Human Rights Violation Hearings — Empangeni — 1996-11-06

WITNESS:   I don't know anything about it.  That much.  My husband was not a district surgeon, but the children who used to come were patients from the surgery and that doctor was a family doctor and the parents of those children were shot and they were treated by my husband and my husband also gave them some counselling, but I don't know anything with regard to the counselling, because he never told me.  I have no knowledge about the post-mortem, but the parents of those children were treated with shock.  I was there when they were treated, because these were my husband's patients.  He was their family doctor and he used to counsel them.  All that he did, as well as the treatment he gave to the parents, as well as the family members.  But the post-mortem that was conducted on the children I have no clarity, because when he came back he was from overseas and the children were going to be buried over the week-end and now it's placed doubt in my mind as to when did he conduct this post-mortem.

CHAIRPERSON: I know that that is one of the angles that is being looked at in the inquest, because it's alleged that these children were killed by the police and that your husband did a post-mortem on the bodies and it is possible that the killers of those children also killed your husband because they believed that he might find clues as to what sort of ammunition had been used to shoot these children.  But I won't comment too much on that, because the inquest is busy taking place at the moment and I know that you are being assisted by one of my ex-colleagues.  Mrs Luthuli, we realise how difficult this must be for you and we thank you for having the courage to come and talk to us today.  Your husband was taken from you in the prime of his life.  He was a young medical doctor.  He was also a graduate in community medicine from the University of Natal.  I think he was the first black person to graduate with a degree in community medicine.  He was a progressive person and he was working for the benefit of his people.  The investigation by the KwaZulu Police into this matter indicates a massive cover-up from high up in the KwaZulu Police, but for those of you who know the KwaZulu Police I suppose that we could not have expected anything else from such a corrupt and useless Police Force, headed by a former security policeman, Major-General Jacques Buchner, and the people who killed your husband chose him because of those values, the fact that he was an educated, clever person.  He was committed to exposing the truth and if you look at many of the other people who have been targeted for assassination - we think of people like Dr Fabian Ribeiro.  We think of Mr Griffiths Mxenge, his wife Victoria Mxenge, Reggie Hadebe, Professor Sibankulu.  All of them educated, progressive people, who worked to make a difference in this country, and we begin to realise and understand why those people were targeted for assassination.  The inquest in this matter is taking place.  We hope very, very much that that inquest will do a proper investigative job, which could have been done by the KwaZulu Police years ago when your husband was killed, and we hope very much, for your sake, that it will come forward with the names of the people who killed your husband.  Not only the people who pulled the triggers but, much more importantly, who told the people to pull the triggers and although this will not bring your husband back to you and your children it might make it easier for you to accept, but I think you should also take courage from the fact that your husband was regarded as a hero by many, many people, and we hope that you find some comfort in that.  Thank you very much for coming in today.

CHAIRPERSON: /CHAIRMAN

CHAIRPERSON: The next witness is Mr Bheki Ntuli.
4A/0 Good afternoon, Mr Ntuli.  We welcome you here today.  You have come from Esikhaweni Township.

BHEKI NTULI: Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: And you have come to tell us about the attacks and harassment on you and your family, which took place in 1992, I think it was.

BHEKI NTULI: Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: Before you tell that story, can you stand to take the oath please.

BHEKI NTULI: (Sworn states) (In English)

CHAIRPERSON: Before you tell us your story, can you just give us a brief explanation as to who you are and what are your family circumstances, just so that we can place on record who Bheki Ntuli is.

WITNESS:   Thank you, Mr Chairman, my name is Bheki Ntuli, as you have said.  I was born in Brighton, Mtubatuba.  I schooled in Mtubatuba, Mangosi Madedeni College of Education.  Then I started teaching in Manqami High School.  Because of the harassment then I decided to leave and joined Alusaf in 1982.  I lived in Esikhaweni at the time.  I was involved in the trade union movement, NUMSA.  In 1987 I was elected a shop steward.  I was active in the UDF and the structures of the community as well.  In 1991 I was elected the chairperson of COSATU, but the harassment started in 1990 after the release of the President of the country.  Because of my involvement in the trade union movement and my being the leader of COSATU at that time I was then seeing harassment on both members of COSATU, UDF and myself.  It was in 1990 when I was time and again arrested by the KwaZulu Police, claiming that I should not stay in this area because the ANC is not for this area, but the IFP is.  It went on in July, 4th July, at eleven.  I was in Durban at a meeting. The KwaZulu Police raided my house, H125.  They were led by Moses Gumede, who is still a member of the KwaZulu - the police at this stage and Captain Mkhize, who has been working, heading the investigation officers in Mtubatuba, but, as I understand, he has now been transferred to Empangeni.  In the house, when they raided the house in 1990, 4th July, they found Nombulelo, my wife, Bongiwe, Mbali and Mkululeko.

CHAIRPERSON:  Are those your children?

WITNESS:   Yes.

CHAIRPERSON:  How many children do you have?

WITNESS:   I have four.  There were four policemen that raided my house.  They were driving in a blue private car and they were all armed with rifle and 9mm firearms, as I understand.  They were with one guy that was - they had at the time, and they instructed him to give them firearms for my house, and they told Numbulelo to give them firearms and this guy, and the guy said he didn't say there were firearms in my house, and they raided the house and they couldn't find any, and they asked Numbulelo whether these three kids are hers or mine and she said, "Yes", and they told her that they are going to eat mud, because I'm going to be killed.  That was Moses Gumede.  He is now heading investigating officers still in Esikhaweni.  My child, Mbali, she was able to go out of there to this place across the street, running, and the youngest, Mkululeko, at the time, was asking them whether they would give him the firearms that they had, because he was very young at that time, and they asked him where my firearm is and Mkululeko said I don't, he was the only person that had a firearm.  At that time he had a toy.

CHAIRPERSON:  How old was Mkululeko then?