Human Rights Violation Hearings — Pietermaritzburg — UNKNOWN

MR LYSTER: You said you are not working because you are sick.  Have you tried to get some disability pension?

WITNESS:   Yes, I went to a doctor and the doctor told me that I am still young.

MR LYSTER: Bhawinile, we have heard all these terrific incidences that you went through.  These were very difficult times, and this harassment is something that even an older person couldn't stand, and we will try to sort of like take your evidence and put it before the whole Commission, and the Commission will decide exactly as to what could be done to help people like you.  We don't have the power, but we will try.  Thank you very much.

MR LAX: Ms Ngcobo, you told us about ... (inaudible) ... name at all?

WITNESS:   Yes, I do.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... please.

WITNESS:   It is Nonhlanhla Sikhosana.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... what happened to her after that?

WITNESS:   She died after she had been injured by the police.

MR LAX: (Inaudible)

WITNESS:   Yes, I do.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... would very much like to contact her family and find out what happened.

WITNESS:   Her family is present today.

MR LAX: (Inaudible) ... thank you.

MR LAX: Bhawinile, what I am going to say to you is not a question, but I am just commenting that the case that you have brought before us is very unusual.  As Mrs Gcabashe has already said that you were a very young person at the time this took place, especially that you were a female.  We have spoken to quite a few females who told us about their torture and harassment.  One more important thing that we are going to take as the Rehabilitation Committee and pass forward is that you lost your youth.  If you say you were 13 years at that time that this took place, you were tortured, shot, harassed, taken to a prison for old people, even appeared in court for old people.  All this took away your youth.  Maybe certain other things that we should point out is to see as to how people who have been harassed like you can be compensated.  There's so much that has changed in your life.  What can be done in the community in order for us to curb this, to have rehabilitation services in order to try and bring you back to the state in which you were before?

MR LYSTER: (Inaudible) ... coming in to see us and to tell us ... (inaudible)

MR LYSTER: MRS HADEBE

MR LYSTER: Mrs Hadebe, we will start with you.  Briefly just a little background.  You are the widow of the late Reginald Bhekumuzi Hadebe.  Can you just tell us briefly what your present situation is, domestic situation.  Do you have children, and where are you residing?

WITNESS:   I have six children, and there's one, Reg's son, outside marriage.  At the moment I am staying at Besley(?) in one of the suburbs in Pietermaritzburg.

MR LYSTER: (Inaudible)

WITNESS:    Yes, I am working as a nurse in Edendale Hospital.

MR LYSTER: (Inaudible) ... schooling.

WITNESS:   Yes, they are at school.  One is in standard seven, Nonkululeko.  Nonthombeko is in standard three at Pelham Primary School.  Then there's Khawe, who's at Grange.  Then there's Busiso and Njabulo.  They are in Pietermaritzburg.  They are at pre-school.  There's also Nduduzo, the last one.  He is not at school.

MR LYSTER: (Inaudible) ... died.

WITNESS:   I was seven months pregnant when my husband died.

MR LYSTER: (Inaudible) ... never knew his father.

WITNESS:   No, he doesn't.

MR LYSTER: (Inaudible) ... husband's death what position did he hold?

WITNESS:   He was a media officer for the ANC.

MR LYSTER: (Inaudible) ... he hold in the ANC?

WITNESS:   He was a deputy chairman, Mr Gwala's deputy chairman.

MR LYSTER: (Inaudible) ... Mrs Hadebe to that sad day on 27 October 1992, and if you can just relate to the Commission what happened insofar as it affected you.

WITNESS:   Reggie came in at night.  It was on a Monday.  He was from fetching the children at my place, Hlokozi, because we  were not staying with some of the children.  I was busy

MR LYSTER: with my exams.  So I felt that he should go and fetch the children from my place because I was just about to finish my exams.  He fetched the children and brought them back at 12.  Then he said to me I was happy because he had brought my kids.  I said yes, I was happy.  Then in the morning he asked me about my exams.  We were just joking.  I said it was tough, maybe I might not be able to make it, but he encouraged me.  He told me that he was going to Ixopo, he had a meeting with certain policemen and Inkatha.  He also told me that on the previous day Magubane had been attacked.  Magubane is one of the ANC members in Ixopo.  Then I asked him why was he going there, wasn't he scared.  He said no, he was not scared.  He left me at the hospital.  We were going to see each other in the afternoon.  He went away to Ixopo.  Midday I felt very tired.  I was supposed to go to town, then I just slept.  They asked me what was wrong with me.  I said I was just feeling down and tired.  And I was supposed to knock off at four on that particular day, and I left work.  After about 30 minutes after I had arrived at my place I was just sitting on my bed, and I had my baby who was 10  months old at that time.  Mr Nsimbe came to my place with Peter, the security, as well as Sho, one of the drivers.  Even before they got into my house I stood up.  When they came to me I could see something was wrong.  Then I asked them where Reggie was.  I couldn't hear them talking.  I couldn't hear what they were saying.  Then they said he went to Ixopo, and I asked them, "And what then?"  They told me that he had been attacked after crossing Umkomaas.  I asked them where he was at that moment.  They said he  was left there.  I was very shocked at that moment.  It

MR LYSTER: was like my world was turning upside-down.  I just didn't believe what they were telling me.  They told me to get into the car because we were heading for Alexander to identify him.  We got into the car.  We went past another shop.  I don't remember who accompanied me.  We went to Medicity Hospital, but I didn't get out of the car.  They went to look for the other one who was injured with him.  We went to Alexander Police Station.  I got there and I identified him, and I saw that he was really dead.  When I looked at him I felt he was still hot.  I even closed his mouth.  I realised that he was dead, but I just couldn't believe it.  When I heard thereafter they told me that they were supposed to meet police, as well as Inkatha members, but that did not happen because the Inkatha were with the Security Police.  Then when Reggie realised that there were Security Police then the Inkatha group as well as the Security disappeared.  The meeting went on, as well as the police.  Thereafter, according to rumour, there was a lunch just before they left from Ixopo for Pietermaritzburg.  That's when they were ambushed in Umkomaas.  I don't know whether I should go on.

MR LYSTER: (Inaudible) ... tell us how the death of your husband affected you, how it affected your children.  If you can please tell us something about that.  You obviously were not present at the time your husband died, and you know that he was attending a peace meeting and that he was ambushed after the meeting.  So if there are other details you would like to tell us about how your husband's death affected your family please tell us.

WITNESS:  When Reggie was killed in this manner it affected us all  as a family.  We are still traumatised.  My children are

MR LYSTER: very angry.  They are very traumatised psychologically as well as physically.   We don't know what the reason was for his killing because he was a very peaceful man.  Even that meeting was a meeting for peace, but now the gruesome manner in which he was killed is quite surprising.  Nobody was arrested for his death.  In October 27 it will be four years after his death, but nobody has ever come to us to tell us what was happening.  We are very angry.