Human Rights Violation Hearings — Mooiriver — 1997-05-28

WITNESS:   From that time when his mother fell ill, and up to the time of her death, he never continued with his schooling, because we were helping each other, that is his mother and I, to try and put him through school.

MR LAX: (Inaudible)

WITNESS:   He is working temporarily, but we do help each other, but since the mother has died we are finding it hard to cope, and we are having problems at times, myself and him, that is communication - we have some communication breakdowns.

MR LAX: You said that you lost your job during that time.  Are you working again?

WITNESS:   Yes, I went back, even though I am not working in the same position that I was due to being humiliated by George Niehaus.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you very much for coming in today to tell us your story.  You've followed your wife through a long history of her ... (incomplete - end of Side A, Tape 2) ... this is one of the patterns again that we've seen around the country, is that at funerals, where people are mourning their dead, their loved ones, whoever it is, it was often at those funerals that they were again attacked and harassed, and this seems to have been the case with your wife, and it must make it all the more difficult to accept.
We will certainly, as Mr Lax has said, investigate the matter, take a full statement from Sergeant du Toit, Sergeant Niehaus as well, and see whether we can throw more light on what happened on that day.  But you coming here has allowed us to investigate this issue, and any information that we come across we will communicate to you.  /So, again
So, again we thank you very much for coming in.
SHORT ADJOURNMENT
/ON RESUMPTION
ON RESUMPTION

CHAIRPERSON: Janet Ndlovu, we welcome you here today.  There are two people on the stage, which one is Janet Ndlovu?  Okay.  Mathombi Ndlovu, you've come to tell about the death of your husband, Pumawakhe Ndlovu, and that story about how this happened will be told by your daughter.  But first we would just like to hear some brief background to this matter from you, so if you could please stand up to take the oath.

MATHOMBI JANET NDLOVU: (Sworn, States)

CHAIRPERSON: Now, Mathombi, are you still living in Brandville township?

WITNESS:   Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: You were married at that stage, your husband Pumawakhe Ndlovu.  How many children did you have, you and your husband?

WITNESS:   I have five children.

CHAIRPERSON: Sorry, I apologise, my colleague will help you with your evidence.  In fact while we - just having sworn you in, and your daughter is also going to give evidence, perhaps she should also stand now to take the oath.  What is your name please?

THANDEKA NDLOVU: (Sworn, States)

CHAIRPERSON: Okay, we will now go back to your mother, Mathombi Ndlovu, and Mrs Gcabashe will help you.

MRS GCABASHE: Good day Mathombi, as well as your daughter, Thandeka.  This is quite a cold day, but we do appreciate the fact that you were able to come before this Commission despite the weather, because what you have come to tell us is a very traumatic incident of losing your husband, and a father to you, Thandeka.  Even before we start with the core of the matter we would like you to just give us a brief explanation about your family.  Tell us about your husband, as well as your children and what they are doing.  Please tell us about your family.  I would request you to speak up a bit.  How many are you in your family?  Is your husband still alive?

WITNESS:   No, he died.

MRS GCABASHE: You are the only one who is left?

WITNESS:   Yes, I am.

MRS GCABASHE: How many children do you have?

WITNESS:   I have five children.

MRS GCABASHE: What are the children doing?

WITNESS:   Two are at school.  The three are not at school because I do not have the means to send them to school.

MRS GCABASHE: Tell us about the ones who are at school.  Are they all girls or boys?  Just give us their names?

WITNESS:   Buwisile and Helman are at school.

MRS GCABASHE: And the other ones?

WITNESS:   The other one is in standard six and Helman ... (incomplete)

MRS GCABASHE: What standard is Helman?

WITNESS:   Helman is in standard three.

MRS GCABASHE: What about the other three?

WITNESS:   They are not at school because I don't have the means.

MRS GCABASHE: Are they working?

WITNESS:   They are not working because there are no jobs in Mooi River.

MRS GCABASHE: But are they old enough to be employed?

WITNESS:   Yes, I think they are.

MRS GCABASHE: How old is Buwi?

WITNESS:   Buwisile is 16 years old.

MRS GCABASHE: And what about Helman?

WITNESS:   Helman is 11 years old.

MRS GCABASHE: Is Helman the last-born?

WITNESS:   Yes, he is.

MRS GCABASHE: Is that the rest of your family?  Do you have any grandchildren that you're staying with?

WITNESS:   There is one who is still very young.  That is my grandchild. What's his or her name?   ---   It's Nomandla.

MRS GCABASHE: How old is Nomandla?

WITNESS:   She is one year eight months old.

MRS GCABASHE: Does she go to pre-school?

WITNESS:   She is at home.

MRS GCABASHE: Now you may go on, Mrs Dladla.  You can tell us as to what happened before this incident, or what was the situation in Brandville?

WITNESS:   There was violence.  There was violence in Brandville.

MRS GCABASHE: Could you please explain as to what you mean when you say there was violence?  What type of violence?  What was happening?

WITNESS:   What was happening in Brandville was that the violence was at its very early stages at that time.

MRS GCABASHE: Was it 1991?  Was the year 1991?  You said your daughter is the one who was present at home.

WITNESS:   I was not at home so I can't say much.

MRS GCABASHE: So we'll speak to you, Thandeka.  You will tell us as to what was happening.

WITNESS:   In 1991, June, it was a Sunday on the 7th of June.

MRS GCABASHE: Is that where the violence started?

WITNESS:   No, it was not at its early stages, it was rife at that time.

MRS GCABASHE: What was happening before that, that is before your father's murder?

WITNESS:   I was at Brandville.

MRS GCABASHE: You were still very young at that time.  How old are you now?

WITNESS:   I am 19 years old.  It was on a Sunday.  At the Brandville stadium there was a soccer match, and there were people who were singing, a group of people at the hostel.  There were singing their Inkatha songs, and I saw a number of youths who were running from the direction of the hostel.  They were going towards the soccer match.  Those who were coming from the stadium realised that the Inkatha was approaching to launch at attack, and I was with my father at that time at home.  I saw four who were my neighbours.  They approached running.

MRS GCABASHE: Do you remember the names of those neighbours?  Just tell us their names please.

WITNESS:   It was Mr Hadebe, his daughter, Muwele Thobile, as well as Philani Muwele.

MRS GCABASHE: Philani and Thobile, what's their surname?