Human Rights Violation Hearings — Venda — 1996-10-03

MR MULAUDZI: Nothing was done until today.  I think you
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are hearing me saying that any other - all will lead into myself dying.  So where must I go?

RUSSELL ALLY: More questions and then I'll ask if my colleagues want to ask you anything.  It seems that, I am not sure in your statements and you can correct me, but what I seem to understand from what you're saying in your statement is that after your son's death, a charge was laid against you by a certain Joseph Pathfinder Ramabolane.
 You said he laid a charge against me for CRIMEN INJURIA, he claimed that I had insulted the President of Venda and himself and there was a case which went on for two years.
 Can you just tell us a little bit about this incident?

MR MULAUDZI: Yes, you see there is that death certification that I am talking about.  The purpose of that death certificate was to simply go to Venda medical scheme for the burial of this boy.  Okay, now by then this Joseph Ramabolane was the Chairman of that Board.
 He just asked me one question.  Where was your boy, what University did he attend?  How old is he now?   I can't pay.  Then I told him you are going to pay.
 Then he said, no, I won't.  So you can imagine what happened, yes.  So somebody was quick to get angry.  Somebody was quick to get angry when I wanted to fetch him.
 Fortunately there were people around us, they intervened and then he laid a charge against me of CRIMEN INJURIA.

RUSSELL ALLY: And where does the part come in about the President of Venda, why was that added?

MR MULAUDZI: Yes, when he came back, he told the Cabinet the President wasn't in, he was in Israel, and he told the
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Cabinet that I have insulted His Excellency, the President and said the President has sent his dogs to kill my son.
 So it is a serious offence and I need to be charged for that.
 But fortunately the President didn't take it to heart.  It remained a case between me and Ramabolane and it dragged for two years.

RUSSELL ALLY: And sir this fund, you had been paying into this fund all this time for you and for your whole family?  And you never, ever got ... Just one last question, towards the end of your testimony you said, and I am sure that the sentiment is shared by a lot of people in this room and outside, that you believe that your son was a hero, that he died for the cause and that the freedom that people are enjoying today, your son played a major part in bringing it about.
 But just something that I want you to help me with.  In your statement you say that sometime in July 1993, seven people from the ANC came to me, wanting to exhume the body of my son for reburial.  They wanted to bury my son in dignity, to give him that recognition that you spoke about now.
 But you then say that you refused them permission.  Could you just tell us why and how you feel now about this issue?

MR MULAUDZI: Yes, I refused.  It is Mr Macqwetja Mapuri, I've heard him, being welcomed here with Mr Dendamzim Rodregetstanga.

RUSSELL ALLY: There was another name you mentioned, Mashudu?

MR MULAUDZI: Yes, Mashudu Stangani.

RUSSELL ALLY: That's right.
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MR MULAUDZI: And there were four others who said that they were from the office of the ANC, Lebowa.  Now they said they wanted to exhume the remains of this boy.
 And the will do that on the 16th of December, then I said to them I am not alone in the family.
 I've got brothers, I've got aunts, now these people must come together and agree, if not, no exhumation.  So it ended up like that, they never returned.  They said that they will come, five times.
 They never returned, up to this day.  Perhaps they will come on the 16th of December.

RUSSELL ALLY: Sir would you like your son to be honoured in that way, have you discussed the matter with your family and if the request were to be made again, would you now answer yes.  Is this the way you'd like your son to be honoured?

MR MULAUDZI: No, exhumation.  Let them put a tombstone if they so wish and look after his son.

RUSSELL ALLY: Thank you very much.  I don't have any more questions.  I want to see if ... If you could, just for the record, give us your son's full name so that we can have it on record.

MR MULAUDZI: Morerandi Alvyn Chiviwa Mirawizi.

RUSSELL ALLY: Thank you sir.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Mr Mulaudzi, did you finally get to know the names of the other two that - who were killed with Alvyn.

MR MULAUDZI: Only one.

THOMAS MANTHATA: And this is?

MR MULAUDZI: Mongqretswari.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Mongqretswari, the surname, sorry.

MR MULAUDZI: ; That's the surname, the other names I am not aware of.
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THOMAS MANTHATA: Okay.  And Mongqretswari's family, is it in  Venda?

MR MULAUDZI: Yes.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Okay, you cannot speak on their behalf.  Was that the first time, with this kind of a happening, was it the first time you got to know about the code terrorists?

MR MULAUDZI: I think terrorism started long ago.  It is not for the first time.  We attended schools in this country.  According to my knowledge as far back as 1952.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Would you say the people who were called terrorists, were necessarily people who were killing those who were supporting apartheid?

MR MULAUDZI: I cannot just take it for granted as killers, I take them as the freedom fighters, because up to now, to reach the good, some must suffer.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Person is on the basis of where there people shortly before your son was shot, who could have been said to have been killed by the terrorists in and around Venda land?

MR MULAUDZI: Not to my knowledge.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Yes, as you have said already, it is upheld or it is maintained that we are where we are today because of the kinds of your son and others who did whatever they did to fight against what was universally condemned, that is apartheid.
 After they left, was he at school he left?

MR MULAUDZI: Yes.

THOMAS MANTHATA: And what was the thinking amongst the students about him?  Was he said to have been politically active?

MR MULAUDZI: Yes, those who came out later, they spoke of
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him as their hero.

THOMAS MANTHATA: And together with this Mongqretswari?

MR MULAUDZI: Yes, and the other Moses Mnjane, who is his half brother.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Was Moses Mnjane amongst there?

MR MULAUDZI: No, he wasn't, he was killed later.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Oh, I see.

MR MULAUDZI: He was killed later.  I think his case is coming in tomorrow.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Were they at the same school?

MR MULAUDZI: No.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Did they belong to the same organisation?

MR MULAUDZI: Yes.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Do you have an idea of which organisation this was at the time?

MR MULAUDZI: No, thank you.

THOMAS MANTHATA: So you are saying the grandson is at the University, or he is unable to get to the University because he hasn't got the means?

MR MULAUDZI: Yes.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Thank you, Mr Mulaudzi, thank you so much.