Human Rights Violation Hearings — Lusikisiki — 1997-03-26

THENGIWE BESTER KHWEZI: He had a stroke and his mind was not working well, he couldn't speak properly.

ADV SANDI: When he was taken home by the police, did he suffer from stroke?

THENGIWE BESTER KHWEZI: No.

ADV SANDI: When he came back, what did he say happened to him?

THENGIWE BESTER KHWEZI: He said that they were taken to the forest, they were beaten up, they were electrocuted.  His whole body was swollen and he said that they took him to hospital and they took him out of hospital to the forest again.

ADV SANDI: Who else was there?

THENGIWE BESTER KHWEZI: He said that Mr Gideon Mahanjane was also there in that forrest in (indistinct).

ADV SANDI: Are there any people he mentioned?

THENGIWE BESTER KHWEZI: Yes, there were other people, but I don't their names.  I only knew Mahanjane, because he was staying in our village.

ADV SANDI: Did you lay a charge or did you go to any attorneys?

THENGIWE BESTER KHWEZI: No.

ADV SANDI: Did you take any steps concerning this matter?

THENGIWE BESTER KHWEZI: No, we did not take any steps.

ADV SANDI: Where is your husband now, what happened to him?

THENGIWE BESTER KHWEZI: My husband was sick until he died.

ADV SANDI: When did he die?

THENGIWE BESTER KHWEZI: It was in 1992, in February.

ADV SANDI: Do you have requests to the Commission concerning the issue you have just explained to us?

THENGIWE BESTER KHWEZI: Yes, I do have requests.

ADV SANDI: What are your requests Mrs Khwezi?

THENGIWE BESTER KHWEZI: I would like the Commission to help me to support my children.  I would like to educate my children.  I have four children.
 They - two of them left school because I couldn't afford - the other two they are still at school.  I tried by all means to support them.

ADV SANDI: In which standards are they?

THENGIWE BESTER KHWEZI: The two have passed standard 10, the other one is doing standard nine and the other standard 8.

ADV SANDI: Is that all you wanted to say Mrs Khwezi?

THENGIWE BESTER KHWEZI: I would also request that the Commission help me to get medical treatment.  I don't have a home.
 We used to have a home in the Msanga Village and I was removed here because I was a member of the ANC.  We were not given any money to go and build a house somewhere else.
 Our house is not in a good condition.

ADV SANDI: ; Thank you Mrs Khwezi.  I would like to thank all of you and hand over to the Chairperson.  Maybe you will be asked questions, thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you very much for giving evidence to this Commission.
 The Commission has a responsibility to investigate everything brought forward so that it can get a clearer picture of what happened.
 Maybe you will meet with the people from our office who will come back to investigate more and to find out more
about what happened, but for now we would like to thank you for giving evidence in this Commission and for your requests.
 It is our duty to forward these to the President.  Even the one mentioned about the 25th and I - my brother here next to me, he will be the one responsible for that invitation because he is the one who likes to visit this place around Lusikisiki and Bizana.
 We thank you for your requests concerning the Technical College.  As you are the last group to give evidence, I would like to thank you for tolerating us and I would like to thank the Government, Provincial Governments, especially the Department of Public Works that we worked in.
 We thank the Police who helped us a great deal in keeping order and as we had a problem with the generator, they endeavoured to help us, we thank the Police.
 We thank the authorities in the Police Force.  We thank our interpreters who interpreted Xhoza, English, Sotho, thank you.
 We thank the technicians, Mr Brummer, the Deputy Manager with the patience they displayed for the difficult three days, they tolerated us.  We hope to see the Deputy again in the next year.
 The visitor from Canada who stayed with us throughout these three days and has very consistently attended all our sessions.  I don't know whether she is going to stay here long, but if she has to leave back for her home in Canada, we wish to thank her for attending our hearings and wish her bon voyage to Canada.
 Lastly I wish to thank our staff, Mr Ngubo who is acting in this hearing as the person in charge and all the
other members of staff for the patience they have displayed in a very different hearing.
 Of all the hearings that we have had, the hearing of Lusikisiki has been unique, very different from the others.
 We were faced with different problems, which we have never anticipated.  I don't think we should be discouraged by those problems, indeed I am delighted that we met them because they actually bring us close to realising how rural life impacts on people.
 We have been having hearings in the cities, even the Cradock which we called a rural hearing was in a city, it is the first time that we have come into close contact with the living conditions of the majority of our people.
 And indeed over the last three days, from the breakdown in electricity to the breakdown of the generator, to the rain, to all the inconvenience, it has been an unique experience which places us where we belong, to the feelings of the people of this country.
 We wish to thank in particular the statement takers, (indistinct) region, they have done outstanding work.  Qasi Nofomane in these three days, he experienced, they have had to endure that experience for a very long time and indeed they have gathered very interesting cases for us which we have listened to.
 Every hearing here in Lusikisiki has been an unique hearing and indeed in my judgement one of the best experiences that we can have which puts us into touch with the rural struggles.
 People who worked in remote areas, who had little support, little resources, how much they contributed to the struggle for liberation.  We pay tribute to the Pondo people
for enduring the hard work we have gone through.  
 Indeed they are one of the best things a person can have.  I declare the hearing of Lusikisiki now closed.

ADV SANDI: As panellists and probably on your behalf as well, we want to thank this man next to me.  We thank him for the dignity he brought to this hearing.
 He does not have a lot of patience, but he humbles himself under such circumstances.  We thank him.  Eternal life may you be healed from the cold that you have.

CHAIRPERSON: Please let's leave our interpretation devices on our chairs, it does not work if you take it home, it explodes ...