TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION 

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

SUBMISSIONS - QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

DATE: 25.03.1997 NAME: AGNESS MAMSARENI MAGAWANA

DAY: 2 LUSIKISIKI

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AGNESS MAMSARENI MAGAWANA: (sworn states)

ADV SANDI: You are going to talk about Barnabas Mhlati Magawana. How are you related?

MS MAGAWANA: He was my elder brother.

ADV SANDI: You say that he was executed in Pretoria.

Why was he hanged?

MS MAGAWANA: They came to look for him at his home. He was not here. Only the wife was there. They then ordered the wife to leave. The wife left and went back to her own home.

On the Wednesday he went to look for his wife. That is the day that they detained him.

ADV SANDI: So he was detained at his wife's home?

MS MAGAWANA: Yes.

ADV SANDI: Was he detained because he was an ANC member?

MS MAGAWANA: Yes. He would open the meeting with prayer when there was a Congo meeting.

ADV SANDI: You say that there was a court case in Kokstad. Was there a court case in Kokstad?

MS MAGAWANA: I do not remember that... Yes he was detained Bizana, then Kokstad, then Pretoria.

ADV SANDI: Who was he with?

MS MAGAWANA: Douglas as well.

ADV SANDI: What were they accused of?

MS MAGAWANA: Apparently they had killed a Chief.

ADV SANDI: What was the name of the Chief?

MS MAGAWANA: Chief Stanford.

ADV SANDI: Did you see him before he was executed?

MS MAGAWANA: Yes, some of my other brothers went. We could not afford to go.

ADV SANDI: Your request is that he should be exhumed and buried at home? Do you have another request?

MS MAGAWANA: If the Government could give us some form of compensation, because we lost a brother.

ADV SANDI: You need compensation?

MS MAGAWANA: Yes, whatever compensation they can give us.

ADV SANDI: Is that all?

MS MAGAWANA: Yes that is all Sir.

 

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