Human Rights Violation Hearings — East London — 1997-06-09

MR NGIKELANA: I will do it in Xhosa, Mr Chairperson for the sake of the majority of the people.  Mr Chairperson, what I'm going to try and put forward to you is that there was a bus boycott in 1983.  I'll be speaking of what led to the bus boycott as well as the results were.  I will briefly be giving information regarding the contribution of work unions and their leaders.  I was also a leader at the time.  Mr Chairperson, in July 1983, when we realized that the bus company in East London was going to increase the bus fares by eleven percent, I can't remember the exact figures, people were not pleased.  At the time the workers were in conflict with their employers for their rights.  The Ciskeian Government of the day and the South African Government of the day contributed largely to this conflict.
 At the time of the bus boycott, new Unions and new organizations had to be formed to address problems such as this bus boycott.  The "Committee of Ten" came about during that time.  It mostly consisted of workers because they were the ones who used the buses the most at the time.  People then switched from the buses to the trains.  The struggle for People's Rights then moved from a bus situation to a train situation.  
 I would like to emphasize Mr Chairperson, that truly these leaders that were in the "Committee of Ten" were workers that were well known, even amongst Trade Unions.  It is true that these leaders were also accepted by the community at large.  This is why, when they supported and suggested this bus boycott, they were accepted by the community in Mdantsane.  In the early '80's, the organizations that were fighting for people's rights, speaking boldly about the oppression of people, were the Trade Unions.  Political organizations were banned at the time therefore it was the Trade Unions which could stand up for the people.  
 I'm going to tell you briefly about these Unions.  SAWU had a twenty thousand signed membership.  It had a lot of followers.  In this area SAWU was working with twenty nine factories.  There was a Union with a paid-up membership of about four thousand.  This is about eight food  factories and then the General Workers Union had about five hundred and fifty members in three companies.  National Automobile Allied Workers Union had one thousand, seven hundred and sixty six members in one factory.  I'm just trying to illustrate that this is how workers could boycott the increase of bus fares.  At the time, Unions clearly stated that it was not their custom to support a focus on boycotts but if the workers that belonged to the Unions had a problem with this eleven percent increase of bus fares, it was their obligation to support and help even though at around August 1983, the UDF also had a lot of support from the Unions.  This is how SAWU joined the UDF.   
 The UDF as an organization, also had a lot of compassion for the people who used the buses.  However, as Trade Unions, we endeavoured to help workers with their problems, especially with the authorities of the day.   We received a document which we referred to as a "Twelve Page Document".  It was clear that it was written by the Government of the day.  This document was  to advise workers how they should work with the Unions as well as how they should go about relating, especially to SAWU.  
 The Special Branch at the time, was always present at our boycotts.  It was clear that the Special Branch had some kind of relationship with the employers even though the employers would deny this fact.  This is what caused all the conflict when the bus fares were increased.  Mr Chairperson, we should remember that two hundred and five people were arrested by the Ciskeian Government of the day.  People from Dimbaza and Mdantsane police stations were released and were very angry because they had been severely ill-treated and tortured.  People also felt that it was their right to get decent salaries.  They were also angry that they could not join SAWU because they were told that if they're members of SAWU, they would lose their jobs and they would die of hunger.  We then clarified to the workers that it was their prerogative to fight for their rights.  This matter went to the ANC and the South African Communist Parties that were banned at the time.  We also had to be strong as Unions and stand up for the people, as the bigger political organizations were banned.  We had to ascertain and make sure that people were not oppressed.  
