Human Rights Violation Hearings — Duncan Village — 1996-09-24

MS MAYA: Did you know who were there?  Did you know these peoples' names?

UNKNOWN: Yes, I do.  One of them is Maqotinala Xonti, the other one is Tandile Nombeko, the third one is Ringo Fadele.

MS MAYA: ; Will you please raise your voice, because these names are being written here.

UNKNOWN: Maqotinala Xonti, Tandile Nombeko the second one.  And the third one is ringo Fadele.

MS MAYA: Are they still around now?

UNKNOWN: Just because I'm not living here, I'm not staying here in Duncan Village, I'm not sure if they are still here.

MS MAYA: Were you taken to hospital?

UNKNOWN: Yes, the ambulance came together with soldiers and they took us to the hospital.  We slept over, on the next day my mother died at nine o'clock in the morning.  It was on Wednesday, on Friday my sister died.

MS MAYA: What about you and your child?  Where were you?

UNKNOWN: We were still in hospital at that time.

MS MAYA: For how long did you stay there?

UNKNOWN: I stayed for three weeks and I had to ask the Doctors to discharge me because I wanted to prepare for the funeral of my mother and my sister.  My child stayed for two DUNCAN VILLAGE HEARING TRC/EASTERN CAPE
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months in hospital.

MS MAYA: Was the funeral peaceful?

UNKNOWN: Yes, it was.  The UDF members came to my house.  They were trying to show us that they were not part of what was happening.  Secondly they asked for our permission to explain to my family what happened, but I would like to apologise to the UDF members, because my family was bitter, my family was bitter at that time, they didn't agree, they didn't want to give them, they didn't give them platform to try and explain.
 We told them that the soldiers would beat everybody if the UDF members can make a speech at the funeral.

MS MAYA: The people you have mentioned, do you know which political organisation they belonged to?

UNKNOWN: At that time everybody was a member of the UDF.

MS MAYA: After your home was burn, what happened to you and your child, where did you stay?

UNKNOWN: We went to stay at my mother's home in Mnqesha where they were buried.

MS MAYA: Are you still living there?

UNKNOWN: Yes.

MS MAYA: Were you working or were you a student at that time?

UNKNOWN: I was working.

MS MAYA: Did you go back to work?

UNKNOWN: No, I didn't.

MS MAYA: What happened?

UNKNOWN: No, I couldn't go back to work.   I used to have a part time job in King William's Town, even now I was working for the IEC here in East London, I also worked for the Government in Bisho, but I've stopped.
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MS MAYA: Is this having anything to do with what happened at your home IN 1986?

UNKNOWN: yes.

MS MAYA: I am sure that your life changed since you saw this.  Can you please tell us what happened to you life after you've witnesses all this?

UNKNOWN: firstly I have  a problem with my child because she doesn't understand what happened.  She has many questions and she doesn't really understand what happened to her.
 She was a student in Thembasa one time, but now she is in De Vos Malan in King William's Town, because she came back one other day and then she told me that she doesn't want to go to school because the other children at school they laugh at her and today I want this people to see what they did to my child.
 I want them to see how my child is today because of them.

MS MAYA: You said in your statement your child cannot concentrate at school as a result you had to take your child to the class, to the special class for people with learning disabilities?

UNKNOWN: Yes.

MS MAYA: Do you have any other thing you want to say?

UNKNOWN: What I can say is that I want to say to the Watson Brothers who were here in town at that time, the comrades called them and the leader was Duranxaba.  They wanted to know what was really happening in Duncan Village.
 And then they tried to explain, but they accused us of being witches and they said that my mother killed people.  They gave (indistinct) and then the comrades told them to 
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leave us alone.

MS MAYA: When was this?

UNKNOWN: It was in 1985, December 1985.

MS MAYA: Do you have any other thing you want to add?

UNKNOWN: No, there is nothing.

MS MAYA: I'm sure that you have a request to the Truth Commission.  Can you please tell us what is your request.

UNKNOWN: My request to the Truth Commission is that I want this people to come forward.  I don't have a grudge with them, the reason is that while my mother was still in hospital, she prayed to God and she gave her life to God.
 I think she forgave them, so I can't hold a grudge against them, because my mother didn't.  
 Secondly, I would like the Truth Commission to take care of my child, maybe if she can have plastic surgery.

MS MAYA: One thing I left, how old was your sister Nomakhosazana?

UNKNOWN: She was 31 years old.

MS MAYA: Is that all you want to say?

UNKNOWN: Yes, that is all.

MS MAYA: Thank you.  I will give this opportunity to the Chairman, maybe he's got questions.

BONGANI FINCA: Revd Xundu.

REV XUNDU: Did Nomakhosazana have a child?

UNKNOWN: Yes, the name of the child is Balisa.

REV XUNDU: Is she at school?

UNKNOWN: Yes, she is in De Vos Malan.

REV XUNDU: Who looks after her?

UNKNOWN: She lives with me, so I support her.

REV XUNDU: So what do you say about this child to the Commission?
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UNKNOWN: I also have a request about her.

REV XUNDU: Thank you, Chairman.

BONGANI FINCA: Mr Sandi.

MR SANDI: Ms Kumalo, are you working at the moment?

UNKNOWN: No, I am unemployed.

MR SANDI: Did you ever work before?

UNKNOWN: Yes, the last job I was in Bisho in the Parliament.

MR SANDI: When did you stop?

UNKNOWN: 1994.

MR SANDI: Did you have any other job?

UNKNOWN: Yes.

MR SANDI: Thank you.

BONGANI FINCA: Thank you Ms Kumalo.  I think your evidence reminded us that while we were still fighting for freedom, there were mistakes we did at the time we were struggling.
 There are things which happened that when we look back, we will feel embarrassed about them.  We thank you for reminding us in this Duncan Village hearing in such a powerful manner of those mistakes.
 We thank you for clarifying that those who were leaders of people at that time, they tried to take action before this Commission.  They tried to come and ask for forgiveness on behalf of those who did this.
 I think yesterday when Mr Jordan was submitting the report here, he touched on such events.  He said that some of these events were done by people who claimed to be members of the African National Congress, and he asked for forgiveness for those things.
 We thank you for reminding us towards the end of this hearing, that the Human Rights were not only violated by the DUNCAN VILLAGE HEARING TRC/EASTERN CAPE
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oppressors, but within us, there were other people who were oppressing others.
 Your requests will be taken into consideration and we will follow whatever we have to follow because our aim is that we want South Africa to be peaceful and to have a better future.
 Things like this, we want to make things like this not to happen again in this country.  Thank you very much, we also thank your daughter, who accompanied you so that we can see her.
 You can now go back to your place and we will now call the last witness, which is Zuko Galela and after that we will close the hearing.