Human Rights Violation Hearings — Umtata — 1996-06-18

NOQGILI VUYELWA LUPHONDWANA: Yes, during the weekend on which he died, he said to me on Thursday, "I am supposed to go to Cradock tomorrow because there is a very important issue that I have to attend to". I didn't probe because I knew there were so many urgent issues that he has to take or give attention to, even now because there was usually such things, so I just agreed that he should go. I requested that he should take me home because I was a bit ill, so he took me along and took me to the family. The following day on the Saturday, which was the 7th, Professor Manganyi was his best friend paid a surprise visit because he didn't inform, this was unexpected and then I said he should be accommodated. We made preparations to accommodate him because we loved him also and then they were visiting Bikitsha for the afternoon and then they wanted to spend the afternoon with this Boy Bikitsha at Norwood. We had a very good time together and then Manganyi and my husband spent the afternoon together. They used to call each other brother-in-law because they were very close and the other thing, one of them Manganyi was married to the person with the same clan name as him. I was not fetched from home although my husband had returned from where he went to. This I didn't question or query because I knew that when he was with his friends then I would just tolerate that he should enjoy himself with them. Again then when he didn't turn up the following day, it was drizzling, I didn't question again because I knew that he might have been spending a good time with his friends. I phoned again and said to my helper that she should go to the room and request that my husband should phone me and then when he came back he said - "no, there is a visitor, Rex is not there". "Where is he", she said "no, I don't know" and then I said no, "go to Noel where he has put up for the night" and then he called him to the telephone. Like any other woman I was a bit jealous, I wanted to be able to state that I was a bit concerned. My husband never used to going out and sleep overnight away from home, although he was not an angel, I can't say he was an angel but he respected his family. You know when this happened they exchanged views and they would go and get girlfriends for each other and this was just as expected and accepted by me as a joke. I also asked Noel, where is my husband, he said he doesn't know. I insisted that he must go and fetch him where he left my husband. This continued for quite a long time we were arguing over the telephone and he just said, "just leave me alone, I don't know where your husband is", then this continued then at the end he would just drop the telephone. I kept on phoning alternating between the home and the office for the whole day I was doing this. At quarter past nine in the morning I was at home. Dr Mngqibisa came to our place and he asked "Where is Noqgili", because Noqgili is me and then I jumped thinking that it was my husband. When I looked out it was Mr Mngqibisa and then I asked he what are you here for. He said "you are my patient". I said you are a Doctor but I asked you what do you want. At the end I informed him that I am very angry and then he asked "why are you angry", I said "do you know we are looking for him, I have been phoning the home and also at work, I am just asking myself what is happening, because I don't like people who are irresponsible", and then Dr. Mngqibisa said, "I've come for that". "What is it?". It was reported that between ten and eleven he was discovered. Then my first reaction was that I was surprised why was I not informed of what happened and then I made inquiries to find out whether he was hospitalised and then they said "No".

MR SANDI: Can I take you back, Mrs Luphondwana. Dr Mngqibisa who came to your place, came whilst you were still looking for your husband, is he the doctor the family doctor or was he just the doctor for you only? Do you have any link besides the fact that he was the family doctor?

NOQGILI VUYELWA LUPHONDWANA: He was the family doctor both at my original place and also here at my place of marriage and then when anything happens then he would be called. Dr Mngqibisa informed me that when I asked if my husband was hospitalised after the accident he said "No, he is late". I was shocked and I wanted to know what happened and then it was said it was a stationary bus which was next to the road. It was said to me it was a bus which had a trailer. Even in papers it was reported as a bus which had a trailer and then it was next to the road, it was stationary there and then he is alleged to have bumped the bus. Then during this period the people who were coming and bringing condolences and then it was said this they learnt that there is a prominent lawyer who was involved in an accident. It was parked, the full story was said on the radio. We spent quite a long time ...(intervention)

MR SANDI: Can I just ask which radio was this that broadcasted because there were many radio stations?

NOQGILI VUYELWA LUPHONDWANA: For the whole day it was broadcast all over and every radio station it was broadcast. Before we could even inform our in-laws telephonically, they could phone us and they were surprised why should we keep quiet after all this. Because they were surprised how could they hear over the radio that their son was deceased. They were not aware that we were also not informed. The other thing that I am thinking is that even the police were supposed to have come and informed us because we believed that it was their duty to do so when there is a car accident.
 Rex Luphondwana was very popular, and he was known, he was a known figure and a prominent figure here and even the police knew him, but I can just say maybe it's because he was controversial. It was only Monday when this took on, there were prayers, people giving support, condolences and everything but we were surprised why were we not informed between ten and eleven because we learnt only the following day at past nine. On Tuesday we were informed that there were belongings which were brought in here in my place. It was very strange because there were no indications of any struggle, there were no indications of any accident because the clothes were in tact, there was not even blood on the clothes and then I went with Mrs Tshlali, the late Mrs Boltina who was my neighbour, Mrs Bikitsha and my sisters we went to the mortuary. When we got there I could see that he was injured, he was maimed.

MR SANDI: Can I just disturb you. Did you say the belongings were brought in at home? Who brought the clothes and who washed the clothes?

NOQGILI VUYELWA LUPHONDWANA: We are still asking ourselves today, because we do not know who brought the clothes at home but they were washed by Smoli and the helper. Can I go on?

MR SANDI: Yes, you may proceed.

NOQGILI VUYELWA LUPHONDWANA: We went to the mortuary and when we got there he was injured. On the forehead,  -  I will use the medical terms now, the lower jaw was twisted and he had a depression on the forehead everything was crushed and the ribs squashed every bone in the body was crushed. We went to see the car at the scene of the accident. Usually we used to travel together and the people were saying, you could have died both of you if you were with your husband, because we always used to travel together. We were making funeral arrangements, we were depressed and we were also disappointed with all that happened. On the day of the funeral, we had made all the arrangements, if you can see the programme, even today, there was now clear indication of what really happened, nobody ever came to us to really state what really happened.