Human Rights Violation Hearings — Soweto — 1996-07-26

MS MKHIZE: Thank you very much, Mr Zulu.

MR NGWENYA: Ngwenya.

MS MKHIZE: I'm sorry.

MR NGWENYA: His combat name was Mr TZ Zulu.

MS MKHIZE: Thank you very much, I'm sorry.  Mrs Ngwenya, I will ask you to continue or if you want to add on whatever has been said, like the qualities of your child before and then come to your story.

MRS MGWENYA: The Commissioners, there could be a lot that I have to say about my son, but I think the most important things have been mentioned. What I want to say, he was just an outstanding kid. Right through his school career he has been distinguishing himself, getting first class pass right from the primary school, right up to the university.  He had a very good nature.  He was a very good boy.  This can be proved by the work that he did for the ANC when he was in command in Swaziland.  Whoever got married in the ANC, we were called upon here as parents in Soweto, to buy them clothing, wedding clothes.  My daughter used to do that. She used to transport them to Swaziland. Not only that, there were videos that were bought because we wanted to keep this young man happy. So he would send that these things should be bought and we used to take the risk and transport these things to Swaziland.
 He actually wanted us all to be members of the ANC.  At one stage or the other, we were called upon to buy cars for the ANC in our name and transport them to Swaziland, in the 
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manner he was dedicated to his work.
 We did a lot of work, despite the harassment that we suffered from the police. But because we were supporting him in the good work that he was doing, we did it without complaint.
 Now I am presenting my story.  There have been several commissions that have been conducted into TZ's death.  We have not been invited to sit in these commissions, not any one of them. There are several questions that these commissions have raised, which we as the family would like to be addressed by the ANC.  
 One, my focus today is on the Stewart Commission. On page 7 of this commission, it is stated that from 1983 till 1988 when TZ was commander of Natal Mission.  The losses during this period were extremely high.  We find this a contradiction to the tribute written by the military, which was just read by my husband, which said TZ was a very successful commander, and in that very period Natal became the most bombed city - I mean Durban became the most bombed city.  Hence we think that is why there were so many hit squads that were there, because of the work that he did there.
 Number two. On page 2 of the report Comrade Raph reports on how comrades with Aids are treated by the ANC health department.  Why was TZ not given the same treatment because according to the report, TZ was found to be HIV positive whilst in detention.
 Again on page 12 of the report, it states that TZ's illness progressed over months.  Why was he not sent to a hospital and why poison the man who is dying?
 Number three. On page 13 of the report, the poison,
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Dyzonone that was found in TZ, would have been ingested two days before his death.  There were very few people who were in contact with TZ during that period.  When he was released he was released to Dr Djmini.  There are very few people who were with him. So the ANC could have followed that up and by now we would be knowing who poisoned him.
 Some of them, some of these people were Chris Hani, Jackie Modise, Dr Zakes Zumukai and Dr Ralph Djmini. Why is the ANC not finding out who poisoned TZ.
 On page 15 of the report, the medical treatment of detainees was said to be left in the hands of a medical orderly, and not doctors.  We have evidence to prove Dr Prem was treating TZ, who was Dr Prem reporting to?  Because the head of health says no one reported to him about TZ.
 Number five. Again, the report states that none of the detainees reported torture in detention. We have been informed that TZ refused to be taken to the University Teaching Hospital in Zambia. He feared for his life.  He thought security would follow him there and finish him. Is that a sign of a person who report that he had not been tortured?  That was after he was released.
 He refused to go to that hospital. He pressed on Mr Modise to take him to Zimbabwe, because he feared the security would finish him off there. If he was not tortured, why did he make such a request?
 Six.  The report states that when TZ was detained, he was a healthy man, who was actually overweight. It is stated also in the Press there.  
 Now where did he get the Aids virus?  Was he at some time detained with other persons in jail, were there some men or some women that he was detained with?  This was a 
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healthy man. We saw him shortly after he had been detained.  He was healthy, overweight. Now why did he get the Aids. Before he was detained we saw him, but then where did he get the Aids from?
 His wife and daughter have not been found to be HIV positive. 
 Number 7. It has been reported in several commissions of inquiry, that TZ, despite advice sent nine comrades to their certain death and proceeded thereafter to press the ANC to give him a passport to go on holiday with his wife.
 The wife has told us that military headquarters approved the holiday, long before the massacre occurred. I emphasise, he was given permission long before that massacre that he may go, by the military wing, because they knew he was a competent man and would deserve the holiday, because he was very much upset by that massacre.  But now the impression in the report, it is as if he was negligent. Many ugly things were said of him.
 Why is the blame placed on TZ only? Oh, sorry, I have jumped a bit here.
 Somebody who was directly based in Swaziland, under whose command the Natal region was under.  That is during that massacre. Why is the blame placed on TZ only.  Did TZ have such blatant authority, I mean blanket authority.
 Number seven.  TZ's wife, who is a member of the ANC, was never officially informed of his death.  The family never got any assistance from the ANC to help to bury him.
   The wife I am referring to, did so much for the ANC.  At one time she was assaulted when she was expecting her child, by the South African Police, in Swaziland. She worked so much and yet she did not get the decency of being 
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informed that her husband is late, and was not even given the air ticket to go and bury him.  She went there on her own expense.
 Number eight.  Today we as TZ's family are being called sensationalists.  We have waited for seven years, since TZ's death for official contact from the ANC. Nobody, nobody despite what he did for the organisation, came to us to say we are sorry. Just to offer their sympathy. No one came.  We have been just battling on our own, and suffered so much and nobody thought of just coming to say they are sorry.  We have received no explanation as to what happened to TZ.
 We know for sure that he was starved.  We have his last letter with me here, which was written to the security, where he was pleading with them, that they should release him.  He also complained in July 1989 that he was not given vegetables, no fruits.  Now that, I mean, what was he eating, if he could not be fed with vegetables or fruit?  He was pleading that he should be released, but nothing came out of that. It was after we were promised, Mr Zuma told us that we should not worry, there is nothing wrong that he has done. Why did he not write to us and say no, we have decided now to house arrest and to send him to jail because of the following reasons. Nobody had any decency of telling us anything about our child.  Thank you.