Human Rights Violation Hearings — Louis Trichardt — 1997-04-09

CHAIRPERSON: We shall now call upon Shonisani Nengovhela.  Welcome Shonisani.  Can you hear me?

SHONISANI NENGOVHELA: Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: Can you introduce the person who is accompanying you.

SHONISANI NENGOVHELA: Yes.  It is my brother who is Kanga Nengovhela.

CHAIRPERSON: Welcome brother.  I will hand over to Dr Randera now to do the oath and Thomas Manthata is going to lead your case.

DR RANDERA: Shonisani, can I.  Good afternoon.  Can I ask you to stand please.  You can just repeat after me.

SHONISANI NENGOVHELA: (Duly sworn in, states).

DR RANDERA: Thank you very much.  Mr Manthata.

THOMAS MANTHATA: I hear, Shonishani, there was a time when there were political, Venda political parties.  Can you please briefly tell us how they used to relate?  You know, how did one party treat members of another party?

SHONISANI NENGOVHELA: During those parties in Venda, the party which was against Venda was not tolerated and the people from that organisation were tortured.

THOMAS MANTHATA: And how were they tortured?  Can you just tell us how they were treated?

SHONISANI NENGOVHELA: From what was happening, people from other organisations, they were suffering.  They were not allowed even to be seen by eyes or be met on the way.  They were either beaten or evicted from that village.  If a person was found working for that Government of the Venda organisation or party, that person, if he is against the other organisation, can even be expelled from work.

THOMAS MANTHATA: How were you treated by the party that you did not belong to yourself?

SHONISANI NENGOVHELA: The way I was treated by the opposite party, was very painful and sorrowful.  Even now that I am sitting here, explaining what happened at that time, I am one of those people, whom I think, they made me to suffer.

THOMAS MANTHATA: How were you treated?  I do not quite understand.

SHONISANI NENGOVHELA: They came to my home.  It was during that time of those governments and they - my house was broken.  And when they came to my house, they came, they wanted to fetch me.  They were sent by Titi Ramaborana, who wanted me because I am one of the opposition party.  In hearing that I was afraid, because before they arrived, the people were calling.  There was a campaign using loud-hailers saying individual people should - those who were voting for the party which was against the current Government then, were going to experience problems.  Because their party was very opposed.  Well I knew that the following day it was going to be very difficult.  And I knew that the torture that I was going to experience was one that was just mysterious.  I also knew that it was going to be a problem to some of the people.
 The delegates arrived and when they arrived they said words which really pained me.  I went home as if I was still going out and then I just locked myself inside.  There were four initially, but they could not take me.  They only took my sister, my other sister.  They could not take me.  
 As they had left, the following time they brought two vans along with.  That was when I had locked myself in.  I was so frightened.  I had two kids then.  My other kid was one year old.  The other one was three months of age.  They just knocked heavily and they did not know where I was.  They tried to break into my own house.  I tried to really do against that, because I was the only one inside.  That is when they again tried to destroy my door.  I tried, suddenly it got broken.  I insisted and they realised they were failing.  The other group went to the window.  They broke into the window and I realised that I could not escape.  That was when they got in.  Some of them went through the windows.  They just assaulted me.  They were beating me up.  They took me to the outside section and then they took me to the van.  I had to, they just took me and threw me out.  Well, it was a big wall, but they were able to do that.  And then they dragged me to the van.  
 As I arrived at the van, which they were using some of them went to the front and I was at the back.  Some of them were on top of me.  I could not even face anybody, because I only had an ordinary skirt with my underskirt.  They took me to the so-called council.  As I was seated there with some other people, I realised that the second group could not go to the council.  Another man by the name of Senererani, who had one kid, I said, please do not take my baby.  Because there were only kids.  Just wait for the other one to arrive.  My elder sister was just crying there.  We kept on waiting whilst they were cross-questioning me.  
 And even before we arrived at the council, now these police guys said, look at what you have done for yourself, because now look, the person we were following is just left behind.  Why do you not call this person to come and defend you?  I could not even know how to respond.  As they made me arrive at the council, the chief, Mr Tomas Ramabulana, looked at me and said, oh young lady, what are you trying to do?  Are you trying to be against my own country?  Do you think you can do anything?  You do not even know why you are following these principles.  And you are now suffering.  You are trying to work against me and you are electing or voting a party which never wins.  Look at what you are trying to do.   And those delegates who fetched me gave Mr Titi Ramabonara and order to say that I denied.  I said I do not recognise the chieftainship, and when I got that message, I said I never did that.  That is when I was told that I was going to be assaulted, because I was wrong.  There were delegates and people who were sent and then I said I was not prepared to go.  I told them that I am tired of getting assaulted.  I was beaten up at home.  And they said, if you do not want to be beaten, please, admission of guilt is thirty rand, because you were defending the court.  The chief said there was nothing that could be done on his behalf.  I said I was going to bring the money, but I said I was going to get the money from somebody else.  I asked them if they wanted the whole amount.  They said, no, if you are late, there will be an additional fee of thirty rand.  I shed tears, as a woman.  The council then dissolved.  
 As I went home, on my way they had an (...indistinct) to say that was just little we were still going to do more, and on my way home I was so frustrated because I just did not know who was going to defend me because I was the only one staying there.  That was when .....

THOMAS MANTHATA: We realise how difficult it was those days and my question would be, were you in a position of leadership in the party that you belonged to?

SHONISANI NENGOVHELA: Yes, I was a - no I was not really a leader, but I was just involved in one organisation.

THOMAS MANTHATA: You were not a leader, but were you an active member perhaps canvassing for membership to your party?  Were you popularly walking around in the village, you know canvassing for people to become members of your party?

SHONISANI NENGOVHELA: Well we were just in favour, just to celebrate and demonstrate, just to say if we are supposed to belong to this party this is how it can be like.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Who was the leader of that party?

SHONISANI NENGOVHELA: You mean that time?

THOMAS MANTHATA: Yes.

SHONISANI NENGOVHELA: You mean the one we were operating under or the one we were in favour of?

THOMAS MANTHATA: To which party did you belong to?

SHONISANI NENGOVHELA: I belonged to the VIP.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Right.  That is why ask, who was the leader of the VIP?

SHONISANI NENGOVHELA: The leader of the VIP then was the late Bongani Gilbert.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Okay.  Thanks.  What finally became of that party through all this harassment, assault and so on?  Is it still there?

SHONISANI NENGOVHELA: You mean the VIP party?

THOMAS MANTHATA: Yes.

SHONISANI NENGOVHELA: VIP, well we are now in ANC.