DR BORAINE
Can you hear - can you hear me?
MR MANONG
Ja.
DR BORAINE
Good, welcome and thank you very much for coming, please will you stand to take the oath.
DANIEL MANONG Duly sworn states
DR BORAINE
Thank you please be seated. Dr Ramashala is going to facilitate your story.
DR RAMASHALA
Mr Manong good morning.
MR MANONG
Good morning doctor.
DR RAMASHALA
How are you?
MR MANONG
I am very well - I am fine.
DR RAMASHALA
I am going to speak in English okay and during the proceedings I may stop you from time to time to ask you questions that would clarify some things that are not clear, is that all right with you?
MR MANONG
It is good you can continue.
DR RAMASHALA
First I'd like to read a statement from our research notes.
Victoria West, a small Karoo town almost on the south border of the Northern Cape Province was site of intense protest led by youths in early 1985. Poor living conditions and high unemployment were characteristic of the town for example many people lived in "Die Witblokke", stable like structures housing entire families in one room with only a stable door and one small window.
Hygienic standards were extremely low - unhygienic bucket toilets being the main problem. The township was overcrowded. People could not leave because of influx control and pass laws.
Die Noodkamp was an emergency scheme where people erected their own shacks on serviced sites.
Protest was largely directed against the community council and municipal police. Deep conflict at times escalating into violence developed between collaborators and activist culminating in the mid 1985.
DR RAMASHALA
It is within this context that Mr Daniel Manong will describe the conditions which led up to the death of his mother. Mr Manong I would like you to go back before 1985 and talk a little bit about what happened in Victoria West that finally led to the death of your mother. As I said I'll probably stop you from time to time to ask you some questions. Please proceed.
MR MANONG
May I start now.
DR RAMASHALA
May I ask for a second for Mr Manong to introduce the lady sitting next to him.
MR MANONG
This is my wife.
DR RAMASHALA
Okay, welcome Ms Manong.
MR MANONG
If I think back, I think it was 1985, it was August the 27th it was on a Saturday. The police were busy patrolling on that particular day, but they fired tear gas off on that particular day. They shot into the air. It wasn’t a ANC or UDF’s, they were - not only them - but people were toi-toiing and my mother’s name was called out - Emily’s name was called out.
Now, after the police shot the tear gas - fired it - the gas covered the entire town. And then they came to the house were my mother lived - a lot of them came there. They came with lamp oil, and petrol bombs. And they came and they broke the windows, they burnt , they tried to burnt the house inside - people inside.
I came there to come and inspect what was going on. I don’t live to far from the house, but I was stopped by three people, I may call their names if you would allow me:
Don Jaftha
Bhoeto Yoyo
Xhani, Ellof.
They came there and they covered by paraffin so I couldn’t continue and I had to run to the Police Station. I wanted the police to come and see what these youngsters where up to. And they where destroying things. They charged the house and threw stones as it. People were inside hiding, so I went to the police and the police said sorry we can’t do anything. The people are to many. They wanted - friends then had to go and find other police to try and help and they tried to get into the house - they broke into the house - and threw God’s grace we could manage to get people out eventually. And they could run away.
The police managed in fact to calm things down up to the Sunday morning. But Sunday people were still not very happy. My mother was taken away half a kilometer out of the town. They’ve taken her to a camp where soldiers use to come and visit. And were they stayed around. And later on people said no my mother could come back. The old lady can come back, nobody will fight with her. That’s what the youngsters said.
So this all happened at 172 New Bright. She came back the 4th November, it was on a Wednesday and they came to look for the old woman again. Patrick came threw the window, opened the door and once again they threw petrol bombs at the house and her burned her, my mother, for the second time and this was more serious. When we came to the hospital I realized she was not going to make it. The last words of her was she said that this time they have me, but they have not broken my spirit. That’s what she said. She died on the Saturday the 7th.
That is actually what I can remember and how I can explain it.
DR RAMASHALA
I’d like to ask you a few questions to help clarify some of the issues. In the research statement there is mention of a Mr Enoch Manong who was a councilor. What was the relationship between your mother and Mr Manong?
MR MANONG
Enogh Manong was one of the committee members in the location, but my mother was nothing. She was just an ordinary citizen.
DR RAMASHALA
So this two was not related?
MR MANONG
No, Enoch is my brother, he is my brothers child.
DR RAMASHALA
Now you say that the people from Victoria West came after your mother, and in your statement you said that they accused her of being a informer. Am I correct?
MR MANONG
What do you mean by that?
DR RAMASHALA
I don’t know. It’s in your statement. It says informer - informer - "epimpie" - "epimpie"
MR MANONG
No, it’s not like that. Just before they toi-toied they were going house to house. They where saying they’re going to fight with whites. They were against it. That is when they decided to call them "epimpies". It’s because they disagreed that they going to fight the whites.
DR RAMASHALA
Thank you. You listed the people who burned down your mother’s house the first time. I didn’t get all their names. The first one is Don Jaftha.
