Human Rights Violation Hearings — King William's Town — 1997-05-12

CHAIRPERSON: Mrs Sobukwe, are you Zodwa?

ZONDENI VERONICA SOBUKWE: I am Zondeni.

CHAIRPERSON: Zondeni Veronica.  We welcome you Mrs Sobukwe in this hearing and we  will ask Reverend Xundu to help you take an oath.

REV XUNDU: Thank you Mr Chairperson.

ZONDENI VERONICA SOBUKWE: (Duly sworn, states).

REV XUNDU: Thank you.  Mr Chairperson,  she has been properly sworn in.

CHAIRPERSON: Ntsikelelo Sandi will lead you with questions on behalf of the Commission.

ADV SANDI: Thank you Mr Chairman.  Let me first greet you, Mrs Sobukwe, this morning.  How are you?

ZONDENI VERONICA SOBUKWE: I am fine thanks.  How are you?

ADV SANDI: I am fine thanks.  How are you?  You have made a request, Mrs Sobukwe, to appear before the Commission today to tell us about Mr Sobukwe.  We all know him.  Some of  us read about himself in books, but today we find opportunity to talk to his wife, Mrs Sobukwe.  Let us start this way, Mrs Sobukwe, can you please tell us briefly about Mr Sobukwe.

ZONDENI VERONICA SOBUKWE: In 1963 on the 30th of May, my husband was to be released on the 30th of May, but he was not released.  The Government refused.  He was one of the people who built up an organisation.  They then decided that they will pass a Sobukwe Clause so that they can keep him.   It was on the third of March.  On that day I was knitting the jerseys for the children.  He also said that I must cook him dinner, because he was coming back home.  When I went to visit him I was told that he was transferred to Robben Island under the Sobukwe Clause.  I took my younger sister together with her husband and Mr Langa to Cape Town, because we wanted to visit him.  My younger sister together with Fabian Ribeirro and Mr Langa from Orlando East, we went to Cape Town, asked permission to visit him.  We found him there, he was arrested under the Sobukwe Clause.

ADV SANDI: Before he was sent to Robben Island where was he detained?

ZONDENI VERONICA SOBUKWE: He resided in number four where he was awaiting trial.  He was then transferred to Stoneyard in Benoni.  He was then taken to Stofberg, from there to Witbank, from Witbank to central jail.  It was where he spent three years.  After that he was then transferred to Robben Island.  We visited him and then we came back.  In November I made an application to visit him together with my children who were in the boarding school in Lesotho.  My twins were four years old at the time.  We went to visit him.  His condition changed at the time.  He was not well.  When I cam back home I  wrote a letter to, Verwoerd was the Prime Minister.  I was then directed to Minister of Justice to write a letter to him.  I wrote a letter that he should be released so that he can  get medical attention at home, but they refused.  We also wanted an independent doctor.
 In 1964 a district surgeon and neurologist and a physician were sent there to examine him.  They said that he was suffering from chronic sinus inflammation.  He was treated.  I then said to Mr Benjamin we must write a letter to a lawyer so that he can get a specialist.  They said that they were treating him, they are not going to allow an independent specialist, because they were giving him pain killing tablets and massages, but in 1964, that was in 1964.  In 1965 they refused.  He arrived in Robben Island in 1963.  He was born in 1924 in December, but in 1964 he was suffering from chronic sinus inflammation.  The Parliament would discuss whether he was to be released or not, but they would refuse.
 In February 1966 they transferred him to Karl Bremer.  They did not tell me.  I heard about this when he came back from Karl Bremer.  He stayed there.  He was admitted under a false name.  They sent him to Karl Bremer under a false name.  I do not know anything about that.  He then came back, he was taken to Robben Island.  They did not consult me about this.  When I went to visit him the following year his condition deteriorated.  I then wrote another letter.  I was writing twice a year asking for his release.  I wanted him to be treated.  In 1965 or 1966 he complained that his food was served with broken glasses.

ADV SANDI: You mean broken glasses in his food?

ZONDENI VERONICA SOBUKWE: Yes, in  his food.  He was alone at that time.  You would suspect,  you would think why they would keep him alone in the cell.  There are things that were done to people in jail at that time and I am sure that they did these things to my husband, because he was alone in the cell.

ADV SANDI: At this time, we are talking about a person who has completed his sentence in prison.

ZONDENI VERONICA SOBUKWE: Yes, he was not even re-arrested, he had completed his sentence.

ADV SANDI: But the Parliament changed the Law of that time.  This suppression of Communism Act.

ZONDENI VERONICA SOBUKWE: It is both the NP and the opposition party of the day that agreed that he should  be, he should remain in jail.  It is only Helen Suzman who spoke up for him.  Even the opposition party said that he should remain in custody.  Nobody wanted him to be released.

ADV SANDI: Mrs Sobukwe, you have made a request in connection with the National Party that was the Government of the day.  Would you please repeat that request yourself?

ZONDENI VERONICA SOBUKWE: All those doctors that examined my husband whilst he was in custody, the Government of the National Party must give me answers.  Why was he in solitary confinement?

ADV SANDI: Mr Sobukwe passed away in 1978?

ZONDENI VERONICA SOBUKWE: In 1969, the last letter I wrote was in 1968, November.  They wrote back to me saying that they will not release him, because they got information that he was still quite dangerous.  In 1969,  May, they released him quickly.   I later found out on the 26th of April 1968.

ADV SANDI: Was he released on the fourth of May 1969?

ZONDENI VERONICA SOBUKWE: Yes.  The reason why he was released was because he wrote to me a registered letter and also to an attorney and the Minister of Justice of the day.  He asked me to come to Robben Island immediately.  He said  he wanted to inform me about his health.  He said that I must request leave without pay at work.  I got that letter a few days before he was released.  The Minister of Justice took action,  because he realised that something must be happening in jail.  They then released him quickly in 1969.

ADV SANDI: Was he then taken to Kimberley?

ZONDENI VERONICA SOBUKWE: Yes.  As they had operated on him, his genitals would swell up all the time.  If you would take his Kimberley file, you would realise how thick it is because of the illnesses.  He started coughing chronically.  I do not know what the cause was.  He had cancer of the lungs.  We requested that he go see a specialist in Johannesburg.  They refused.  When he was critical they then allowed him to go and see the specialist.  He will take X-rays in Kimberley time and time again.  All the doctors had different opinions.   Nobody diagnosed the cancer of the lungs in Kimberley.  The doctor, the specialist from Johannesburg requested the reports from Kimberley.  They then sent the reports from the different doctors to Johannesburg when they realised that he was dying.

ADV SANDI: Was he under certain conditions in Kimberley?

ZONDENI VERONICA SOBUKWE: We were from Mvule in Johannesburg.  He was banished to stay in Kimberley for five years, he could not go home.  By the time he passed away they were trying to bring  you the banning order.

ADV SANDI: Mrs Sobukwe, do you have a request or requests to put before the Commission?