Human Rights Violation Hearings — Port Shepstone — 1996-08-13

COMMISSIONER: come with you."  She begged me, "Come along with me to Gamalakhe.  Leave the house."  Well, truly I joined her.  We went to Gamalakhe to sleep there.  I said, "In the morning we will go back home."  My wife said, "No, you need to rest because you are sick.  You cannot keep walking around at night.  You need to rest.  We'll go with my children and look what's happening, and go have a look at home what's happening."  And they left.  They left, they went to check on what was happening.  They discovered that everything was burnt down.  We wouldn't know, we wouldn't be so for sure that everything was burnt or they took some stuff, our possessions.  And the police came to ask me who burned my house.  I said, "No, those are people who belong to IFP for sure," and they sort of argued with me, saying, "No, it could not be IFP."  I said, "I know for a fact it should be IFP."  They know much better.  We looked around and we discovered a big torch.  And the sergeant, the white sergeant, said, "We will take this torch with.  We'll take it with.  We'll get the fingerprints from the torch."  I said, "Yes, that's fine with me."  They looked around, they left finally.  I remained at home.  I waited to find out if there's any case that will be conducted.  But I had nothing at that time.  I was at the location, I never went back to clean up.  I went to the location.  1990 went, left, and one day my son, unexpectedly they saw him going around the neighbourhood and they killed him.  They stabbed my son everywhere, even in the eyes, everywhere you can imagine.  Everywhere.  The kids went to report the matter at home, saying he has died, and my wife said, "I'll go," and my  13-year-old boy left.  He ran, and my wife was walking.

COMMISSIONER: He saw the people who were just leaving the scene of crime.  He saw the people.  And I know those people.  Even now they are still alive, healthy and going on.  The van came and took the corpse and left with to the mortuary, and the police came and they took us with to the police station to give the statement.  We gave the statement.  I told them exactly and explicitly clear the names of the people who witnessed and who did this, and there it looked like they were going to be arrested from what I gathered from the police.  It went on like that even up to this day.  I left Greener Park I never - since 1990 I am a lodger.  I rent some places.  I have children that I have to educate at school.  I cannot take a risk of going back to that area because I may be killed.  Since then up to this day.

COMMISSIONER: In your statement that you made, Mr Mapumulo, you said that your wife was the first person to arrive on the scene when your son had been stabbed, is that correct?

WITNESS:   That's correct.

COMMISSIONER: Was he still alive when she arrived there?

WITNESS:   He was still alive then.

COMMISSIONER: And did he die while your wife was with him, while she was holding him?  Is that correct?

WITNESS:   Yes, he died on the spot, and they tried to see if they could rescue him, and the Indian said, "He has died."

COMMISSIONER: Did your wife make a statement to the police as well?

WITNESS:   Yes, we did, and she did as well.

COMMISSIONER: Now, do you know the names of the people who ... (incomplete)

WITNESS:   Yes.

COMMISSIONER: Are these the names that you have given in the  statement?  Is it Mzwandile, Mzwandile Shezi?

COMMISSIONER: That's correct.

COMMISSIONER: And Vusi Shezi?

WITNESS:   No, not Mzwandile Shezi.  Vusi Shezi.

COMMISSIONER: Are they still living at - or where do they live?

WITNESS:   They are still at Greener Park.

COMMISSIONER: And you say that even though you gave statements to the police they were not charged?

WITNESS:   Absolutely nothing.

COMMISSIONER: And since that day you have not gone back to that area, you are living in Gamalakhe township?

WITNESS:   No, I am afraid.  I cannot go back because they may kill me.

COMMISSIONER: And presently you are renting a house in Gamalakhe?

WITNESS:   That's correct.  Since that time they burnt my house I have been a lodger.  I cannot go to Greener Park.  The situation there could get volatile.

COMMISSIONER: And your state of health, Mr Mapumulo, has it deteriorated since your son's death?  How were you physically at the time of your son's death?  Were you working then?

WITNESS:   No, I was not working.  I was already sick.  We had broken hearts after that, because after that my wife got paralysed.

COMMISSIONER: Was your son working at the time?

WITNESS:   Absolutely right, and he will give us monthly each time he gets paid.

COMMISSIONER: Do you remember what he was doing then, where he was working, what he was doing?

WITNESS:   He was working for a security company in Margate at COSATU.  What is it?  I don't know.  I think it's called Sal, ja.  Ja.

COMMISSIONER: And did he have any dependants.  Was he married or did he have a girlfriend?  Did he have any children?

WITNESS:  No, he was not married.  He was still young, young.  He  was working only.

COMMISSIONER: And he was assisting you and your wife every month with money, was he?

WITNESS:   Yes, each time he gets paid he will assist us in the house.

COMMISSIONER: Do you remember the name of the police at Port Shepstone who you made the statement to?  Do you have any documents from that time?  Do you have any reference number, a CR number, a CR crime report number, anything like that that you remember after you reported the case?

WITNESS:   They gave me nothing, not any number, but I know them.  I know the police themselves, and there's one police that I have kept in my mind.

COMMISSIONER: And who was this?  Or do you just know him by sight?

WITNESS:   It's Ngakhe(?).

COMMISSIONER: And did he ever explain to you why this case didn't come to court?  Did he ever explain to you why the two people you have mentioned were not charged?  Was he helpful to you or was he not helpful?  Why do you remember him?

WITNESS:   He was not helpful at all.  He just took the statement and we parted that day.  That was it.

COMMISSIONER: Mr Mapumulo, I will just ask my fellow commissioners and committee members whether there are any questions which they would like to ask you.

MRS GCABASHE: Mr Mapumulo, you've already explained about the harassment and what you went through.  I just heard as if you said you are not employed and your wife as well is not working.  How do you make it in life?

WITNESS:   Through pension.

MRS GCABASHE: Oh, you get pension?

WITNESS:   Yes, we get pension, we receive pension. Do you still have children at school?  Do you pay

MRS GCABASHE: their fees with your pension fund?

WITNESS:   Yes.

MRS GCABASHE: I see.  Mr Mapumulo, I am asking regarding your health, because you have said already that your wife was so highly harassed, and also traumatised after this incident.  Besides being paralysed do you think she also suffers from any kind of disease or something?

WITNESS:   Yes, she also has sugar diabetes and high blood pressure.  She attends treatment at Gamalakhe.

MRS GCABASHE: Do you pay?  Does she have to pay?

WITNESS:   No.

MRS GCABASHE: That means there's no cost really that you are facing inasfar as the doctors are concerned, or medical treatment.

WITNESS:   No, not so much.

COMMISSIONER: Just one last question, Mr Mapumulo.  The people who came to your house telling you that you must go on patrol with them at night, did you ever go with them?

WITNESS:   No, I never joined them.  I refused completely because I could not walk properly, especially as I was not feeling well.