MR MANONG
There were a lot of them. This happened in 54 Skima Location. The second incident I have their names here. Just before she died, it was:
Johannes Booysen
Speto Ellof,
William Faas
Zwandile Vhula
Patrick Faas
Robin Booysen
Stanley Vhula
Mlamle Xhaxha
Paulus Horn
These are the names of the people who killed my mother - the people who attacked my mother.
MS RAMASHALA
This was in New Bright, was it in New Bright?
MR MANONG
Correct.
MS RAMASHALA
You also list a number of other people who where arrested in connection to the accident. And I’ll just go over the list:
Stanley Vhula
Attie Kwela
Philimon Hocile
Boetie Motobeli
And of course others.
Were these people involved in the burning of the house the second time?
MR MANONG
I can say it was during the night. It’s only the police who reveille their names after the police had investigated the incident.
MS RAMASHALA
Your mother was then admitted to the Kempton Gedenk Hospital in Victoria West. Is that true?
MR MANONG
That’s correct.
MS RAMASHALA
Do your remember the doctor who attended her?
MR MANONG
The Dr Gazime Brakes passed away. Both doctors where there. They’re no longer there - the other one passed away.
MS RAMASHALA
Now, in your statement you also name - you say that there are a number of people where staying with your mother at the time of the burning of the house. Can you name those people and the relationship to your mother.
MR MANONG
Yes, I can still remember them. The other ones:
Bertie Manong
Wiseman Manong
Owen Nomava Nazuko
Vernon.
Those were the children who were there in the - that - house.
DR RAMASHALA
Where are they now?
MR MANONG
Since then they had to move to Cape Town, right now they are staying in Khayelitsha.
DR RAMASHALA
Mr Manong were you the only one in the family who stayed in Victoria West.
MR MANONG
I am the only one who is still around. All - all of them they had to move away, they had to leave the Victoria West.
DR RAMASHALA
Let me - let me come to you Mr Manong and ask you how this accident or the death of your mother, affected you in particular?
MR MANONG
There is a great change in my life, everything was just - everything was just destroyed because each time I bypass her grave, I just go there and try to clean up the grave and I even ask my wife if we can move to somewhere else, the wife always refuses, she say no we must look after this grave of my mother. Even now we are still staying in that Victoria West.
DR RAMASHALA
What are you now doing Mr Manong, do you work?
MR MANONG
I am unemployed at the moment, I am just working as a casual worker.
DR RAMASHALA
Now you - what you say that the people I listed the second time around, like Stanley Vhula were arrested but they were acquitted. Is that true?
MR MANONG
That’s correct.
DR RAMASHALA
Do you know where they are now - where is Stanley Vhula now?
MR MANONG
He’s around he is staying in Victoria West.
DR RAMASHALA
Attie Kwela?
MR MANONG
And him, he is also around.
DR RAMASHALA
Philemon Hocile?
MR MANONG
Yes he is also around.
DR RAMASHALA
Boetie Motobeli?
MR MANONG
Yes he is also around.
DR RAMASHALA
Was there any inquest?
MR MANONG
The police took them to the courts, I don’t know what happened after that, but they were taken to the court.
DR RAMASHALA
Mr Manong now clearly this - the death of your mother affected you very much. Could you tell us actually what happened to you emotionally and how you are adjusting today?
MR MANONG
To tell the truth I discovered that instead of going forward, I am going backwards. I was drinking liquor at first, I was doing all the bad things and I was moving in and out of jail. And then I decided to be born again. When I became a born again, I could accept everything, even my wife also.
Although I don’t have - I don’t hate them that much, it’s only God who is going to judge them.
DR RAMASHALA
Thank you very much Mr Manong, Chairperson I will yield and I may come back a little later after my colleagues have asked some questions.
CHAIRPERSON
Thank you any other questions - Joyce Seroke.
MS SEROKE
Mr Manong I am happy that you are saying all this perpetrators, you don’t hate them. And I would like to ask what efforts are you making to make sure that there is reconciliation between the two parties?
MR MANONG
You don’t think that you can meet and - or you can try to get some assistance that your priest can try to - to talk to you, because they are not [indistinct] that you reconcile them.
MR MANONG
They do talk to me and I don’t have anything against them. If they are no longer doing the bad things, but there are some of them - some of them who say some of the things, but I don’t care much about those.
CHAIRPERSON
Dr Ramashala?
DR RAMASHALA
Mr Manong would you be interested in getting together with this people you’ve listed to talk about the burning of your mother?
MR MANONG
That would be very difficult, that would be very difficult, I prefer it to be like it is right now.
DR RAMASHALA
Is there anything else Mr Manong that you would like to tell the Commission that we didn’t cover.
MR MANONG
I want to give this paper to the Commission, I know that the Truth Commission, these people are going to say that I’ve done this behind their back, but I was just coming here so that I can refray??? in my heart. If there is anyone who is against this, what else can I do if maybe one of them is against this coming, the fact that I came here to talk about this thing, what else should do?
DR RAMASHALA
Mr Manong we would very much appreciate that article. We will make a copy of it and we will return with the original to you. Thank you very much Mr Manong.
