Human Rights Violation Hearings — Duduza — 1997-02-07

MS SEROKI: Was Maduna and Rhadebe present at the time and are they still present?

MRS NGOBENI: Yes they are.

MS SEROKI: Did they submit a statement?

MRS NGOBENI: On the day that I came to submit the statement the statement taker told me to give the letter to Rhadebe and I asked him as to whether he was able to come and submit the statement and he said yes he did come but he was told that he had to book for an appointment before he could submit a statement and he was told that he had to phone before submitting the statement and he was not able to submit it.

MS SEROKI: Are you able to give us the addresses so that we can get statements from them?  Did Maduna submit a statement to the police?

MRS NGOBENI: Maduna does not stay here.  Immediately after that incident he went away but he does come to visit his brother in law. Rhadebe is the one who stays at Umfunde Park No 20.

MS SEROKI: In your statement you pointed out that you had bought a house then and you're not able to pay the mortgage bond, are you working.

MRS NGOBENI: Yes I am. But the money that I'm earning, I'm not able to pay off my mortgage bond.

MS SEROKI: Where was your husband working, you said Fattis and Monis, are there any benefits that you got? after his death?

MRS NGOBENI: They did call me but they told me that I should get a death certificate, but it's very difficult for me to get one because I don't know what happened to my husband and this is what is delaying the whole process.

MS SEROKI: Now they said you would get the benefits if you get the death certificate?

MRS NGOBENI: I think so.

MS SEROKI: Do you still have a hope that your husband is still alive and would come back?

MRS NGOBENI: To tell you the honest truth I always harboured the hope that my husband would come back, I remember in 1993 and 1994 I heard over the television, when they were talking about people who had disappeared, and they said there was a private prison where people were kept, maybe he could possibly be there.  I was always nursing that hope that he could possibly be there.

MS SEROKI: Have you ever sought legal assistance?

MRS NGOBENI: Yes I have but he said that he did not know how to help me with regard to this matter.

MS SEROKI: Or maybe you could accept it if we give you the addresses of legal aid attorneys who would help you without you having to pay, because it looks like it's going to take quite some time for this matter to get sorted out.  Maybe as attorneys they would try and help you.

CHAIRPERSON: Mrs Ngobeni, thank you.  Just to let you know that our investigators are trying to follow up this both with the Vosloorus and the Tokoza Police to ascertain how far they are with their investigations into the disappearance of your husband and just to repeat what  my colleague has said, that the Commission can assist you to get legal advice around this question of your husband's disappearance, as to whether enough time has elapsed for your husband to be declared officially dead and all the benefits which would come to you, but that is a very sensitive and delicate matter obviously. But the police are being asked to report on what they have been able to establish with regard to your husband.  So we will certainly be maintaining contact with you but thank you very much and we know that this is something very hard for you to have to deal with.  But thanks for coming to speak to us about it.