Human Rights Violation Hearings — Lusikisiki — 1997-03-25

MANZALA DINGUMHLABA: (sworn states)

REV XUNDU: Thank you Mrs Manzala.  What is your clan name?

MANZALA DINGUMHLABA: Manzala Dingumhlaba.

REV XUNDU: You have come here because your father was ill-treated.

MANZALA DINGUMHLABA: Yes.

REV XUNDU: Will you tell us briefly.   Was this under the Nonqulana incident?

MANZALA DINGUMHLABA: Yes the boers came in the middle of the night, five men.   They detained him.

REV XUNDU: How long was he in detention?

MANZALA DINGUMHLABA: One year and nine months.

REV XUNDU: And how was he health wise after that?

MANZALA DINGUMHLABA: He could not walk.  He said that it hurt around his waist.   He was in that state until he died.

REV XUNDU: His health never improved to his original state?

MANZALA DINGUMHLABA: No, he could not even plough the fields as he used to do.

REV XUNDU: What is your request to the Commission?

MANZALA DINGUMHLABA: Because I do not have a home, if the Commission could give me a home please.

REV XUNDU: These are the things that you have written in your statement.  Do you have anything to add?

MANZALA DINGUMHLABA: No I do not have another request.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: I just want to ask you a question.  Were there any endeavours to report the Government, because your people came back from detention in ill-health.  I do not know whether you understand me well?

MANZALA DINGUMHLABA: I do not understand.

CHAIRPERSON: Members of your family were detained by the police.   On their release they were ill in many ways until such time that they died.
 Did you try in any way to report the Government, the structures?

MANZALA DINGUMHLABA: No, we never tried to report the Government.

CHAIRPERSON: What was the reason?

MANZALA DINGUMHLABA: We were scared of being detained too.
We did not report the Government to any one, because there was no way.  We were petrified.   Even when we would see them walking, we thought that they were out to kill us.  Even when we had gone to town and we see the Government... In report they would tell us to leave.
 It is only now in this room that we are able to report the Government.
 Thank you Sir.

JUNE CRICHTON: Mr Manzala can you hear me? ....  I want this one.

CHAIRPERSON: Manzala is a woman.

JUNE CRICHTON: Is it a woman?

CHAIRPERSON: Yes.

JUNE CRICHTON: I am sorry I am wanting Mrs Manzala.
 I want to ask you a question, because in your statement you said something that has interested me deeply and I want 
not only the Commission to hear this, I want the people that are listening to this across South Africa to hear it as well, because there is a need for them to hear it.
 May I quote from what you said in your statement about the perpetrators?  In your statement you said:
"I wish that the perpetrators would ask for forgiveness and compensate me for the loss of my father and the humiliation that they caused."
Do you remember saying that?

MANZALA DINGUMHLABA: Yes I remember.

JUNE CRICHTON: Is that still your wish?

MANZALA DINGUMHLABA: Yes, I want them to ask for forgiveness, because we are left as orphans.

JUNE CRICHTON: Thank you very much.  Thank you Mr Chairman.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.