 I will proceed Mr Chairperson and I dwell on the leaders of the Unions.  At the time, the General Secretary of SAWU was Sam Kekeni, the President was Tsozamele Xhewta and I was his assistant.  Mr Chairperson, the Chairperson of SAWU was Eric Umdonga.  We were was in and out of prison, being detained.  It was not the Ciskeian police that were detaining us then, it was the South African Government of the day.  The Special Branch would also arrest us and interrogate us for hours on end.  However, there was nothing they could do because they would reach dead ends.  They would say that it is not for the Trade Unions to educate people on  "the struggle".   We made it clear to them that it the information we were giving to workers co-relates with that of the bigger organizations, there is nothing we could do.   That caused a lot of unrest.  They would be in and out of our offices, taking documents.  Excuse me, they would not take documents, they would just disrupt our work.  This kind of treatment did not only apply to the leaders such as myself.  Sometimes a worker in a factory would be taken to Cambridge and interrogated.  The workers would be interrogated mostly about SAWU.  What I'm trying to illustrate Mr Chairperson, is that a SAWU lived under victimization and harassment.  
 In 1980, we started as a Trade Union until the bus boycott.  As I mentioned earlier, the Ciskeian Government was not happy about us all and would not treat us well.  In 1982, there was an issue within the Ciskeian Government.  The Ciskeian Government was considering banning SAWU. The Ciskeian Government of the day perceived SAWU as an organization under the ANC.  We clarified it and tried to convince them that we were a Trade Union totally independent of the ANC.  The Ciskeian Government would say, we are not just an ANC front but also a communist front.  We were committing communist activities within the country.  However, we hid nothing.  All our policies were out in the open and would be frankly discussed in meetings.  
 What the Ciskeian Government was complaining about most is, I don't exactly know how to put it in Xhosa.  The policy of the Ciskeian Government was to control labour and not to attract investments.  They wanted money to be invested, factories to be built but they saw Trade Unions as people who were interfering with their investments.  We made it clear that we wanted the companies to invest their money so that people can get jobs but we wanted to respect people's rights and to pay workers according to their work as well as to improve their working conditions.    The person in charge at that time made it clear that he would not tolerate Trade Unions in the Ciskei.  
 Mr Chairperson, I would like to continue and talk about the people who were detained by the Ciskeian Government in 1982.  I will mention Tandane Wine, members of the General Workers Union, Twazamele Xhoita, Umguzi Sifingo, Jeff Mabela, Humphrey Maklekwane and myself.  We were in and out of detention.  Sometimes when we were coming from negotiations, the police would wait for us and ask us about the negotiations.  I would also like to mention Mr Vani Ngodega in Queenstown and the Minister Sydney Mufamadi together with Mr Mdigwa, who came here under GAAU, General and Allied Workers Union.  They came to negotiate and talk to other Unions and were also detained for a few days in 1983.  I would like to continue Mr Chairperson, to mention Duluwas M ...(inaudible) who was also harassed.  Mr Chairperson, let me go back to the boycott itself as I've given the picture.  
 In August the Ciskeians, as we used to call them, took five Trade Unionists in East London.  I'd like to add that people like myself were inside at the time.  Mr Tandane Legoshi, Mjogolo Meltafa and Spingo were taken by the Ciskeian police. Mr Mntonga, Sheba Mambushi Makligwana were also arrested.  Mr Chairperson, some of the people I've just mentioned were members of the "Committee of Ten".  I don't remember clearly but Mr Mambushi and Mampunji were members of a "Committee of Ten" of ten.  After that the Ciskei banned SAWU using the Ciskeian National Security Act.  They warned people who stayed in Ciskei that if they continued being members of SAWU, they would be punished severely.  SAWU was accused of started the bus boycott but if I remember correctly, Mr Chairperson, there was a meeting called by the workers and the community to discuss why the bus fares were increased under such conditions.  The President of SAWU, Tsozamele Xhewta was not arrested, he ran away.  He said that as a leader in this region, he would try to negotiate so that the bus boycott would stop because people were killed and some were injured.  Those who were working for their children lost their jobs.  He made it clear that if there are going to be negotiations regarding the bus boycott, all the leaders who were inside together with the "Committee of Ten", are to be released without any conditions.  The members of the "Committee of Ten"  would be the ones leading the negotiations.  That was not accepted.  
