Human Rights Violation Hearings — Grahamstown — 1997-04-07

NTOMBIZODWA CYNTHIA MKETSHANE: After a while, after this incident, it is said that at the time they were in the township, they went to Duda's house.  Ntimshane's girlfriend was staying in that house.  I just heard this, I do not know whether it is the truth.  I heard that they were drinking their drinks.
Michael Sinqana, because he was going to look for his girlfriend, there was conflict between him and the Comrades in the township.  The Comrades were angry.  Michael went to take Stewart, my husband, and he told them that they must go back home and do their job.  People say that my husband said that, let us go back, because I left my wife alone.  Michael was drunk at that time.  He took my husband to the field.  Michael shot first when they were chased by these people who were watching a soccer match.  My husband ran away, he tried to shoot until the bullets were all finished and Michael and Totana managed to run away.

MS MAYA: According to your knowledge, when your husband was shooting, was there any person injured?

NTOMBIZODWA CYNTHIA MKETSHANE: I heard that one guy, Mbenenge, passed away on that day.

MS MAYA: Thank you.  Let me know go to Zoleka.  Your full names, are you Zoleka Winnie Mbenenge?

ZOLEKA WINNIE MBENENGE: Yes.

MS MAYA: You are going to talk about Tembekile Eric Mbenenge.  What is your relationship?

ZOLEKA WINNIE MBENENGE: He was my brother.

MS MAYA: How old was he?

ZOLEKA WINNIE MBENENGE: He was 30 years old.

MS MAYA: As you have already said, your case is the same as the lady who just testified.  Do you have, do you know what happened to your brother when he died on the 27th of July 1986?

ZOLEKA WINNIE MBENENGE: It was on a Sunday, that day.  My brother had attended a soccer match.  It was about two to three in the afternoon.  At about four or five we saw he was brought by a car by the Comrades.  They told us that Tembekile was
shot.  They took him to Alice to Dr Mbethe.  He was then transferred to Cecilia Makiwane Hospital.  My mother tried to visit him in hospital, he was still alive in Cecilia Makiwane at that time.  They went to visit him, he was still alive on their first visit.  When they visited him on the second time he had passed away.  
 He was brought back and he was buried at home.  We were not in the soccer match, but we just heard that Michael Sinqana and Dugard was there together with one police called, with one Sergeant.

MS MAYA: What happened?

ZOLEKA WINNIE MBENENGE: We did not hear anything about what happened.

MS MAYA: Was there a court case?

ZOLEKA WINNIE MBENENGE: No, there was no court case.

MS MAYA: Did you go to an Attorney?

ZOLEKA WINNIE MBENENGE: No.

MS MAYA: You have mentioned that he was 30 years old.  Did he have a wife?

ZOLEKA WINNIE MBENENGE: No, he did not have a wife, but he had a child?

MS MAYA: How old is that child?

ZOLEKA WINNIE MBENENGE: He is 11 years old.  He is doing standard two.

MS MAYA: According to your knowledge, was he a member of any political organisation or was he just shot?

ZOLEKA WINNIE MBENENGE: Everybody who was there was being shot.

MS MAYA: At home, do you have a request to the Commission?

ZOLEKA WINNIE MBENENGE: Our request to the Commission is that we want the Commission to investigate to the Cecilia Makiwane, how many bullets were found in his body.  Were they taken out or were they buried, was he buried with them.

MS MAYA: In other words, you mean that there was no post
mortem.

ZOLEKA WINNIE MBENENGE: No.

MS MAYA: There was no inquest?

ZOLEKA WINNIE MBENENGE: No, there was no inquest.

MS MAYA: Is there anything else you want to add?

ZOLEKA WINNIE MBENENGE: No.

MS MAYA: You said that this child is at school?

ZOLEKA WINNIE MBENENGE: Yes, he is at school.  He is receiving a grant.

MS MAYA: How old is the child?

ZOLEKA WINNIE MBENENGE: He is 11 years old.

MS MAYA: Is that all you want to say?

ZOLEKA WINNIE MBENENGE: Yes, that is all.

