Human Rights Violation Hearings — Vryheid — 1997-04-17

WITNESS:   When we got to Pongola - I was born in Soweto, and we left with my husband to Pongola, and that's where we built our home.  We were there and the situation was stable, and after violence had erupted now chaos started.  From there my husband was being hunted by the boers, white policemen, and boers from Piet Retief, Mahamba and Pongola were after my husband.  We never had a pleasant stay at all.  He was working at a cotton firm where he was a manager, and he resigned and started our own business.  Because of the harassment due to the boers ... (intervention) Please just stop for one second.  Sorry, we ... (inaudible) ... because what you're saying has to be translated ... (inaudible) ... now if I can just take you back quickly.  You said that this violence erupted.  What violence was this and why did it erupt?   ---   This violence was caused by him, because he is the one who started the ANC in the area, and the area was predominantly IFP.  And from there we experienced harsh life, and boers will come and raid our home, searching for weapons.  And from there he was being followed by the boers, and the boers were forever after him, and therefore the customers, our customers, were affected.  They could not come to our saloon, because we were owning a business saloon.  In November 1993 there were rumours that he was going to be killed, and he was no longer free at all from that time.  And one time when he was in town one man approached him and took a picture of him.  He got back home very worried about that action, because the person who took the picture of him ran away soon after that.  After a few days being harassed, and police searching our home now and again, and scared for our lives, on the 20th, 1993, November, one person who was working hand in hand with him as a secretary came to our home to tell us that some men came to the business and told her that they were looking for my husband and he will be killed.  And we were frightened in that fashion often, and on the 5th - I am sorry, on the 19th November he went to visit the children in Swaziland.  He felt so much in miss of them, and he went to Swaziland and back on Sunday.  And the bus strike erupted and there was a bus boycott, and it was alleged that he was the one behind that.  And they alleged as well that it was ANC behind that.  I told him that maybe we should go back home in Johannesburg because we are not at all at peace here, and he refused to listen to me.  We continued living in this area.  On the 20th November 1993 Krish Ndwandwe arrived, and he was relating his own story as well that there were people trying to attack him, and he went to town.  No, they both went to town with Krish's wife as well, and when they got to town they left him at Ellerine's Furniture shop, only to find that the attacker was there, the perpetrator, following him.  After a short distance he stopped to talk to someone there, and the killer came behind him.  And he looked back and saw this man, and suddenly he shot, and shot the second time, and my husband fell right then.  He was shot 10 times.  That wasn't the end of the story.  After that I saw a crowd of people running, coming to my house, and yet in the morning he had told me that he wasn't feeling so well, he was feeling depressed.  And when he left, going now by the gate, he stopped and waved at me, and little did I know that that was the last wave.  I went to town, because I saw people running, coming to my house, and I was surprised what was happening.  I wasn't too sure what was happening, and I didn't know that that was the time when he will die.  I saw a crowd of people coming to my house, and they got in.  I asked what had happened.  No one responded, but they told me that something of this sort has happened.  I left, I went to town, and he was lying down dead, and the boers refused me to come anywhere close to him.  He was shot at 11 in the morning right in front of the Protea Furniture shop's personnel.  I couldn't come any closer to get close to him.  I went back home and there was a crowd of people in my premises.  I didn't know what to do.  At about 11 - no, at 11 he was shot, and was left like that up until 6.00 pm.  In the afternoon I tried to go to the police station, the mortuary, but still they refused me.  And after that I consulted the family to let them know of the tragedy.  From that point we - he died on Monday, and on Wednesday there were Comrades all over singing, and there was a white policeman that drove by and shot at the Comrades using rubber bullets.  At that time some of my relatives had already arrived, but not all of them, and they took two of those Comrades who were shot by the police.  It was on Wednesday the 23rd.  The two Comrades were taken to Juba Hospital and were given preliminary treatment.  We made preparations for the funeral, and there were rumours that he was going to be burned, his corpse will be burned and won't be buried the proper way, the right way.  Before the funeral IFP people slaughtered cattle in town, and were so excited about his death, but I did say that God is alive, and one day it will hit back on them.  We went on ahead with the funeral preparations, and people were not so free to come to my house to help us as we were preparing for the funeral.  However, some did come.  On Saturday at about nine I asked the ANC people, Senzo Mchunu, to provide security because I did anticipate trouble on that day.  On Saturday security indeed arrived, and they only had one gun.  And at the same time the relatives and the neighbours were busy peeling the vegetables, preparing lunch for that day, and there were a few men who came in wearing jackets, and there were five of them.  They shot people, and people - some of them ran away.  And there was a police vehicle parked by, and what amazed us was that the vehicle took off before the shooting spree, and got back after that.  I still thanked my God because no one died on that day.  After that the station commander of Pongola Police Station, Meiring, came and was complimenting us about the house, our beautiful house we have.  And I was worried and concerned about the safety of the people outside, but he wasn't worried about the safety of the people, which was a cause for concern.  Nothing happened anyways.  On Sunday morning - because I decided that as early as eight we will have the funeral so people will be free to leave earlier -we saw three people approaching to our house, coming from a forest, and they were driving a Ford Sierra with registration NO.  And that car was driving up and down, threatening to shoot, and there were helicopters and soldiers patrolling the area and fortunately they were arrested, those guys.  We therefore went on with our funeral arrangements and we buried my husband.  Relatives left and went back to their respective places and I remained with my children and with the three of us.

INTERPRETER: (Inaudible) ... you can continue.  (Pause)  You've told us about the funeral and what happened.  Now, after that we understand there were some problems.

WITNESS:   When my husband was still alive he refused to give land to - or premises to the boers for ANC offices, and he met with the ANC people ... (incomplete)

INTERPRETER: The interpreter did not get that.

MR LAX: Sorry, there's some confusion in the way what you've said has been interpreted.  Now, what I understand you to be saying is that your husband had a problem getting premises for the ANC, and so he decided to use your garage for that purpose.  Is that correct?

WITNESS:   That is correct.

MR LAX: Please continue from there.