 After that when things became very bad, the bus company wanted SAWU to lead the negotiations concerning the bus boycott.  SAWU then said that it's members who started the bus boycott, the people who were the ones supposed to be negotiating the bus boycott, are in detention.  Even at that time, nothing happened.  The leaders of the "Committee of Ten" were not released.  What we must emphasize Mr Chairperson, is that there was conflict all the time and we became enemies with the Government.  There were also attempts from the leader of SAWU Tsozamele Xhewta to try and resolve this but his suggestions were not accepted and this caused conflict between the communities and workers of Mtanzane with the Ciskeian Government, the South African Government and the employers.  During this situation the Unions were harassed in inappropriate way.   
 I would like say in English, that during that time the Unions were highly politicized in a very distorted way.  Strikes were equated to Trade Unionism.  It was a very painful thing because we were fighting for workers' rights.   That is why, when I was describing all this, I mentioned that we were trying to negotiate with different factories but what the Government did was,  it associated us with the strikes and the strikes were the workers' rights if they encountered a problem.  The shop stewards and the organizers in the factory would be called by the managers and the managers would tell them to stop what they are doing.  They would be told that they were members of the ANC and communist party.  The workers became confused because of this.  Fortunately they would be strong and unite because they knew what they wanted from SAWU and the General Workers Union.  
 Let us again go back to the issue of  the boycott.  The leaders of SAWU, myself and Ntozi stated clearly that we are no longer going to be the leaders of the boycott campaign because although this affected us, we wanted the workers to take a lead because they were the ones using the bus to Highway and to Westbank.  We knew that if we could present this to the workers, the Government would oppress them more.  This is when the "Committee of Ten" was formed and were not denying that they were our members.  It was formed so that it could consist of the workers and it would give reports to the commuters.  That was the way it happened but we cannot ignore the fact that the very same workers and the community at large were looking to SAWU as the leading organization in their struggle of liberation, fighting for the truth. for democracy, non-racialism and for peace.  
 I would like to say that these are the events which took place in this area at that time.   People like myself were in detention.  We went through a hungers strike lasting twenty eight days.  I told the police that I came from Durban and when I arrived here I was arrested  but I had nothing to do with the bus boycott.  They said that I was arrested because I was a member of SAWU.  I was trying to create a picture of something I was told about.  The workers were trying to state that there was a bus increase but their wages were not increased and we as SAWU members were accused of leading this boycott.  I've mentioned names of certain leaders who were in and out of detention, not at the time of the boycott but before that.  
 Again I would like to emphasize the aspect of the "Twelve Page Document" because it showed clearly that there were people who planned this but how could they try and stop the struggle of the workers.  It became clear during the bus boycott because the workers were fighting for their rights and this was used as an excuse to try and arrest the Union leaders.  Unfortunately, it was clear that the Unions recruited some members.  They recruited members from Grahamstown and Queenstown and they never failed because people accepted them as the Unions for the workers.  I already mentioned what happened to us as the leaders of the Unions and what happened before that.  I think that these were things that led to the anger and the oppression of the people.  They were treated like animals.  
 There are things that I would like to mention which happened afterwards.  We were talking about reconciliation and as a South African, I would like to present this so that there can be reconciliation in this country.  There was something happening.  There were things about the civil claims of the people who were shot.  Some were working in their homes and they got shot or they would get beaten.  They would go the Court of Law, hire lawyers and their lawyers would get arrested when they were supposed to appear in court and their case would be dismissed.  People were forced to pay huge amounts of money.  I would like these things to be taken note of  because this happened because of the bus issue.  
 There are also rumours that there were people who were buried in the gate at night.  I would like to ask the Commission to try and persuade the people who were working at the time, to come forward to the Commission to tell us what happened at that time.  If these people would come forward, there would be reconciliation in this country.  
