Human Rights Violation Hearings — Empangeni — 1996-11-05

WITNESS:   He was born in 1942.  He died in 1992.

PROF MAGWAZA:  I think that's enough about your husband.  How many children do you have?

WITNESS:   I have ten children.

PROF MAGWAZA:  Are they still alive all of them?

WITNESS:   Yes.

PROF MAGWAZA:  Can you remember their ages?

WITNESS:   My firstborn was born in 1957, my second-born was born in 1959, third-born 1961, 1962, 1964, 1967, and the seventh-born was born in 1969.  In 1971 I had twins and the last-born was born in 1974.

PROF MAGWAZA:  I think your memory is fairly good because you can still remember their ages.  Can you please tell me if they're working and if they aren't working, are they in school or staying at home?

WITNESS:   Some of them are married.  Sipho is not working.  He was born in 1969 but he's no longer at school.  I'm still maintaining him because he's not working, he's not at school.  He left school in Standard 6.  But the reason that Sipho left school, it was because of the violence.  The twins who were born in 1971 left school at Standard 5 also because of the violence.  Both of them, the twins, yes.  The one who was born in 1974, as well is not at school.  He also left school at Standard 3.

PROF MAGWAZA:  I would now ask you more about the health of your family or your family in particular.  Is there any political organisation which your husband was affiliated with?

WITNESS:   Yes, my husband was an IFP member.  I was the treasurer of Inkatha and my husband was the secretary.  (Laughter in audience) Please, I would like to give Mrs Simelane the same respect as anybody else.  I think our Chairperson has mentioned again here that we want to respect every witness who comes here because all the people who come here have suffered in the same way.  So if you could just give that respect.  Please feel free, Mrs Simelane and explain or relate your story.   ---   We are Inkatha members in my family.  Most of the time we used to go to Ulundi.  We were the people who were at the frontline of Inkatha.  We used to travel a lot to Ulundi and back to Matshana.  This time it was before Inkatha and any other organisation got into conflict.  Later youth started getting involved in politics.  That's when the youth started fighting each other.  Me and my husband, we were Inkatha members but we were staying at the area where there were ANC people.  We heard after a time that people were killing each other now.  We heard that Inkatha and ANC people were now killing each other.  As time goes on, one day there was someone who lost three children at a time and there was a funeral on that house and we saw people shooting each other.  Then we decided not to go to that funeral.  We didn't attend that funeral.  Then we heard that this war or violence was getting worse.  ANC and Inkatha people were killing each other.  One day me and my husband, we were working.  We came back home from work.  We found my daughter, the one that I'm with here, it was on Wednesday, and she told us that there were people who were pointing at my house and we were confused.  We didn't know what was going on and all we knew is that we didn't have any enemies.  It was on Wednesday.  On Thursday, again on Friday, my husband  and I woke up and we left for work and later my husband came home and I told him, "Why are you coming home late because you know we are scared now?" and I asked my husband if he brought something for me and he said no.  And I sent my child to go to a shop to buy something to eat because my husband didn't bring anything.  When my child came back from the shop, he said, "Grandfather, grandfather, there are people outside there and there are many and they are wearing balaclavas."  And when I greeted them, they didn't greet me back.  Then I took the meat from the child.  I put it inside the pot.  Soon after that, they came.  I was with my daughter, the one that I'm with here now, and my daughter said to me she's now scared.  Her tummy is now running.  She said she was going to the toilet and I was left there and I said to myself, "Oh Lord, let your will be done.  Today it's me."  Just seconds after they left, they were at the door, banging the door.  I was sitting there facing the door and I asked them, "Who are you?"  They said, "It's us."  I said, "Who?"  They said, "Us.  Open the door, you will see us."  And then the third time they just broke the door.   My husband came to the door because he realised that they were going to shoot me because I was facing the door and when my husband arrived at the door, that's when they shot my husband.  I didn't even hear the noise.  All I saw, it was a bullet going through my husband's head and he fell down.  (Witness becomes emotionally upset.)

PROF MAGWAZA:  This is a very sad story that you're trying to relate to us.  You can take your time.  When you're ready you can try to go on.