Human Rights Violation Hearings — Duduza — 1997-02-07

MTHOKOZISENI NTOMBELA: In 1991 when the Xhosa's were fighting Zulus, we heard rumours that the Zulu residents in the location had their addresses taken to Phola Park and our house address had been forwarded to Phola Park too, so we may be attacked since we were Zulu-speaking and we were lost now.  Why was this happening to us because we were born here, not somewhere else far away out of the country but we were born in this area.  Now we were going to be attacked by the Xhosa simply for that reason that we were Zulu-speaking.
 Now the violence calmed and in 1991 while it was still peaceful it was summer time although I don't remember what particular month and I was working at SA Sugar in Germiston.  I was coming from work, it was hot and I knocked off at one. My wife was expectant and when I got home and was happy and relaxed with my wife. We were quite used to the location boys who would come and visit and so on and at six in the afternoon they were playing cards at the front.  My mum and my father were not at home, we were the only three occupying the house and while they were still playing cards outside 8 o'clock struck and we all went inside the house because it was late at night now and the boys who were also playing cards joined us and continued playing in the dining room.
I told my wife that we should go and sleep and switched on my radio since I like listening to cassettes when I suddenly heard a gun shot.
 My brother was dating a girl in the same street and we opened the house and my younger brother exclaimed that people were shooting at him. He said that the shooting came from a white bakkie standing outside when he was talking outside with his girl friend. He told us that the bakkie went in the other direction and came back. When it came back one person got out of it and started shooting at them. At the time our neighbours were Xhosas and they were outside standing in the front area and left to go and tell the other neighbour opposite the back that somebody's attacking Ntombela's house.  We heard gunshots and they called the police who came at half past eleven although the incident took place at half past eight.  
 When they got home they asked us what had happened and my father asked why they had taken so long to show up as the event had occurred a long time ago.  We showed the damage that had been done and they started picked up bullet shells and left to sleep.  In the morning we were told that that very bakkie was seen to be shooting along the hostel.  My father went away and in 1993 I was retrenched and we then heard that the ANC were fighting with the IFP. We were still at Ntabanzimbi and this carried on for quite some time.  I went to Kwa Zulu Natal and left my sister who was working and when I returned the house was vacant.  All the people who had rented rooms around it had left leaving only my sister.  I had been back for only two weeks when a girl came to tell my mum, I won't disclose her name, that she had heard that something was going to happen to her son because they were talking of burning him and destroying his home. This lady called me and said that I should please call the leaders of Inkatha because she had already heard rumours that people were coming to attack our house. She feared that such an attack on our place would also affect their houses and their children.  I took further steps and I picked up the telephone and called Mzizi of Inkatha and I told her what I heard, to which she said that I should call the police. 
 At about half past seven I made that call and the police arrived. The streets lights were off when I switched off the lights and the boers were looking for our house and asked us what language we spoke. We told them that we spoke Zulu and are IFP and they told me that they were called by a certain lady to come and guard the house because it was going to be attacked. 
 Just after they left the boys approached and said that something was happening there. Police were patrolling all night long and since my wife was pregnant I took her home and went to Penduka where I stayed for some time. Sipho was now caught when he was going back home to see what was happening.

MR LEWIN: Thank you Mr Ntombela.  Could I just ask another question because our previous witness talked specifically about how his brother was shot, also an IFP person, but he said that his brother and cousin were shot by SADF soldiers.  Now in your case can you be absolutely sure that the people who killed Sipho and Musa were not soldiers or police?

MTHOKOZISENI NTOMBELA: Yes.

MR LEWIN: People who took them off.

MTHOKOZISENI NTOMBELA: I didn't see the people,  I just heard, this is a hearsay that they were taken home and that's where he was killed.

MR LEWIN: And is there any significance in their bodies being left at the Schoeman cemetery?

MTHOKOZISENI NTOMBELA: From what I suspect is that they threw them in the graveyard so that we could suffer the consequences and keep looking for them and not recover the corpses.

MR LEWIN: And then who do you think took them from the graveyard to the mortuary eventually, would that have been the police?

MTHOKOZISENI NTOMBELA: Yes, police.

MR LEWIN: Mr Ntombela thank you very much I'll hand you back to the chairperson.

MS SEROKI: Mr Ntombela did you open or lay any charges after this and what did the police say?

MTHOKOZISENI NTOMBELA: Yes we did and the police said they will work on this.  To date we haven't heard a word from them.

MS SEROKI: Where is your wife?

MTHOKOZISENI NTOMBELA: My wife is at home.

MS SEROKI: As you are in Penduka, the house that you left is still there?

MTHOKOZISENI NTOMBELA: No that was destroyed, it's just plain ground completely, it was completely and absolutely destroyed.

MS SEROKI: You couldn't as an IFP group try to get back the houses in some way?

MTHOKOZISENI NTOMBELA: I did try, I went to give in my name as well to wait to be given accommodation but to no avail.

DR RANDERA: Mr Ntombela two questions, we heard early on this afternoon people talking about the Khumalo Gang. You've also lived in Tokoza.  Can you just tell us and just give us your perspective of what is referred to as the Khumalo Gang?

MTHOKOZISENI NTOMBELA: I don't know anything to that effect. There is nothing I can say with regard to the Khumalo Gang.

DR RANDERA: My next question is related to the destruction of your house. We heard earlier on also that where somebody's house was destroyed that house has been rebuilt and people have been able to move in as part of the RDP programme. Have you applied to that programme to rebuild your house?

MTHOKOZISENI NTOMBELA: I have applied twice now.

DR RANDERA: Have you had a response?

MTHOKOZISENI NTOMBELA: To no avail.

DR RANDERA: Thank you very much.