Human Rights Violation Hearings — Newcastle — 1996-09-10

COMMISSIONER: You've mentioned your cousins, Nokuthula and Nontandazo, who were in the house at the time that this happened.  Is that - were they your cousins or your nieces?  They were your cousins.  Where are they now?

WITNESS:   Nokuthula is from section 7.  Nontandazo was my brother-in-law's girlfriend.  She is now in Durban.

COMMISSIONER: (Inaudible) ... Ndlovu, do you know?

WITNESS:   Yes.

COMMISSIONER: I'll ask my colleagues if they want to ask any questions.

MR LAX: Sorry, what was Nontandazo's surname please?

WITNESS:   Ngubeni.

BONGINKOSI DLAMINI: Mrs Madela, I would like to ask you three questions just to clarify some things.  You said when these people who came to attack your house, after they did that they went Sikananda Mavuso's house.  What actually happened there?

WITNESS:   I heard they smashed everything, and then they came to the direction of my house, and then they were singing.  They were singing a certain song that says, "We thank you, Father."

BONGINKOSI DLAMINI: The reason I am asking you is that I would like to know in which organisation is Sikananda Mavuso?

WITNESS:   IFP.  I had heard that they will kill people who were not IFP members.  20 men were selected to raid the streets to fight against crime.  Among these 20 men my husband was the only one was an ANC member.  These other 19 members were IFP members.  I think that is why they only killed him, and then they were just pretending when they went to Sikananda's house.

BONGINKOSI DLAMINI: This Granada that came to your house, did you take the number or registration number?

WITNESS:   No, I couldn't.  I only took two numbers, NN 111.  I couldn't take the rest. This Salala, was it an organisation?   ---   No, it was just a group of criminals.

BONGINKOSI DLAMINI: Were they identifying themselves with any organisation?

WITNESS:   Yes, they were.  Salala was not linked with any organisation.  Savuka was the one which identified themselves with IFP.  Delisile is still at school doing standard eight.  We received money and it's helping us for her to further her education.

COMMISSIONER: Mrs Madela, you said that you are employed on a temporary basis at Checkers, is that right?

WITNESS:   Yes.

COMMISSIONER: (Inaudible) ... money from your husband's employers?

WITNESS:   I received a lump sum.  I am not getting any money monthly.

COMMISSIONER: And this happened fairly recently, it was only four years ago.  Are there any other ways that you manage to cope with the terrible thing that happened to you?  Do you have any other means of support, whether it's a church group or something like that?  How are you able to cope with this?

WITNESS:   At the moment I am a casual employee at Checkers.  That how I am trying to make ends meet.

COMMISSIONER: How do you survive?  I mean since after your husband's death who is helping you?

WITNESS:   I have never been to a doctor after this traumatic event, but my relatives and my family are the ones who are helping me.  I am not quite sure, I can't even tell that I have high blood pressure or I don't, because I am on and off.

COMMISSIONER: Do you sleep at night, you don't have nightmares or problems?

WITNESS:   Sometimes it's okay, but sometimes I am not well, I can't sleep very well, I sweat.  Emotionally I am not well.  Sometimes even if I walk I feel that I am not like other people.  Sometimes I am okay when I am with other people, but when I am alone in my bedroom I cry.

COMMISSIONER: Thank you very, very much for coming and having the courage to tell us this very sad story here today.  It really is terrible to know that these sorts of things happen to people in their own houses, and we can only imagine the fear and the helplessness that you experienced to be surrounded by a group of armed men and to watch your husband being killed.  And we see you here today looking very strong, and it is a credit to you that you have been able to recover from such an awful incident, so much so that you can come here and tell us your story today.  It is also a shocking thing that you received no help from the police, and we know from other statements that we've received from people in Madadeni how the KwaZulu Police behaved in those days, that they did not come to the assistance of people like yourself, and very often they assisted and took part in the attacks on people who held the views that you and your husband did.  And by doing that they made a mockery of their uniform and of their profession.
From the information that you've given us we will try and trace this docket which must have been opened by this Sergeant Ndlovu.  We will try and find out whether he collected any statements.  We will try and find out who Themba Nkabinde was, and we will try - although we cannot guarantee anything we will try to find out the perpetrators were of your husband's death.  And we will make a follow-up with the township manager in Madadeni about your house as well.
So we want to thank you again very much for coming in today, and we are glad that you were able to bring your sister with you to give you support.  Thank you very much indeed.

COMMISSIONER: Mr Dlamini, we welcome you here today.  Can you hear me and understand me?   You are also from Madadeni township.

BONGINKOSI DLAMINI: That is correct.

COMMISSIONER: (Inaudible) ... the harassment that you experienced also from the IFP.

BONGINKOSI DLAMINI: That is correct.

COMMISSIONER: Please will you stand to take the oath.

BONGINKOSI DLAMINI: (Sworn, States)   (Through Interpreter)

COMMISSIONER: Mr Lax will help you.

MR LAX: Thank you, Chairperson.  Good morning, Mr Dlamini, or should I say good afternoon?  Thank you for coming.  Now, before we proceed with your story is it possible for you to give us a very brief picture of your family, your children, and so on?

WITNESS:   I don't have a big family.  I have a wife as well as two children, a boy as well as a girl.  The boy is not working.  He was attending school at Siyamugela at Bettamoya, and my girl is training at the Baragwanath Hospital.

MR LAX: Thank you.  What are you yourself doing at the moment?

WITNESS:   I am not working at the moment, I am staying at home.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... pension or anything like that?

WITNESS:  No, I am not.

MR LAX: Mr Dlamini, just for the record, you were born on the 11th of January 1943, do you confirm that?

WITNESS:   That is correct.

MR LAX: Now, you're going to tell us about two different incidents.  The first was some harassment that you suffered at the hands of the Special Branch, and one Constable Mhlongo in particular.  That was in 1972.  Will you tell us about that briefly please?