Human Rights Violation Hearings — Empangeni — 1996-11-06

WITNESS:   That is correct.

KHOZA MGOJO:  Now, have you ever seen your attackers thereafter?

WITNESS:   Yes, I understand they are still there.

KHOZA MGOJO:  If we want to see them, can we get them at KwaMachane?

WITNESS:   Yes.

KHOZA MGOJO:  Have you ever seen them after this terrible attack?

WITNESS:   Yes, I do see them, for instance, in town.

KHOZA MGOJO:  What do they say?

WITNESS:   The other boy asked me as to whether I still hated him for their attack.  I told them that I did not hate him and he said to my husband he must give him money.

KHOZA MGOJO:  Who says he must be given money?

WITNESS:   One of the attackers was asking for money from my husband.

KHOZA MGOJO:  What did your husband say?

WITNESS:   I think he gave it to him.  I don't remember quite well.

KHOZA MGOJO:  Let me find out, Mrs Mabaso.  Why did you say that you do not hate him because he killed your children and he burnt your house?

WITNESS:   He was saying it purposely, because he was with another group of men and probably he still wanted to hurt me and I was not telling the truth, but I was trying to protect myself.

KHOZA MGOJO:  Do you think that your husband gave them money because he was scared?

WITNESS:   Yes, I believe so, because we were also with my other son, who is now ill.

KHOZA MGOJO:  The police station at which you reported this matter, do you know their names?

WITNESS:   No, I do not know their names, but there is a certain letter that they sent to us.  That is the policemen to whom we spoke.  We did receive a certain letter or a certain document.

KHOZA MGOJO:  You say you are not feeling well.  Were there bullets extracted from your body?

WITNESS:   Yes, that is correct.  I do not know whether all of them were taken out because at times I feel a lot of pain on my right side.

KHOZA MGOJO:  Now, it means it's yourself, as well as your blinded son and Hlengiwe, your daughter, the one who has stopped going to school - the three of you, are you getting any medical attention?

WITNESS:   Yes, we went to the doctor.  My son was taken to Richards Bay and they said they could not do anything for him and we took him to another doctor in Richards Bay, an optician, and he treated him, but he said there was nothing further he could do for him, so he was blinded for life.

KHOZA MGOJO:  What about your daughter?

WITNESS:   I also took my daughter to a certain doctor at Ngwelezana.

KHOZA MGOJO:  And what about yourself?

WITNESS:   I also went to see a doctor.

KHOZA MGOJO:  Were you paying for the services of the doctors?

WITNESS:   Yes, I was paying.

KHOZA MGOJO: Emotionally ... (end of tape 1A)

KHOZA MGOJO: 1B/0

WITNESS:   ... would like to see a psychologist.

KHOZA MGOJO:  As soon as you are through giving your evidence, you should see members of our staff, who are going to help you with information as to how to go about seeking this medical help and see some psychologists, without having to pay, because there is great damage that has been made to you as well as your family, so you should see our social workers, who can help you through.  Have you ever been to social workers?

WITNESS:   No, we have never been to see any social workers.

KHOZA MGOJO:  That should be rectified, because our staff members will help you to contact all these people that you need to see.  Let's talk about your blind son.  How old is he?

WITNESS:   He is 21 years old.

KHOZA MGOJO:  Do you know that there are schools for the blind people?

WITNESS:   Yes, I've heard that there were schools, but I don't have information with regard to those schools.

KHOZA MGOJO:  Would you like your son to attend such a school, because he's very young?  He's only 21 years old.  Maybe if an effort or an attempt could be made to take him to such a school, he could make his life better, but we have to pass these recommendations to the State President, as well as the Government, to see whether your boy cannot be helped, so that he can help himself, get himself a profession and be able to.

WITNESS:   Yes, I would be happy if he could be taken to such a school.  I think he would also appreciate the effort.

KHOZA MGOJO:  Amongst your requests - or you don't have a request - where did you say you were staying?

WITNESS:   I'm staying at Esikhaweni.  I'm staying in people's houses, as well as neighbours, because I do not have my own place to stay.  My husband died before we could get a home.

KHOZA MGOJO:  I am not promising you that these things will happen, but if you have a wish, what would you like us to say to the State President with regard to whatever has happened to you?

WITNESS:   I would ask him to help me with a home, because I do not have a home to stay with my children, as well as to receive some psychiatric, as well as physical help, as well as my blinded child to get a school or go to a school for the blind.

KHOZA MGOJO: We shall try by all means to pass these requests to the State President, who shall then make a decision as to how people like you should be helped, because this is a very general research.  There are so many people who have been affected and we do not know whether the State President will take all the requests.

MRS GCABASHE: Mrs Mabaso, Dr Mgojo has already asked most of the questions that I wanted to ask.  In your statement it is stated that you were born in 1919.

WITNESS:  No, I was born in 1949.

MRS GCABASHE:  You also spoke about Hlengiwe, that you have been called to her school that she cannot cope.  I just wanted to ask as to whether the teachers had ever advised you that there were certain schools for handicapped children or slow learners.

WITNESS:   The principal once told me that she will try to find such a school, but she has not yet done that.

MRS GCABASHE:  At which school are they?

WITNESS:   They are at Esikhaweni, Msingwenya.

MRS GCABASHE:  Who is the principal?

WITNESS:   It's Mrs Ntombela.

MRS GCABASHE: Because the advantage for her to go at a young or early age will help her later.  Maybe these are some of the things that you can try and sort out by contacting the headmistress of that particular school, as well as for you to see some social workers to get a school for slow learners.  We thank you very much.

CHAIRPERSON: Mrs Mabaso, you've told us a terrible - in fact, a shocking story, but it is a story that we have heard so many times before in this province.  A woman alone in her house with her young children attacked, the house set on fire and the family shot and stabbed in their house.  It is difficult for us to understand the terrible brutality and cruelty of this.  One can only imagine how depraved you have to be, as a person, to strike a 4-year old child in the head with a panga, and we wonder if the party to which these people belong have ever condemned this terrible act and whether they still permit people to be members of their party and whether that party, the IFP, will give their co-operation to the police in ensuring that these people are brought to justice.  We have seen many people like yourself who - or we have taken many statements from people like yourself who have not been able to give evidence to us.  They have been too traumatised and too upset by this incident and we know that you have been traumatised, but we still feel that it was very courageous of you to come here today and to tell us your story, as you have done.  It's very important for us to hear that story, because it allows us to accurately draw the report which we have to give to the Government and to the State President, and your story will go into that report.  We thank you very, very much for coming today.
/CHAIRMAN
2A/0

CHAIRPERSON: Good morning, Mrs Shandu, we welcome you here today.  Can you hear me?  Can you understand me?

MRS SHANDU: Yes, I can.

CHAIRPERSON: Mrs Shandu, you are from Mtubatuba.  Is that correct?

MRS SHANDU: I'm from Fekane.

CHAIRPERSON: Is that near Mtubatuba?