver and he shouted and said, Javo Javo, Mpigelele is dead but the others ran away.
 At the time when he was saying Mpigelele is dead and the other one ran I told myself that the other one then they are referring to my husband, he will relate the whole story as to what happened, why he ran away.  I got out the door and I called Javo.  I was shouting, calling Javo.  The way I was shouting I didn't expect Javo to come out of the door but out of the window.  I wasn't dressed because I was expecting to go to bed.  I just had a towel and I wrapped it around my waist, and I was expectant at the time.  We ran with Javo.
 Before we got out with Javo I asked the gentleman to help us and take us where the incident took place and the taxi driver said he had a problem with his taxi and he had a puncture and I pulled Javo by the arm and we ran.  I kept falling and we continued to run towards the stadium because he had already told us that the car is at Skotipola(?) and as we were approaching we saw the car lights were on and Javo kept saying along the way that he will get the car started and take him to the hospital especially since the car is an automatic and he can drive it.  When we got there we found two white policemen, one was tall and the other short.  The tall one was Fourie and the short one, Pienaar.
 When we got to them I didn't see my husband but I saw Mpigelele on the driver's seat and he was bleeding profusely through his mouth, and when I got closer Fourie said that I should not come any closer. I stood confused and held on strongly to Javo and thought that only  Mpigelele had died, but not my husband.  I tried to be strong and asked the police as to who informed them about this and they said they were informed by Dhlamini. And I asked if they meant the Dhlamini who came home and got my husband and Mpigelele. I asked where he was and they said he's around and I'll see him later. 
 Well I tried to follow what was happening and after some time Pienaar said to me the other man I ...(indistinct) is behind. I thought the other one who is behind is Dhlamini, let him think it's my husband at the time.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Can I, I know it's very difficult, people become involved in the stories that are being told and I'm not asking you not to do that but can we just have some quiet at the back, it's difficult enough for people to be telling their stories and as difficult as the stories are, please let's listen as closely and as quietly as possible.