 What I would like to say about reconciliation in conclusion, is that I would like to part of the people who are trying to bring about reconciliation.  What was very painful to us, even to-day, is that some of the people pointed us out at the time,  the people who were oppressing us would be promoted after their deeds.  I would like the Government to look at the promotion policy, especially with regard to people such as these because we don't understand why they get promoted after what they did.  This is our Democratic Government, our transparent Government.  I'm saying that we should play with our Government but it is still very painful to us when it comes to that issued.  
 Again, some us, as well as myself would like to get our files from the Special Branch.  There was a file of myself in the Special Branch Units.  They said they were following me while I was in Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth.  I would like to know why they were investigating me because I was working for the Trade Unions at the time.  I would like to get that file.  In all that happened, we must realize that people were sacrificing their lives and sacrificing their work trying to fight for the liberation.  As I was reading through the newspapers, the perpetrators in the Border region or the Eastern Cape region are not coming forward.  Those who were oppressing us and harassing us.  I think that even though the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is coming to an end, we would like them to come forward because we know them.  I would like to give you an example.  There is not a single member of the Special Branch who hit and kicked me, who has come forward to say, I've done this to Cisa.  I would like those who were hired by the Ciskeians, not only the Special Branch, to come  forward to tell us the truth.  I'm afraid that if they don't come forward, we will not forgive them.  
 The companies came here to invest money but because the Trade Unions were oppressed, the companies were told not to invest their money in the Border area as the Trade Unions were highly militant.  We tried to negotiate this, telling them that we would like them to come and invest their money here, that here would be strikes but where the Trade Unions were involved, they would try to negotiate and resolve the issue.  We would like the countries which gave permission to the companies to come to this country to invest money, to come forward and invest their money because there is poverty in this region.  If that can happen, there would be reconciliation.  
 Again Mr Chairperson, I think the Public Works programme has a job to do for those people who lost their jobs because they were fighting for liberation.  We are in poverty but we know that we sacrificed our jobs because we were trying to fight for liberation.  In the Social Security, we know that the Government does not have enough money but we would like it to help as  some of us were injured because of such incidents.  These people were in the struggle and although they were injured, they continued to fight for the liberation.  
 There was an issue regarding the "black listing".  I remember that elderly people from Robben Island could not get jobs and this also reflected on the workers.  When a worker organized other workers in the company, trying to fight for their rights, they would be seen as an enemy.  We want such "black lists" to be brought forward.  We would like the names of those who were "black listed" to be mentioned because they were members of the Trade Unions and we want all the companies and business people to come forward publicly to clearly state that they will not use that "black list" again.  If  a company is found to be using that "black list", it would be punished because that "black list" consisted of those people who were sacrificing their lives so that we could be liberated in this country.  We cannot leave these people alone, Mr Chairperson.  
 Let me conclude, Mr Chairperson, by saying, what I was trying to say was that the bus boycott of 1983 showed the efforts of the Government to destroy people's lives.  Plans were made concerning people's lives so that they were not able to fight for their rights, they were oppressed.  I would like to say this in English in order for it to be clear.  The 1983 bus boycott did expose a conscious effort by the apartheid regime, by the oppressive regime to constantly disrupt people's lives and enhance their independence on the apartheid systems, undermine their resistance and undermine their struggle for freedom, peace and democracy.  That is what the 1983 boycott exposed.  It was not the first boycott in East London, it was not the first boycott in South Africa.  
 There is something I would like to say.  The presence of the Special Branch and the co-operation of the employers with the Government was a very painful thing to us and we have evidence of this.  Mr Chairperson, I haven't heard an employer coming forward to the Commission saying that at the they were co-operating with the Special Branch or that they were trying to disrupt and to stop the struggle of the Trade Unions.  We would like them to come forward.  We can see that they are legally represented by the people who represented the previous regime.  I know that there are people who are going to give evidence here to-day but I hope that what I've just said has given you a clear picture of what was happening at the time.  What I've just said will remind people who are here to-day so that they are able to come and testify here to-day and give you a clearer picture.  Thank you.