Human Rights Violation Hearings — Pietermaritzburg — UNKNOWN

WITNESS:   I would like to start here.  We were from Good Friday to celebrate Good Friday, and when we arrived home he said to us he is going to see Bheki Maseko, who was his friend.  So he left, and then he came back soon.  And then on Wednesday he waked up early in the morning.  He said him and Bheki were going to  prepare where the society for burial was going to have a function.  And he was getting ready to go to a training college, teachers training college, the following year.  Then they went on, him and Bheki, to prepare that place.  And then he came and said they will go there because that's where they are going to practice.  He came and he went to Bheki Maseko's house again, and in the evening the same day I heard gunshots, and I was scared because gun sound it's something that I really don't like, and I got scared.  I was inside my house and I said to one person who was with me, who was my son, I said to him, "Hey, you know, when I am hearing gunshots I get scared because Bhunu is not in here."  I prepared meal and I dished out for my kids, but I couldn't eat myself because I wasn't okay.  So I asked my kids to come and pray with me.  We prayed and we went to bed.  Late at night - I can't remember very clearly what time it was, but I think it was round about 9 o'clock - we heard a knock at the window and I woked my husband.  I said, "There's a knock.  Someone is knocking," and then when he wanted to go and open the door I said to him, "No, don't open because I heard gunshots, so what if those people who were firing the gunshots are the ones who are knocking."  So the person who was knocking identified himself quickly, and my husband went and opened the door and talked to this person.  This person's name was Mr Gama.  So my husband came back and told me that Mr Gama had news for us.  "He said he needed to take me somewhere to show me something because something has happened."  So they've driven by ND's car, and I just couldn't sleep afterwards.  I was uneasy.  I went to my other kid's bedroom, I told my kid, whose name is Sibongo.  I said, "Your father went somewhere and they said there were bad news."  So I stayed afterwards at the dining-room because I was feeling uneasy, and after a while they came back.  And my husband opened the door and he came inside, and those other two guys who were with him were left outside.  And then when I asked my husband, "How did you go?" my husband said, "Bheki and Bhunu are injured."  So I said, "Where are they if they are injured?"  So my husband kept quiet.  And after a while my husband said to me, "Because you are dressed up let's go," and my husband said to me, "Let's go, because Bheki had been injured and he's dead."  So I said to my husband, "You know, please tell me.  If something had happened to Bhunu just tell me."  I could feel in my blood that something had been wrong.  (Pause)

UNKNOWN: When you feel that you're okay you can continue, but please take your time.  Thanks.

WITNESS:   And then my husband said, "Bhunu as well is injured."  And I said to my husband, "Just tell me if he's dead, because I can tell," and my husband didn't want to tell me.  He went to the bedroom and then he came back again.  And I said to him, "Please tell me," and then he said to me, "Yes, Bhunu's dead."  (Pause)

UNKNOWN: It's really a hard time to you, Mrs Hlela.  We understand.  We are here because we want to be with you in hard times like this.  (Pause)  And then my husband asked me if I want to come with him to see where Bhunu has died, and I told my husband, "No, I won't be able to stand that."  And when my husband opened the door as he was leaving I fell down, I was unconscious, and when I recovered my consciousness my sister was there.  And then he went out to call our neighbours to come, and my husband came back afterwards and he had a plastic bag which I thought it was with his clothes.  (Pause)

UNKNOWN: It's okay, Mrs Hlela, you can take your time.  We can't push you because we understand this is very hard for you.  (Pause)  Once you feel you're okay, you can be able to talk, then you can talk.

WITNESS:   We stayed at home with my relatives and my neighbours until the next morning, and my husband started relating the whole story to us the next day.  He said to he when he arrived there Bhunu and Bheki were dead, but Mngathi was shot but he didn't die, and he is the one who can tell the whole story because he saw everything.  And the next day my husband went to prepare for the funeral, and we had no societal for - burial societal, and my husband wasn't working because of the Sarmcol strike, and I was the only one who was working, and I had a little baby at that time.  And he had a temporary job at that moment.  He went to this white guy who was his employer for help.

UNKNOWN: We understand, Mrs Hlela, and it's really hard and miserable, and sometimes we find ourselves in difficult positions that we need to ask questions even though some of the questions would lead to you being hurt more, but that's what we need to find out.  I would like you to tell me more about Bheki Maseko, the one whom his house was attacked.  Was he a member of any organisation, and why was his house being attacked?  Do you know?

WITNESS:   What I heard is that Bheki Maseko had a car.  On that day Bheki Maseko didn't come out because he heard that people were being shot, and then he went to the police station.  He wanted to ask the police why were they quiet when people are busy shooting at each other.  And when he came back, and those people who were busy shooting people realised that he is from the police station, and then now they came after him.  So they killed them.

UNKNOWN: In that house how many were they?

WITNESS:   They were three.

UNKNOWN: Two died, only one remained?

WITNESS:   Yes.

UNKNOWN: At the time when they attacked these people inside the house were there other people who saw this thing?

WITNESS:   I won't be sure, but what I am sure of is that Ford Mngathi was there.

UNKNOWN: Where is he staying?

WITNESS:   He is staying at Mpophomeni.

UNKNOWN: You also said that there's ND Zondi who was your neighbour, and Gama, and these were the people who told you about the death of Bhunu.  Are they still alive?

WITNESS:  Gama is now dead.  ND is still alive.  I do know where he stays.

UNKNOWN: What I would also like to know again is that you gave us names like Sidney Bhengu, Nthokozizi Buthelezi, Thusi Khumalo.  Can you please elaborate to us how these people are - people's names are here?

WITNESS:   I heard about them when there was a case, but I didn't go to this court case.  My son, my elder son, Hlanhla, went there.  I just told myself that I don't have the strength to sit and look at those murderers, so I didn't go to the court case.

UNKNOWN: But do you have an idea what happened, what was the result of the case?

WITNESS:   Yes, there was a court case and the Court found that Ford, who was the witness, didn't give his testimony 100%, so the Court wasn't satisfied about his testimony.  They said his evidence wasn't good enough.

UNKNOWN: If there is more information will you give us?  And again I also found something on your statement that your health it's no longer fine, and I heard as well that since after your son's death you have high blood pressure, you're scared of police even if you see them on the street, and again when they start - when people start talking about Bhunu's death you don't come around, you cry.  Do you have any help?

WITNESS:   No, I don't.  I don't have any help, and I am always scared.  Anything that fells down I become scared.  I am always scared.  One day I just got scared because I heard a sound and I thought it was a gun sound, and then I fell down and my knee is still swollen, it's still not okay.  I went to Edendale Hospital, but it's no longer the same, it's still bad.