Human Rights Violation Hearings — Port Elizabeth — UNKNOWN

WITNESS: ...at Veeplaas.  They said to me, "The amazing thing was the way there were shootings.  The noise of the shootings was like there was thunder."  They said to me that during this process of the shootings Nombulelo had clothes with her.  They said to her, "Where are you from?  How did you survive these shootings?"  She said no she was from her boy friend.  Then they asked, "Why are you here?"  Then she said, "I am here to tell you that Thozama is dead."  Then they asked, "So why are you here?"  Nosisi, the first one who was told, said, this man who was reporting about the death of my daughter, it was not like he was talking about a person.  It is even worse if this person who was talking about the death is a relative.  Nombulelo was a relative to Thozama.  When they came to my house it was around 16h00, 18h00 or 15h00.  That day I could not sleep.  When they came to my house I was sitting up.  I said, "Why do you come at this time?  Is Thozama dead?"  They said, "No, there has been an accident."  I said, "What kind of accident?  Is Thozama dead?"  
They said, "No, we do not know what really happened, but in that area where she is there has been shootings."  I said, "Who told you this?"  They said, "We heard this from Nombulelo."  They then told me the story.  They said, "There is also a survivor.  That person has gone to hospital."  That was on 10 December 1987.  So I asked, "Where is that Nombulelo?"  They said, "No, they turned her back because they could not be with her because they suspected that the boere knew her, they have already seen her because of the clothes she had on."  It is not easy to believe that your own daughter had died.  I refused to believe that my daughter was dead so I thought that the one who survived is my daughter.  I though Thozama was the one who was in hospital.  I simply refused to tell myself that Thozama was dead.
Around 08h00 Nombulelo broke the news to me, very coldly, saying that Thozama is dead.  She was with another girl.  I said to her, "No, my daughter is not dead."  Then she said, "Just tell her."  So I said, "What must she tell me?  Tell me what you saw."  Then this other person came to me saying, "We saw Thozama being kicked by the boere.  The boere said, this is the one who said she does know anything about this."  The same day we could not go anywhere.  I am sorry to call them boere because this is how I usually call them.  
They arrived on Monday around 10h00.  They asked me to go and identify a body and that they think this body is Thozama's.  My uncle went there, the late Reverend Ngcogco.  That was the only time we were able to cry openly because we were now formally told.  He said to me, "Nombulelo, the only consolation I can give you about Thozama, Thozama looks in tact.  She does not even have a single scratch."  During the shootings they bulldozed their shack.  Some of the people could not be identified but because of God's mercy and our ancestors' mercy Thozama had only one bullet hole which was through her heart.  They did not give us the body.  They came to me on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  On the Wednesday the boere refused to give us her body.  When we went to the Legal Resources Centre I met a lawyer, Pienaar.  We got Thozama's body on Friday and we buried her on Saturday.  When we received the body I went to our Reverend on Sunday.  That Reverend was already quite an old man.  I could not believe the things he said.  Reverend Hoba said to me, "How can I bury a person who had died like that?"  I got weak.  I could not even cry.  I was with Nobenguni Magwaca at that time.  Nobenguni Magwaca was my colleague.  She had a car.  It was on a Friday and I knew that my daughter had to be buried.  I could not even cry.  
My mother was watching my mouth because I was had to cry she would cry as well so I had to keep calm for my mother's sake.  I decided for myself that I was going to bury my daughter.  We went to the Presbyterian Church.  I went to see Tshitshi Watson.  There was a Damasa meeting at the church's premises.  Tshitshi apparently had already heard about this.  He said to me, "Do you have a problem?"  I told him that I do not know who is going to bury my daughter but I wanted a Reverend to bury my daughter.  Tshitshi came back with Reverend Xundu.  I told Reverend Xundu, at that time it was around 13h00.  Xundu called Reverend Phatsha.  Reverend Phatsha took our Kwazakhele address.  It was very difficult at that time. 
When we got home around 13h15, at 13h30 three policemen in three Skyline cars arrived at my place.  I went to Struandale.  Each time the policemen would visit you they would harass you mad.  I spoke to Strydom, I do not even know his rank, they told me not to bury the following day.  I said to them, "I am going to bury my daughter whether you like it or not."  They said I should bury my daughter in the middle of the week.  At that time I just answered him.  I did not even care.  I buried my daughter on a Saturday.  
Reverend Phatsha could not bury my daughter because Reverend Phatsha went to Reverend Hoba to get permission.  Reverend Hoba said he was going to bury my daughter himself.  He just came to me and just passed and said he was not going to bury my daughter because no daughter is dead who looks like that.  
Even after the funeral I was still harassed by the boere until 1989.  During this time they were looking for Nombulelo and they were asking me about Nombulelo.  I remember one time when I was so angry, Thozama at that time was already dead and they were telling me where Nombulelo was.  Nombulelo skipped the country.  I have never seen her again.  The last time I saw her was the day that she told me that my daughter was dead.  I would like to ask the Commission to find out where she is.  Maybe she can tell me this frustration of these boere.  I do not know the names of these boere.  I am sure Dr Maqina knows them better.  There is one detective, his name is Kwephi, I think.  I think he was the one.  They used to come with him.  For me to have a little peace of mind I went to stay at Kwamagxaki.  That is the end of my story.
Ms

J SEROGE: Nombulelo, I would like to take you back a little.  You said during the time when Thozama was arrested and came back she had scars.  Did she tell you what caused those scars?

WITNESS: Yes, she told me through the letters.  She said that she had been tortured.  She said that she was being tortured by electric shock but she did not tell me in full detail because we did not have a long time together so that she could tell me all these details.  She just told me these things in a letter.  We could not talk face to face after she came back.
Ms

J SEROGE: You said you have been harassed by police.  They were breaking your doors, kicking your doors.  Do you know the names of these police who used to harass you?

WITNESS: They used to come in in large numbers.  These are the policemen that I am telling you that I do not know.  Maybe Skwebu who was one of these policemen, he was a Black one, maybe they would know.  Even Dr Maqina mentioned this case even though he did not know all the details.
Ms

J SEROGE: Again you said this Nombulelo even though you were a relative to her...

CHAIRPERSON: I am sorry, can I please interrupt you.  Could all those people who want to leave please leave now so that we can close the doors and continue.  We need to respect the witness.  Can we now please continue.  Can we now please close the doors.  Thank you very much.
Ms

J SEROGE: This Nombulelo you have mentioned, you said there were things that she was suspicious about.  What are these things you did not really trust in her?