hrvtrans
HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, SUBMISSIONS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1997-03-25
LUSIKISIKI
2 LUSIKISIKI
MANZALA DINGUMHLABA
http://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=55547&t=&tab=hearings
http://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/hrvtrans/lusiki/dingumlh.htm
MANZALA DINGUMHLABA
(sworn states)
REV XUNDU
Thank you Mrs Manzala. What is your clan name?
MS DINGUMHLABA
Manzala Dingumhlaba.
REV XUNDU
You have come here because your father was ill-treated.
MS DINGUMHLABA
Yes.
REV XUNDU
Will you tell us briefly. Was this under the Nonqulana incident?
MS DINGUMHLABA
Yes the boers came in the middle of the night, five men. They detained him.
REV XUNDU
How long was he in detention?
MS DINGUMHLABA
One year and nine months.
REV XUNDU
And how was he health wise after that?
MS 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?
MS DINGUMHLABA
No, he could not even plough the fields as he used to do.
REV XUNDU
What is your request to the Commission?
MS 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?
MS DINGUMHLABA
No I do not have another request.
CHAIRMAN
Thank you.
CHAIRMAN
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?
MS DINGUMHLABA
I do not understand.
CHAIRMAN
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?
MS DINGUMHLABA
No, we never tried to report the Government.
CHAIRMAN
What was the reason?
MS 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.
MS CRICHTON
Mr Manzala can you hear me? .... I want this one.
CHAIRMAN
Manzala is a woman.
MS CRICHTON
Is it a woman?
CHAIRMAN
Yes.
MS 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?
MS DINGUMHLABA
Yes I remember.
MS CRICHTON
Is that still your wish?
MS DINGUMHLABA
Yes, I want them to ask for forgiveness, because we are left as orphans.
MS CRICHTON
Thank you very much. Thank you Mr Chairman.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you.