Human Rights Violation Hearings — Vryheid — 1997-04-17

WITNESS:   That is correct.  There were some other properties that I never sold, and I used the supermarket, the small supermarket.  It was no longer a big supermarket.  And the fried chicken outlet and the filling station, as well as the restaurant where people will sit and dine in Nquthu, that's what was left.  It went on.  Please forgive me in case I make a mistake here.  There were papers that were distributed in Nquthu that Winnie Mandela and Peter Mokaba will come and address in Nquthu, you know the prominent figures of ANC.  I said to myself, "Oh my goodness, if my husband sees these papers Inkatha will kill me."  He was the one arranging for the arrival of Winnie Mandela and Peter Mokaba, and it was bad, the situation was bad then.  Some did not believe that I am not an ANC member.  We were sort of harassed.  People will come around to my house, and at the same time I wasn't at peace.  I was forever alert of any situation that was happening, awaiting for my husband's return.  There was this incident when Kizwe shot at Molefe's and 11 of them were shot.  On that very day when Molefe's child was shot I was going to church in the morning.  When we were approaching the corner next to Nquthu Hospital I saw the fellow church members.  I do believe that God Almighty overcomes everything.  I said to myself, "Well, they should join us, these other fellow members, church members."  We gave them a ride to church, and in front there was a kombi awaiting to shoot at us, a yellow kombi, and the boy who was going to shoot at us was standing right outside the kombi.  I left, pleading with my husband not to get off the car.  Maybe I should drive the vehicle because they wouldn't shoot me.  We went to church that day, on that day that Molefe's children were killed, the 11 boys were shot.  My husband took part in the preparation of the funeral.  That's what reinforced the whole thing, and I could see that I will never have a peaceful stay here.  From then I took my children with, because they will come for holidays, and went to Dundee.  That's where I bought a house.  No, I rented a house from an Indian man.  I occupied that house, suffering of course, tremendously so.  In 1994 - I went to Dundee in 1993 with my children, struggling, trying to hide every time, praying to God Almighty to protect us and keep us on His might hand.  One time in the morning we went to church.  We found out people are waiting for us along the roadside.  And one time I told my husband not to go to church, I will go to church, and he said he wouldn't afford not to go to church.  I pleaded with him that there are ANC members at the stadium together with one man who was Harry Gwala as well.  I told him not to go to church but to go to the stadium.  On that very day when I got to church at 12, when my husband had to preach, I preached on his behalf.  And I saw the brethren looking back at the door, and the kombi came full of the boys with guns, ready to shoot at us.  And I pleaded with the church members that we should pray, and I thanked God because they gave up, they never shot us.  On that day I found those boys who were intending to shoot us with Chief Ngobese.  They were standing with Chief Ngobese talking to him.  Chief Ngobese - I had nothing against Chief Ngobese, but he had a problem with my husband and as a result of that that affected my relationship with him as well. Just before you continue, there was something you mentioned in your statement which you've left out here, and that was about an attack on your house in 1993 after a big meeting at Nquthu.   ---   Oh yes, I remember that.  I omitted that.  Yes, there was a meeting and was addressed by Gideon Zulu.  After that people ran to the store, and we tried to close the store but they were forcing to gain entry into the store, and that's when I realised how great God is, because they threw eight bombs right inside the store and not even one blasted.  They took money, they filled their vehicles with petrol for free of charge, and I refused my husband to come to Nquthu.  But as a man he would insist and be adamant that he will do what he wants to do.  On that day the meeting was Nqabenyeni - the meeting.  Those who attended said there was a child who said there are people who have just arrived.  Gideon Zulu said that, and people ran and flee from the hall to the store in an attempt to kill us, but thanks God because they never managed.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... you living back in Nquthu now?

WITNESS:  Yes, but what I would like to say now is that they took my possessions, they took petrol, and they also took the goods as well, and I have nothing today.  I am suffering.  Even coming here I had to get ride from people.  I have lost entirely everything.  I was black-listed in the community, and I am black-listed as well.  I can't do anything.  Today Nquthu is back on its feet, but I am still suffering the ordeal.  But thank God that not even one died in my family.  I don't even know how that happened.  That's a miracle.  We went to Dundee and opened a shop.  They threw bombs in the other store but nothing happened.  When I got to Dundee I opened a shop.  That's where they will come, the police I mean, using ZP1271, looking for my husband, intending to shoot my husband right in the store.  I will stand and look at them timidly, and they will surround my husband intending to shoot him.  I reported it in every aspect of this matter to the police.  I tried even to get the workers, the employees, to report their own version to the police station, but to no avail.  One day when I was in Dundee on the 29th of December 1993, it was about three in the afternoon, I received a call from the ladies in the shop, the employees.  The IFP people attacked us and wanted us to get out of the store, but Khoza came in to our rescue.  He is the one who came to our rescue.  He was with Buthelezi.  I left, I went to the store, and I saw that the store was closed already.  I prayed, didn't know what to do, and I pleaded with them to go back to work as well.  They refused, and all ended on that note.  I would try my best to sell so I could be able to support my family and pay my rent in Dundee, but to no avail.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... laid charges many many times with the police, and is it correct that nothing's ever happened?

WITNESS:   Nothing ever happened, completely nothing.  And I owe many people because I had some loans from different people, and I borrowed some goods from other people, but I could not pay them - and companies as well.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... hand back to the Chairperson.

CHAIRPERSON: Greta, we've heard your story.  There's just one thing I would like to ask according to your statement.  I am not too sure if it's right that after you've laid the charges in Nquthu the damage was worth R50 000,00 or R5 000,00.  What is the right amount?

WITNESS:  You mean the windows, the damage?  No, I refer to my door.  My door was a glass door and it was worth R5 000,00.  And over and above that I had written down each and every damage, because they would try and break the till to reach and get money, but they failed however.  Fortunately they did not kill anyone.

CHAIRPERSON: Where do your children go to school?

WITNESS:   They have stopped.  Some were at Westville, University of Westville.  My boy was at St Martin's.  They had to stop schooling.

CHAIRPERSON: Now what are they doing?

WITNESS:   They did not complete their studies because I was in debts myself.  They had to leave school.

CHAIRPERSON: One other last thing I would like to put to you and ask.  The one person you talk about that you were together in Boksburg, what is his name?

WITNESS:   His name is Andy Smith.

CHAIRPERSON: What happened to the CC with Andy Smith that you formed?

WITNESS:   Andy Smith tried to commit suicide and he disappeared subsequently.