Human Rights Violation Hearings — Port Elizabeth — 1996-06-27

CHAIRPERSON: I'd like to make sure about your name.  Are you Bandlakazi because your name is reflected as Bondlakazi are you Bekwa?

MRS BEKWA: Bekwa.

CHAIRPERSON: Bekwa.    We welcome you Mama.  We'd like you to take an oath and Mr Xundu will lead you.

REV XUNDU: We welcome you Mrs Bekwa and you and your many people, we know that you had lost a loved one who is your son.  At the time it was just something which was not taken seriously, but you can know that it is one of the heroes. Please stand to take an oath.

BANDLAKAZI JANE BEKWA: (sworn states)

REV XUNDU: Thank you very much.

CHAIRPERSON: Reverend Xundu, Mama, will lead you.

REV XUNDU: Thank you Mr Chairperson.  Mrs Bekwa, are you married and what is your clan name?

MRS BEKWA: I am a Zotwa, I was Mrs Bekwa.

REV XUNDU: The gentleman next to me is also having the same clan name with you?

MRS BEKWA: Lungi is my third born.

REV XUNDU: Among your sons?

MRS BEKWA: Four sons.

REV XUNDU: Thank you.  I'd like you to give us a brief outline about Lundi.  Please inform us what happened and why did it happen.
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MRS BEKWA: I would like to expand a bit about Lundi.  Lundi was attending the school here in Port Elizabeth at the Methodist when she passed the standard, she went to Lowiso.  He wanted to go to another school and I said he must wait and make an application.  I asked him what courses would you like to follow, he said he doesn't want to be a teacher because I asked him if he wanted to be a teacher like me, he said he wanted to be a lawyer.
 But he said since it is late already for this year for tertiary education, I will have to make another application.  He said he would be doing temporary jobs and then he got a job at City Treasure and Park Tower.
 That was the beginning of his harassment by the police.  During the lunch he would be taken by the police and they would take him to Sanlam, they would request him to be an informer.  He told me that he told them that he would rather die rather than be an informer.

REV XUNDU: Was he any member of any organisation?

MRS BEKWA: I didn't understand your question, would you repeat it please?

REV XUNDU: By this time, was he a member of any organisation?

MRS BEKWA: Yes, he was a member of the UDF.

REV XUNDU: I'd like to find out if he was a member of PEPCO?

MRS BEKWA: No, he was member of the United Democratic Front.  Lundi would say I am unable to have my lunch peacefully because the Boers would come and take me to Sanlam and persuade me to be their informer. As I've said before, he used to say he would rather die.

REV XUNDU: Did he tell you who were the people who used to take him?
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MRS BEKWA: No, I do not know.  He continued working there and he told me that it happened daily.  I told him that it is your choice, if you prefer to betray your people, then you can do it, but if you feel that you will stand for the truth, then it is also your choice.
 He said I will never betray my people.  He said he will rather loose the job because they always say they know that we are a big family, my mother is struggling so they would like me to be part of them.  I used to inform them that I am making ends meet.

REV XUNDU: I'd like to disturb you a bit.  I'd like us to be brief Mama.  Okay, what happened?

MRS BEKWA: Yes, I am coming to that point.  They used to say they would give him money and he used to say he won't take money which was dripping with blood.
 At the end of the year he received a letter which admitter him at Nqoya University.  The Boers used to come with a white kombi and always wanted to take them along with them.  He always refused to go with them.
 I made preparations for him so that he could go.  He used to travel separately by plane because I knew that the police were always looking for him, so he never travelled by train because I was trying to protect him.

REV XUNDU: When did he go to the university?

MRS BEKWA: It was in 1982.  He was in the faculty of (indistinct), 1982, it is when he was killed.

REV XUNDU: Did he also join any organisation there?

MRS BEKWA: I am not aware of any.  The only thing that I know is that he was a member of the UDF as I have mentioned.  Maybe at school his colleagues can state that he belonged to another one.
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REV XUNDU: Can we just get more information about how did he get injured?

MRS BEKWA: Mpomelelo Faku was the one who gave me a programme.  I can give you the programme, because that is where everything is reflected.  On the whole it is the Inkatha which killed him because Inkatha wanted to hold a meeting there at school, but the children refused, so the quarrel started.

REV XUNDU: What did they want to do there, why did Inkatha want to go there?

MRS BEKWA: I think it was the memorial of King Qetwalo.

REV XUNDU: So were the students attacked because of their refusal to accommodate the Inkatha?

MRS BEKWA: Yes.  Some of the children ran away.  Some of the children were attacked whilst they were going to the lectures or to the library.

REV XUNDU: Did this happen during the night?

MRS BEKWA: I am not quite sure because I was not there.  That is why I say I have the record and documents to that.

REV XUNDU: How many children died?

MRS BEKWA: About five died.  Lundi was amongst them.  I think the others were from Piet Retief, the other one was from Durban, the other one was from Bushbuckridge.

REV XUNDU: Were you informed by the university about what happened to your son?

MRS BEKWA: I came to know about this when it was broadcast over the radio.  Mr Zwoka came, who is the reverend and I asked him whether he knew anything about my son because I was shocked to see him.  He confirmed that it was my son who had been killed.
 I said I was going to Durban to see my child.  Reverend PORT ELIZABETH HEARING TRC/EASTERN CAPE
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Zwoka said I shouldn't want to go, he said one of my children should go, so I had a son who is Zondelelo, who was also a victim of the apartheid, who was pushed out of the train and then he was then amputated, both his legs were amputated.
 Zondelelo was a militant.  He went to the university and he could find a few belongings.  His books were lost.

REV XUNDU: I'd like to find out Mama, did the university authorities inform you that your son had died in that conflict?

MRS BEKWA: I received a letter from Incabinde, it was after Zondelelo had already been there.  He said he was sympathising and sending condolences about my son's death.

REV XUNDU: Was there any inquests or was a post-mortem done?

MRS BEKWA: I wrote a letter to Incabinde, trying to find out about the circumstances which led to my son's death.  He responded by saying he was never informed about an inquest, he advised me to write a letter to the Magistrate, he is the one who might be able to give me details about the arrangements of the post-mortem.
 I didn't get anything from any of the people to whom I was sent, nobody gave my any information and why were they killed, and how were they killed. The only thing that I know is that it was said the Inkatha, the police and the Defence Force from Durban was responsible for this death.

REV XUNDU: Was Incabinde a rector at the time?

MRS BEKWA: Yes, he was a rector at the time.

REV XUNDU: Who is the Chancellor presently?

MRS BEKWA: Do you mean at that time?  It is the one person who is at KwaZulu, the one whom I hate, it is Gatsha,
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because he is mentioned.

REV XUNDU: Who is this gentlemen from KwaZulu?

MRS BEKWA: It is Buthelezi.

REV XUNDU: Okay.  Were there any lawyers who assisted you to make some investigations?