Human Rights Violation Hearings — Durban — 1996-10-25

WITNESS:   I have a father and a mother and I have five brothers.

UNKNOWN: Is your mother working?

WITNESS:   Yes, she is working.  She is a carpenter.

UNKNOWN: Where is she staying?   Where are you from?

WITNESS:   I'm from Inanda.   My mother is not working.

UNKNOWN: Are you the only daughter at home?

WITNESS:   No, we are two.

UNKNOWN: And how many boys?

WITNESS:   Three boys.   I am the first - I am the first daughter, even though I am the second born at home, the first born is a boy.   My brother is working, my elder brother, and my younger brothers are still at school.

UNKNOWN: Now, I would like you to relate to us what really happened or what was happening at Inanda before the night of this ordeal that you experienced?

WITNESS:   Inanda had two organisation basically, IFP and ANC.   And I was never affiliated to any political organisation.  I am from

UNKNOWN: /B Section.

UNKNOWN: B Section.   And where I am staying, it is actually a bridge between where ANC and IFP were staying.   In those days when they used to fight, people used to use the road next to my house and they used to tell themselves that in my house that's where Inkatha people were staying.  I think they used to tell themselves this because it was between the areas, the two different areas.

UNKNOWN: You also said something about Nomdumisa Xulu?   Can you please tell us about Nomdumisa?

WITNESS:   Nomdumisa is staying at an IFP area.   But she also had a house at the ANC area.

UNKNOWN: Where is Nomdumisa now?

WITNESS:   She is now staying in rural areas.

UNKNOWN: Where are these farms?

WITNESS:   I am not quite sure, but I heard it is in Ixopo.   One day I prepared myself, because I had to go to King Edward Hospital.   I told Nomdumisa that I had a wound on my leg and I told Nomdumisa that I was going to hospital.   And I suspected that Nomdumisa went to tell the ANC people that I am going to hospital.   I didn't know that she was going to do that, because she was my friend.   I left.   When I was at the market I saw a bus which was leaving for King Edward and I said, oh I am so late because the doctor said I must arrive at the hospital early in the morning, so that they can give me the treatment.   And then one guy came, who was wearing smart, and said to me, "I will help you, I am the administrator of King Edward, come, I will give you a ride".   I went inside his car.   And while I was in there, my eyes were closed, blindfold.  I didn't know what was going on.   And then I asked them, "Please, just let me make a call calling home".    When you asked to make a call, was this at Umlazi?   ---   No, Umlazi it's my other home.   I don't know where it was where I made a call, because they had my eyes blindfolded.   I told my aunt that, "Aunty, they've abducted me".   And my aunt asked, "Who?", and then they took the phone and hang up.   When I opened my eyes, I was inside a house B from Makhendeni(?).   That's where they raped me.   What is worse is that I was only 16 years, and I was still a virgin, and I had told myself that I wanted to be like my mother.   I used to admire my mother because she only went out with one man, that is my father, and I tried to save my virginity and this is what happened to me.   They raped me, the three guys.   That was the end of my story.   I got pregnant there.   And when I came back home, I was pregnant and now I have a child whom I don't know his father.   There was a certain girl whom I found in that house and she was also abducted, she said she was from Richmond Farm.   They used to come and rape us, both of us, and they will take us to a forest and in that area there were a lot of bodies, dead bodies.  And they used to tell us that this is what we will become.  They used to assault us.   They never used to give us food.   They took my clothes, my money.   They used to give us a bad porridge, which was black.

UNKNOWN: We know it is sad, but please take your time.  We understand.   Can you please tell us your aunt's name, the one from Umlazi and her address?

WITNESS:   I can give you her telephone number.

UNKNOWN: What's her name?

WITNESS:   Her name is Zuma.

UNKNOWN: When you said you were given black porridge, who was cooking that porridge?

WITNESS:   I wouldn't know that, because they used to lock us.   And we were locked there, the house has burglarproof.   And when I went back home, I was - I had lost weight.   Even today I don't like to stay with a lot of people.   They used to lock us in that house and it used to be very dark.   They used to come during the day and do whatever they wanted to do to please themselves, and then they will leave us there and lock the house.

UNKNOWN: You said they used to take you to a certain area where there were corpses.   Can you take us there?

WITNESS:  Yes, I took police from Nsibene(?) to the same area.

UNKNOWN: Do you know where they are?

WITNESS:   Yes, the guy from Nyawo I still see him today, because he likes to swear at me and he tells me this child that I have it's his child.   And sometimes he wants to take my child.  But they do tell me at home that he comes and say these things.   I don't stay at home a long time, because I am studying.

UNKNOWN: Did you report this to the police about this Nyawo boy who usually comes?

WITNESS:   No, I never went to the police and reported this, but I told one police, Mr Dweba(?).

UNKNOWN: From which police station?

WITNESS:   From Inanda Police Station, Nsibene.   The judge  told me that I was just a concubine in that area, I am lying, they didn't rape me.   I can't remember the date on which this case was heard, it was in 1992.

UNKNOWN: Now, when this boy says this child is his, what is your mother saying to him?

WITNESS:   My mother tells him that, "This child is not yours, how do you know it is yours because you were sleeping with her all of you, you were raping her?"   My child is a boy, his name is Gamalesha.

UNKNOWN: Is he now in school?

WITNESS:   No, not yet.

UNKNOWN: Can I just ask one thing related to your child?  Do you have a wish to know whose child it is?   Don't you think it could be a good idea to have Nwayo boy to have him blood test that?

WITNESS:   I don't think it can help me any way because it hurts me.

UNKNOWN: Is your mother staying with your child?   Are you still at school?

WITNESS:   Yes, I am.   I am in Standard Eight.

UNKNOWN: Let me just ask one thing, since this thing happened to you, how do you feel?   Like you said you had this wish in you that you wanted to keep your virginity until you get married.  How do you feel now that this thing happened to you?

WITNESS:   It is so sad, but I always tell myself that the Lord has made me to be like this and planned my life to be like this.

UNKNOWN: Did you see any counselling or counsellor?   Or doctors?

WITNESS:   No I haven't.  I went to the doctor.  My mother took me to the doctor.

UNKNOWN: Who was this doctor?

WITNESS:   He was at Kasimbe's building, but now I heard he is at Goble(?) Park, his name is Dr Park.   He is a Goble Road, near Umgeni.

UNKNOWN: What did the doctor say after he examined you?

WITNESS:  He told me I had taken poison and he gave me medication, because even now I am still suffering from stomach ache.

UNKNOWN: Besides your stomach, what else did the doctor say?  Or any other problems that you are experiencing?

WITNESS:  No.

UNKNOWN: How are you doing at school?

WITNESS:   I am still coping but it is not the same way as I used to cope before this ordeal.

UNKNOWN: Do you relate well with friends in school?

WITNESS:   I don't have friends.  I am always alone.

UNKNOWN: They never asked you how come you don't have friends, I mean your teachers?

WITNESS:   No, my neighbours used to ask me that and they ask me my son's surname and I don't know how to answer them back.  That's why I don't want to keep friends because I don't know how to tell them.