Human Rights Violation Hearings — Newcastle — 1996-09-11

WITNESS:   No, we were sent to Nqutu, both of us, but even in Nqutu we were not safe, and we were sent to Prince Mshiyeni.  And in Prince Mshiyeni he remained only a month.  I got discharged on the 2nd of August.  And when we came back we were having problems, because at that time we could not get any rest, and my children had gone to section 27.  And the police, ZP police used to come, and we knew that thereafter the Inkatha group would come to attack us.  And ultimately the community at Madadeni said their children should come and keep vigil and keep security in my yard.  We could not get any rest.  We only got rest when Msadafi(?) came.  The first time they tried to attack us, but the second time I undressed and showed them that I had been attacked and I had been burned, and we were the ones who got injured, so they could see the injuries and they promised that they would secure us.  But we had problems because the KwaZulu Police used to come.  At one stage they took Xabangani whilst he had the plaster of Paris and they said he was attacking certain houses.  And we even fetched my brother, who was a policeman, and he is the one who went to the station commander who was on duty that day, and he got some documents from the hospital that proved that at the time this attack took place Xabangani was at the hospital.  They thereafter didn't want to speak to me, they wanted to speak to Xabangani.  That's when they started harassing us, because even after Sikhumbuso went around shooting ANC youths we discovered that the ZP Police was arresting our children, and they were made to do frog jumps from one area to the other.  And Station Commander Mthethwa at that time, when we approached him as parents as well as ANC members he threw tear-gas canisters at us.  That's when they went to fetch other people to come and release our children.  We never got any rest, because even at work I was being harassed.  Whoever was speaking to me would be ostracised and would be regarded as an enemy, and they would ask the person as to what he was saying to me.  Even today I don't have rest at work.  I am working at Madadeni Hospital.

MR LAX: What work do you do there?

WITNESS:   I am a nursing assistant. Now, was there ever any follow-up?  Was there a case involving this attack on your house?  Were people charged, did it go to court?   ---   After my house had been burnt Sikhumbuso was arrested for breaking the windows.  He was the only one who was arrested, and Vusi Mapanga and Mandla Mdlalose were never arrested.  And we knew them, we told the police who they were, but they were never arrested.  They only got convicted when the ANC youth said if he doesn't convict him they were going to kill him.  That's only then that he was given eight months or R800,00, but he was supposed to pay on a monthly basis, but I do not know whether he paid that fine or what happened.  Then as far as the burning of my house is concerned, the Magistrate said the witnesses were not able to put the case forward because they were scared for their lives.  As a result the evidence that was given was not satisfactory.  Then the Judges as well as the Magistrate said they were not to be involved in any politics, so Sikhumbuso was not guilty, he was found not guilty.

MR LAX: Where is Sikhumbuso now?

WITNESS:   He was arrested for other cases.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... in custody?

WITNESS:   Yes, that is correct, but not with regard to my case.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... go and have another look at the cases and see whether they can be re-opened or followed up in some way?

WITNESS:   Yes, I would like an investigation to be conducted.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... at the moment?

WITNESS:   He is present.  He is at Madadeni.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... Mdlalose?

WITNESS:   I don't know where he is, but they would show me - my son would show me that, "This is Vusi Mapanga," when I am walking in town.  One other thing was that the police, Mlamli Zungu, who was staying next to my section, that is where they used to meet, the KwaZulu Police as well as the Inkatha.  They would go to KwaMthethwa having guns in their hands, and they would pass just before my yard, and they would be accompanied by this particular police.  And it was in section 3 where we were after we got attacked.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... Mlamli Zungu is a policeman?

WITNESS:  Zungu?

MR LAX: Zungu, that's right.

WITNESS:   Yes, he is a policeman.  (Inaudible) ... station is he at?   ---   I don't know where he is presently, but he was at Madadeni all along.

MR LAX: Now, where are you living at the moment?

WITNESS:   I went back to my house.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... manage to repair your house and fix it up?

WITNESS:   No, it's not been repaired, but I just fixed the windows as well as the roof.

MR LAX: Now, in your - attached to your statement was a letter from the police giving us details of the case.  I just want to confirm this for the record.  They said that the value of the damage caused by the fire was over R20 000,00.  Is that right?

WITNESS:   That is correct.  They had not counted the damage on the house, but the damage of the household goods.

MR LAX: (Inaudible)

WITNESS:   Yes, that is correct.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... much more than that?

WITNESS:   That is correct.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... that were on the bed at that time, did they manage to escape harm?

WITNESS:   Yes, they were able.  The other one was taken by Mdeni.  They were taken to the neighbour's place and they slept there.

MR LAX: Have these harassments of your family, have they stopped now, have things eased up a bit for you?

WITNESS:   After 1994 votes we felt the situation was easing a bit.

MR LAX: Just one last question.  You mentioned a vice-principal at the school that your son was at who was involved with the IFP youth.  You said his name was Mdlalose.  What was his proper name, his full name?

WITNESS:  His surname was Mdlalose, but I don't know his first name.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... of that school?

WITNESS:   Ndumiseni High School.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... Chairperson.  I have no further questions at this stage.  Thank you, Mrs Khumalo.

MR LAX: How is Xabangani now?

WITNESS:   He is just fine, but I wouldn't know other things, but he later didn't want to go back to school because he was harassed at school.

MR LAX: How is his arm?

WITNESS:   His arm is quite fine, but he gets easily tired.

MR LAX: Is he getting any treatment from physiotherapists?

WITNESS:   No, he never went to get any treatment.

MR LAX: Has he gone back to school?

WITNESS:   No.  We were planning to take him back on next year.  He had gone back to school, but he left school in the middle of the year.

MR LAX: Was it due to being harassed, or he just left school?

WITNESS:   No, he just decided to leave school.  The one who is still traumatised mentally or psychologically is Mdeni, because he is the one who was left at home.  He is getting these constant headaches, and I have been taking him to doctors up until such time that I had to take him to specialist.

MR LAX: Because he would bleed through the nose?

WITNESS:   Yes, he would bleed through the nose, then thereafter he would get this splitting headache, and we took him to Dr Thembele and he was given certain tablets and the nosebleed was better.  And Hlosile, my granddaughter, when it gets dark she screams and says, "Granny, here's Inkatha."

MR LAX: Amongst the specialists or psychologists have you ever taken your grandchildren there?

WITNESS:   No, I have never.

MR LAX: As soon as you are through, we have psychologists as well as psychiatrists who can give you some advice.