Human Rights Violation Hearings — Queenstown — 1996-07-22

MR SANDI: By the way, Bandile you say you were just moving on the streets and then you were shot by people who had shot people in the church building?

B NDABAMBI: Yes.

MR SANDI: In your statement you said you were in Standard 2.  Now how old were you then?

B NDABAMBI: I was 13 years of age.

MR SANDI: Now can you explain what actually happened as QUEENSTOWN HEARING TRC/EASTERN CAPE
16 B NDABAMBI
you were moving down the street?

B NDABAMBI: I was walking at Short Street which is a street from my home.  As I was walking and I was about two houses from the corner, I then saw a hippo which was - the police on the police were shooting already.
 Then I decided to squad because they had already shot me on the leg.  So when they shot me, what they had shot me with, they pierced through the pants and the leg and then I knelt down next to a particular house.
 Then after they had shot, they moved on facing the location.  I didn't know whether they were coming from the location or from town.
 Then one man took me to a certain house and organise a car owned by Mr Mxexeka to take me to hospital.
 Then we went together with this man to hospital.

MR SANDI: When you were shot, were there others who were shot?

B NDABAMBI: No, there was even no one on the street because I saw this morning, when they were taking me into this yard, because this man had been shot too on the head.
 And I was the only one on the street and even the person who helped me came from behind and took me.
 And then we saw this other person laying down and then we were taken to hospital.
 When we got there, I was kept there waiting only to get treatment at seven and then admitted into hospital.  I was then discharged on the 17th of December.

MR SANDI: Did the Doctor tell you of the extent of your injury or what had actually happened to your leg?

B NDABAMBI: No, he didn't.  He would just come and just look at me and then go away.
QUEENSTOWN HEARING TRC/EASTERN CAPE
17 B NDABAMBI

MR SANDI: You said you were only 13 at the time you were shot.  Did they tell you why they were shooting you?

B NDABAMBI: No one told me, I didn't talk to anyone who could give me that information.  In fact I didn't even want to meet the police.
 It is White policemen who were on a hippo who shot me and I didn't know them.

MR SANDI: By the way you mentioned that you were once on crutches?

B NDABAMBI: Yes, when I was in hospital they gave me crutches when they were going to discharge me and from December, January I was on crutches and then when schools reopened, I felt I couldn't take these crutches to school, because even the school children were going to ask.
 I even went to school very late because I was trying to limp and use my leg, because I didn't want to explain to the school children that I had been shot.
 I was scared that the people were going to tell the police that I had been shot and then the police would come, so I went there to the hospital but they were not helping me.
 So I decided to stay at home until March when I felt better, I took the crutches back to hospital and went back to school.

MR SANDI: Now, by being here, what are you asking the Commission to do for you?

B NDABAMBI: I wasn't shot at night, I was shot day time.  Now I want to take those people who shot me to take the responsibility of what happened on that day so that I could understand and say the Law should take its course.

MR SANDI: Is that all you have to say?  Is that all you QUEENSTOWN HEARING TRC/EASTERN CAPE
18 B NDABAMBI
have to say?

B NDABAMBI: Yes, though even this leg is troubling me when it is cold, I feel it on this leg.  It is no longer normal, I can't even run fast, I can't even participate in sport.  I tried then I decided to leave off.
 Even my muscles here are giving me trouble.  On the side I was shot, my muscles are twisted so whenever I buy shoes, I'm supposed to buy a size 7 on my left and six and a half on the other side, because my foot has shrunk.

MR SANDI: Now did you say, Bandile, that time you were in standard 2?  Now in what standard are you now?

B NDABAMBI: I passed standard 10 in 1994, this past two years I'm just sitting and doing nothing.

MR SANDI: Is that all you have to say?

B NDABAMBI: I would now say I would feel better if the Commission could process a claim against those people who are responsible for this because they did something that they spoiled my leg and if I were to get some money from the claim, I'll make use of that to further my studies, because those people who shot me, are still alive.
 I can't take part, I can't participate in sport and yet when I was still at school I used to play volley ball because I don't need to run much.

MR SANDI: Now what do you say do you still want to do?

B NDABAMBI: I still want to further my studies because just recently I applied to the UNISA branch here in Queenstown and then they asked me to bring my certificate and then they were going to send me correspondence so that I could select the courses.