MS MAYA: Thank you, Zoleka.  This grant is it a Government grant?

ZOLEKA WINNIE MBENENGE: Yes.

MS MAYA: You are going to tell us about Dumezweni Sabani.  Is that so?

NOMHLE CYNTHIA SABANI: Yes.

MS MAYA: You said that he was a soccer player.  What is your relationship to him?

NOMHLE CYNTHIA SABANI: He was my brother.

MS MAYA: As we are reading your statement, as I have already said, there are things connected to the two stories that have been mentioned, but the dates are different.  We would like you to give us his death certificate.

NOMHLE CYNTHIA SABANI: This is the same case, Mam.  I think I have written a wrong date.

MS MAYA: In other words, your story is 27 July 1986?

NOMHLE CYNTHIA SABANI: No, in 1985.

MS MAYA: We would like you to tell us about what happened.  Do you have anything different from what has already been said?

NOMHLE CYNTHIA SABANI: No.

MS MAYA: What did you hear, what happened to your brother?

NOMHLE CYNTHIA SABANI: One boy came to tell us this, but I do not remember who this boy was.  He said that there was shooting in the soccer field.  Dumezweni was one of the people who was shot.  I asked this boy was he injured.  He said that he did not know, but he fell down.  He was running towards the church.

MS MAYA: When did you hear that he died?

NOMHLE CYNTHIA SABANI: We went to the scene together with my mother.  When we arrived there he was lying down.  I was not aware that he was dead.  I tried to wake him up, but we found out that he was dead.  We cried.  The police van came, Mr Botha and Mr Twana were amongst those police. We were crying.  They asked us why were we crying, whose child was supposed to die.  Mr Botha went to Dumezweni.  He took out a knife and took out a bullet from his body.

MS MAYA: After that what happened?

NOMHLE CYNTHIA SABANI: They told us we have to be present when they were doing post mortem.

MS MAYA: What happened to that bullet?

NOMHLE CYNTHIA SABANI: Botha took that bullet and we were scared of asking him.

MS MAYA: Is this Botha the same Botha that was mentioned?

ADV SANDI: Sorry, Mr Chairperson, this is a very painful story.  People are telling us their story.  This is not a cinema.

MS MAYA: Please continue.  Botha took out this bullet from his body.  What happened?  You mentioned that you went to
court.

NOMHLE CYNTHIA SABANI: He took out the bullet and we did not ask him what he did about the bullet, but we were told to be present when the post mortem was conducted.  Dr Letaga said that there was no bullet in the body.  We were scared to say that Botha took it out.

MS MAYA: Where is Mr Botha?

NOMHLE CYNTHIA SABANI: He is still around.

MS MAYA: Is he still a police?

NOMHLE CYNTHIA SABANI: No, he is a pensioner, but he is still in Adelaide.

MS MAYA: How old was your brother?

NOMHLE CYNTHIA SABANI: He was born in 1963.

MS MAYA: Did he have his family?

NOMHLE CYNTHIA SABANI: No.

MS MAYA: Did he have a child?

NOMHLE CYNTHIA SABANI: No, he did not have any?

MS MAYA: Do you have anything else to add to what you have already said?

NOMHLE CYNTHIA SABANI: No.

MS MAYA: Do you have a request to the Commission?  Do you have a request to the Commission as you lost your brother?

NOMHLE CYNTHIA SABANI: Yes, my brother was supporting my mother and my mother is not well, because her child was killed.  I am also ill, I cannot work.

MS MAYA: As the perpetrators were not prosecuted, you do not even know what happened to the bullet.  Do you know or do you want to know what happened?

NOMHLE CYNTHIA SABANI: Yes, we want to know what happened to my brother.

MS MAYA: Is that all, Mam?

NOMHLE CYNTHIA SABANI: Yes, that is all.

MS MAYA: I will now hand over to the Chairperson, thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Reverend Xundu.

REV XUNDU: Thank you, Mr Chairperson.  I will ask you, Ms Mketshane.  That in your story you mentioned that people were killed.  As the community, did you come together to try to make peace?

NTOMBIZODWA CYNTHIA MKETSHANE: No, we did not come together.