Human Rights Violation Hearings — Durban — 1996-05-10

CHAIRPERSON: Baba, we thank you very much that you've come and exposed your pain to us - and exposed your pain in public.  There is very little that we might be able to do, but we are going to try, because you say you want to know.  Maybe we can call the witnesses who can assist us.  Maybe we can investigate things that you need to know and you would be in a situation to know, but over and above that we would like to say that we are passing our condolences to you.  May God be with you and strengthen you and your children, especially the younger one, who is still severely affected by this.  May God heal all of you.  Thank you very much.

WITNESS:   It would seem that there is a letter they are passing.  My daughter made a statement.

CHAIRPERSON: /She is just

CHAIRPERSON: 16B/23 She is just requesting if she could just insert this statement.  She is not going to talk on to this statement.  There are may be a few things that are a bit different from my statement and my son has also made a statement, because the main - the gist of what I've already said, it's there, but there are other aspects on the side they might want reflected.  Mr Chairman, another thing I would request.  I didn't count another person who is still in gaol.  I have heard that he also wants to expose and reveal some things, but we do not hear what eventually is happening.  He apparently wants to reveal some things, but if you could also find out from him.  Thank you very much.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you, Baba.  Thank you very much.

CHAIRPERSON: /DR BORAINE

CHAIRPERSON: 16B/25

DR BORAINE: Chairperson, the following witness is Ms Zamiswazi Mkhize.  I'll ask her to come forward, please.  Let's make sure that the headphones are put in place, please.  Good morning, can you hear my voice all right?  You can?

ZAMISWAZI MKHIZE: Yes.

DR BORAINE: If you could speak a little louder, it would help us and help the interpreters as well.  You are Mrs Zamiswazi Mkhize?

ZAMISWAZI MKHIZE: Yes.

DR BORAINE: You are very welcome here this morning and we are very pleased that you are not alone.  Perhaps you can tell us who is with you today.

ZAMISWAZI MKHIZE: It's my son, Sifiso and the cousin of my husband, Thandi Memela.

DR BORAINE: We would like to welcome them as well and thank them for being here in support of you.  You have come also to tell us, this time, about your husband, who was killed in 1988.  Before you tell the story, which is a story of great pain and distress, I would like you to please stand to take the oath.

ZAMISWAZI MKHIZE: (Sworn states) (Through Interpreter)

DR BORAINE: Thank you very much.  Will you be seated, please.  Mrs Mkhize, my colleague, Mr Lax, is going to take over from me and he will ask you to tell your story.  Thank you.

MR LAX: Good morning, Mrs Mkhize, thank you for coming and I just add my greetings to that of Dr Boraine.  Before you tell us about the tragic events that happened to your family, could you briefly give us a picture of your family - some idea of your background, where you come from, where

MR LAX: /you are living

MR LAX: 16B/26 you are living at the moment and how many children you have and a little bit about who your husband was.

WITNESS:   I was born in Swaziland.  I was born at Nzima.  I got married to Mkhize.  I've got three children.  I've got Nonhlanhla, who was born in 1971.  I've got Mabuse, who is here in this house, who was born in 1973.  I've got Sifiso next to me, who was born in 1977.  I stay with these children at home, although I am no longer in the same house where my husband was killed.  Because of harassment we ran away from Clermont.

MR LAX: Now, what was your husband doing before he died?

WITNESS:   My husband had taxis at Clermont and before that he had a shop at Umbumbulu.  That's where he was born.  He was a boxer for many years - professional boxer.  He was also very connected to the community.  He was involved with the community in Clermont because it's a poor community.  He was supporting them.  People would come to him to ask for assistance and elderly grannies who wouldn't have any financial means, he would assist them to get pensions, so that they could support their families.

MR LAX: Mrs Mkhize, I'm not wanting to break what you're saying, but could you try and speak up a little bit?  It's not coming through the system very clearly.  So if you could just go a little closer to the microphone, that would help us a bit.  Now, thank you for that very complete background of your family.  I would ask you to turn to the difficult events that happened and try and tell us the story of how it was that your husband came to be killed.

DR BORAINE: We have a slight problem with the communications system.  They are just looking at the

DR BORAINE: /channel.

DR BORAINE: 16B/29 channel.  If we can be patient for a moment.

WITNESS:   It's all right now.

MR LAX: Mrs Mkhize, I will repeat what I was saying before, because it seems clear you couldn't hear me very well.  Thank you for that background and would you now continue with the story of your husband's very tragic death?

WITNESS:   It was about 1986 in Clermont.  There was some violent in Clermont between the youth and the police.  Many youth from the UDF used to come and hide at our places because in their homes they used to be harassed.  We used to take these children and give them some hiding place.  As time went on we got telephone calls, claiming that we are aligned to UDF.  These people wouldn't say what their names were.  They used to threaten us that they are going to kill us because we are giving refuge to these UDF children.  Those threats continued ... (end of tape)

MR LAX: 17A/0 There were some youth - some elderly youth.  We stayed there.  The things continued up until 1987.  Mr Zazi Khuzwayo died.  We were one of the families that went to the funeral of Mr Zazi Khuzwayo.  When we came back from this funeral we didn't sleep.  We were phoned many a time and we were called that we were comrades, because we had gone to that funeral - we had gone to the chief of the comrades' funeral and until I told my mother-in-law.  My mother-in-law said I must come back home.  My husband phoned to make flight arrangements so that I could run home, but we couldn't get any flight.   We stayed there and then somebody came to tell us that since we have bought the house from this man, an MP of KwaZulu, he said the MP is complaining.  "He says he sold you this house and once he has sold you this house, you've taken this

MR LAX: /"house and