Human Rights Violation Hearings — Durban — 1996-05-08

MRS MSHENGU: Yes, I can hear.

DR BORAINE: Thank you very much.  Now, Mrs Mshengu, you have come to tell a story, but you have brought somebody with you.  Who is that please?

MRS MSHENGU: My son.

DR BORAINE: And your son's name is?  What is his name?

MRS MSHENGU: Musawenkosi.

DR BORAINE: Mrs Mshengu, are you going to tell the story, or is your son going to tell the story, or both?

MRS MSHENGU: I will relate this thing, but I wasn't there.  He was the one who was present.

DR BORAINE: So we will hear from both of you then.  But we will start with you.  All right.  Will you please stand.

BEATRICE NIKIZIWE MSHENGU: (Sworn, States)

DR BORAINE: Now, let's start with you, because you are going to tell the story, and then if necessary we'll come back to your son.  And the story that you're going to tell is a story of horror, the death of your husband, of your son, and your grandson, and it happened very much in the same way as the people that we have been listening to, the Phungula family, a few moments ago.  I am not going to ask you about that, I am going to ask Mr Dlamini if he will help you to tell your story.  You are very welcome.  Please feel very relaxed, you are amongst friends.  Thank you.

MR DLAMINI: Mr Chairperson, can I confirm whether the Vice-Chairperson would like to ask Musawenkosi to take the oath before, so that if in case he has got to add something, and he does that under oath, or whether he would like to do that later on?

DR BORAINE: Let's do it right away then.  Will you stand please for the taking of the oath.  In case you are going to add to your mother's story we have to do that under oath.

MUSAWENKOSI MSHENGU: (Sworn, States)

DR BORAINE: Thank you very much.  Please be seated.  Mr Dlaminni?

MR DLAMINI: Hello Mama Mshengu and your son.  Before you start relating your story as far as you know it, after the neighbours had contacted you, could you tell us how many children do your have with your husband so that we get a full picture of the family?

WITNESS:   I have got six children, two girls and four boys.

MR DLAMINI: Among these children that you have those who passed away, how do they follow one another?

WITNESS:   The one who died comes after the elder one, and then the one who left us is the elder one, and then comes another boy of my daughter.  He's the second one.

MR DLAMINI: Is this Thembinkosi who is your daughter's child?  If you could relate to us when your husband left - because you have got two homes. one is in Mtwalume, one is in KwaMashu - and the report that you got.

WITNESS:   I have got a house in KwaMashu, and I got married at KwaMashu.  And the time arrived when we wanted to go back to the countryside, and my husband went to the countryside, but he was going to come back so I remained at home waiting for him to come back.  But then I got this telephone at night from KwaMashu, and my neighbour phoned me, said there's a terrible thing that has happened at home, I must just come back immediately.  It was at about two at night, and I was already asleep, so I got up and went to our neighbour and asked him if he couldn't take me to KwaMashu by car.  My neighbour took me and put me KwaMashu.  We arrived at KwaMashu at dawn, and they had already taken away the bodies.  We just saw the blood and the remaining children.  He related to me what had happened after they had taken the bodies, and he also told me that they said they were coming back.  So we realised that we couldn't sleep, and they had damaged everything at home.  They had broken the window, they had broken down the doors, they have also broken down my husband's car.  And I was also scared, I couldn't sleep at home because I had been told that they were coming back.  I went to my sister's place at F, and my sister allowed me to sleep at her place.  That day was on a Saturday, the following day was Sunday.  On Sunday we stayed there at my sister.  We were waiting for Monday to go to the mortuary, and we went to see them at mortuary.  We saw them.  We found that they were completely injured, and my husband had been killed and my son had been chopped off all over his head.  And my daughter's child had also been shot a lot, many times on his head, and there were lots of bullets.  I then planned that I will bury them at Mtwalume, because I was afraid of burying them at KwaMashu, that they will attack us again.  I planned to bury them at Mtwalume.  Our priest really helped me with all the arrangements.  The priest helped me to make all the funeral arrangements, and they helped me with everything because I didn't have anything.  I really didn't have any financial resources.  The priest helped me with that.  From after the funeral I went to KwaMashu, and I went to report what had happened at my home.  And the councillor said to me, he said, "Your house something had happened."  They said it was just unfortunate, that's not what they had aimed for.  He said even if he showed me the list my house wouldn't be in that list of the houses which had been written.  I didn't know what to do because those people were dead, because I was told that it was unfortunate.  I don't know if he knew these people or not.  I also went to report to - I didn't go to report to the police ... (inaudible)

INTERPRETER: We can't hear.

WITNESS:   We just went at home.  I stayed a long time until I got very sick, so I went back to my children at KwaMashu.  So that's how I have managed to get this opportunity to relate my story here.  I have been suffering for a long time bringing up these children, because when my husband died all these children were still at school.  Some of them passed and some of them couldn't go ahead because I couldn't afford.  The older ones said - the other one said, "I am going to try some bursaries to help them," when he arrived at school, but then we couldn't have money for other things. On the second year he came back again, he said, "Mama, we've been dismissed from school because we can't pay for the school fees."  Another one also is still at school, but he is saying he can't go any further because he doesn't even have books.  He is going to look for an employment so that he can further his own studies.  All these are difficult things in my heart.  They really had wanted to continue their schooling, but others ended up stopping schooling and they are just at home.  They are still not yet employed. What do you survive on, Mama?  Are you working?     ---   No, I am not working.  I just survive on pension.  I get some pension.

INTERPRETER: Is this the Government pension?

WITNESS:   Yes, it is the Government pension.

INTERPRETER: How much?

WITNESS:   It's R400,00.

INTERPRETER: At the time when you went to the councillor, Mama, and he apologised that they were not aiming for your house, was there somebody you were with when this councillor apologised?

WITNESS:   No, I was alone.  I went alone to the councillor.  But there were men who were with him.  There were lots of men with him.  Even when I reported this matter all these men were on top of me.  They asked me what I am coming to do here because my house is in the rural areas, this KwaMashu home is not mine, it's the children's house.  So I also failed there.  I couldn't go any further.  I went home.

INTERPRETER: Your husband and the children, was there an organisation that they belonged to, the political organisation that they belonged to?

WITNESS:   No, we were not under any organisation, but when I heard that my children - I heard that my children were killed because they were UDF.

INTERPRETER: Were the children UDF, you and your husband were not?

WITNESS:   No, my husband was a priest, he wasn't a member of any political organisation.  But because my children were involved then now I have joined my children in ANC.