Human Rights Violation Hearings — Nelspruit — 1996-09-03

CHAIRPERSON: Mrs Mthethwa, can you hear me alright on the earphones?

MILDRED MTHETHWA: I can hear you.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you very much for coming.  We want to welcome you very warmly. You are the first person after lunch and people are still coming in, but we have to start because we have other people that we have to hear as well.  You're going to tell us about your brother Bethuel.  Before you do that I'm going to ask Jasmin Sooka to ask you to take the oath and also to assist you in telling your story this afternoon.  But thank you very very much for coming, you are most welcome.  Could you please tell us who is sitting next door to you?

MILDRED MTHETHWA: It's my cousin.

CHAIRPERSON: I'd like to welcome her as well, we're very pleased that you have somebody with you and I'll hand over now to Ms Sooka.

MILDRED MTHETHWA: (sworn states)

YASMINE SOOKA: Mildred, you're going to tell us about your brother Bethuel, and I'll ask you to tell us your story please.

MILDRED MTHETHWA: It was in June 1986. The children during that time used to go to the mountains for their meeting next to Location Six.  When they were there on top of the mountain, I don't know what they were doing because I did not attend, I was not part of them, I was well grown
NELSPRUIT  HEARING TRC/MPUMALANGA
2 MTHETHWA
but I didn't attend. They went there, it was late in the evening. They went to that place to celebrate the 16th of June.  When they were there I don't know what happened on top of that mountain where they met during that time. All I can say now is to give the testimony of what happened to my brother when he came home.
 He was brought home, he was already dead and he was not talking.  When he was brought home, I wasn't at home at the time.  I was next my sister's house.  When I arrived at home, my brother was already sleeping and there was a blanket on top of his body.  My father said somebody came, a husband, he knocked at the door.  During the time when he was knocking my father opened the door.  The man in question asked my father to come to the car to come and identify whether he knows the child. My father agreed, he came and went to the car to look at the child, and he said, "It's my child". 
 The man said, "Can you take this child to your house?" In as far as my father's testimony is concerned, my brother's clothes were full of blood and the man suggested that we'd better take the child to the hospital because the child was seriously wounded. And my father said it wasn't necessary, we can take the child to the house.  My father as an old man realised that the child is already dead, it wasn't necessary to take the child to the hospital. 
 In as far as my father's testimony is concerned, the man said he went to the mountain where he got the child and he also lost his child. Since yesterday the children were not at home.  The parents went to the mountain just to check for their children where they usually meet. The man claimed he went to the mountain where the children were already
NELSPRUIT  HEARING TRC/MPUMALANGA
3 MTHETHWA
dead.  He therefore took the child, and according to the man there were some of the people staying next to the area.  They directed him and they indicated where my brother's home was. That's what the man told my father.
 After that when the child was already found at home.  During that time I was also there and other members of the family were already invited to come. When we came home I did touch my brother and found that he was seriously injured. My father therefore went next door to ask to phone so that he can arrange with the mortuary to come and collect the corpse. They later came. When the hearse arrived, the police were following the car.  If I remember well, there were plus-minus two cars, SAFAS cars.  The hearse was in front.   When the police arrived at home they take the door, they were questioning where Bethuel is, they went here and there until they found him.  They kicked him even while he was dead, they continues kicking him.   (weeping)

YASMINE SOOKA: Take your time.  Would you like some water?

MILDRED MTHETHWA: When they were busy kicking the corpse, my father was becoming very angry.  He tried to fetch something which we could use to fight the police because he was angry at what they were doing to the corpse. He questioned them, how can they kick somebody who is already dead?  He therefore asked the police to kill him and when we all saw that our father was angry, we also decided to help our father to fight against the police. We fought against them.  The police went out of the house.  And my father said the car from SAFFAS and from the mortuary should also return and my father said he is going to take the corpse personally to the mortuary because he is totally against what the police were doing.
NELSPRUIT  HEARING TRC/MPUMALANGA
4 MTHETHWA
 And the people claimed they don't know what happened. Later the people of the mortuary took the corpse to the mortuary.  The police did not stay because we were fighting with them and they took the corpse to the Nelspruit mortuary.  
 During the of the funeral, the police came again. All those days when the people were coming to mourn the police used to come. They use not to enter the house, they were just patrolling next to our home.  They came during the day of the funeral, it was during the night vigil.  They entered our home, they found that there were many people, even many family members were present and we have already taken the decision as a family, if we die, let's die all. They realised that the family was a radical family, we were all prepared to fight. The police did not do anything that day.  They went away.
 They came the following day, Saturday morning.  They came to tell us that there must be limited people to attend the funeral.  My father replied, "I cannot do your will because the corpse is mine, this is my child, you cannot kill my child then you expect you cannot dictate the terms for me, I'll do what I prefer".  That's what my father said and they went.
 During the time when they were to go to the grave yard, the police came and stopped next to the door, to the passage.  They were following all the people during the procession.  They went on top of the mountain.  We were at little bit lower area.  They were watching everything from the mountain with their guns.  After the funeral they went, they never came again at home, that's what happened.

YASMINE SOOKA: Mildred thank you for telling us that, but I'm NELSPRUIT  HEARING TRC/MPUMALANGA
5 MTHETHWA
going to ask you a few questions so that I can be sure of what you're saying. Firstly, tell me where this mountain is.  You say that it's next to Location Six.  Location Six where and what is the name of this mountain?

MILDRED MTHETHWA: I don't know the name of this mountain, they usually say it's Shangaan, there is a mountain where the children used to go and meet there.  It looks like a park, it's a very beautiful area.

YASMINE SOOKA: Was your brother a member of the UDF or the ANC?