Human Rights Violation Hearings — Nelspruit — 1996-09-05

MR NGOMANE: I will start, I won't say everything, I will only touch here and there.  I want to say that on the 17th we were at home in the evening.  As a pastor of the Sabbath Church I was busy reading the Bible and the soldiers came in and they left their gun.  I wasn't aware that their gun had been left behind.
 The following day when I was about to collect my torch, I can't remember very well how I was tied, because they were beating me left and right.  They had to beat me through the whole night.  On our arrival at one of the farms at Buffelspruit they said to me, they are going to hand me to a baboon, which is going to bite me. Fortunately on our arrival there that baboon was already tired.  
 Then they said to me, they tied me next to the vehicle and they said they should - as we arrived at the police station at Komatipoort, they started beating me afresh.  They did that for almost two weeks, every day they were beating me, morning and sunset.  If I questioned them what wrong have I done, they would say no, I should not ask that. Until one policeman said well, what is being done now is unfair. That policeman is now on pension. Then they said why is this police officer crying.  Then the police officer said I know this person, I can't remember why you are troubling him in this fashion. Then they said are you a relative to the late Chief Mdinda, who died in 1985.  So I said he is my NELSPRUIT HEARING TRC/MPUMULANGA
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cousin.  Then they said yes, it is a fact.  They said we should not actually talk to this person, he must just be killed. I said why must I be killed.  They said no, it should not be explained.  
 Then the white officer said he must be taken to Komatipoort, if he can go to Tonga. At our arrival at Tonga I was locked up.  Then the people from the chief came and then they bailed me out.
 Now these people were actually worried about the death of the chief. Now how do I get involved, and why are the comrades reacting in this fashion.  Then I had to investigate this case. Then I went to the Council of Churches.  That's where I got my help. That's where the peace was brought at home.
 From there I was not actually involved with the ANC, but I was arrested then. Then I started afresh to assist the comrades. I helped to bring them to the Council of Churches for assistance. Then I was arrested.
 I was never sentenced, I was just detained.  Then when I raised my hand, they said well, I admitted the guilt. I was sentenced for four years.  
 When I was in jail two people came, two officers, one black and one white. They wanted to find out about my statement because I can't see it.  Then I said to them do you have the authority to release me or to lock me up.  They said no, they don't have that authority.
 In Barberton there was a Mr Van Schalkwyk. Then he said to me I should talk nicely to them. Then they said well, we think you have been wrongly arrested; you made a mistake of signing. Now it is difficult to release you because many years have past.  Then I said it is not my problem, because 
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on the day I was sentenced they said in order that it should be easier - I have never been in jail myself. They said to me I must sign, without explaining to me, and then in that way I had to be arrested.
 On the 2nd of May 1991 I was released.  When I was released I was very upset by those people who actually accused me.  I said to myself, let me go to one of those who is accusing me, so that we can reconcile.  I did approach those people, Gababa Nakatsho.  Then I said to him he must bring together all the elderly people so that we can discuss and reconcile. They said well, let's take the matter and refer it to the police station and then take it to the chief again.
 On the 3rd of August 1993, we started meeting from three o'clock until very late at night.  They said to me I must say what I wanted to say.  I said to them I want all those who were comrades in 1986, I also requested all the leaders of the churches in that place.  They all came together.
 As we are busy discussing, I had a problem. I was arrested, I was beaten and today I cannot see clearly.  The spectacles I am wearing were given to me by the government. Today I have suffered a lot.  I have a constant headache and I am using this stuff which I have got. This stuff was shown to me by some of the prisoners in jail.   
 I am a minister or religion. I can no longer read clearly.  They said to me why are you calling us to this meeting. I said I want to know exactly what was the reason for my arrest, what wrong have I done?  I have gone throughout, but those people who wanted to kill me, they failed to kill me.  Those comrades in 1986 did nothing.  Now NELSPRUIT HEARING TRC/MPUMULANGA
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what do you want to know?  I don't want a person who will say no, he heard that you have done this wrong. No one actually came forward. They said they are asking for forgiveness.  They said no, they heard that they said well, there is something wrong I have done.  By so doing they are going to report me to the comrades.  
 They said to me they heard that from her.  That person was about to run away from that place because he had done something wrong in that village. 
 I did not know anything myself. They said that is the reason why you had to be arrested.  If you had not hinted that that person should run away, you would not have been arrested. Now they said we ask for forgiveness, really, we did wrong to you. But then they said to us what must we do for you?  Then I said to them, because if you read from the Bible, I must forgive in order that you may be forgiven. I said well, I am not actually accusing anybody, but what worries me most here, after that, people came, people came to me and said no, this person is lying that he is forgiving you.  He will come back and kill you one by one, because he is too clever.  Then I realised no, I am going to die.  That is the reason why I had to leave, I am at Barberton now.  They actually destroyed everything, the car, the house,  everything. I left my house, a very big house.  
 Now my aim.  I want to go back and rebuild my house, but I wanted to put this story right.  I cannot forgive me if I don't actually know what wrong I have done.  So I have already forgive them. I am not accusing anyone.  Although I am now actually crippled. I have suffered in my body.  But there is nothing that I can do.
 I thank you.
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MR LEWIN: Mr Ngomane, you have told a long story and I think I am going to require some assistance from the Commissioners to try and unravel some of the elements. It is not quite clear to me, there are some things that I would like to ask you about.
 Could you - let's start at the beginning. I am not clear about the relationship with Chief Mandinde. You say that he is related to you, but I don't quite know what the significance of his appearance there is.  Is it his land that you were living on?

MR NGOMANE: Yes, I am actually residing in his place of jurisdiction.  He is actually my sister's child.

MR LEWIN: Why was it that people accused you or said that you should be killed at the time?

MR NGOMANE: What I heard, they said that they heard from one that I refused that he should not run away, because he was running away from the comrades. It was on the 1st of May.  That's what they told me.

MR LEWIN: But it seems to come from your story, you say that you were detained by soldiers, taken out and beaten for this long period of time and you were then bailed out by the chief.  Did you at that stage go home?

MRS NGOMANE: Yes, it is like that.

MR LEWIN: You did?  Could you tell us why you were sentenced, what was this four years sentence about, what was the charge and what was the statement which you signed?