CHAIRPERSON: Nontobeko Brenda Noto, is she here? Beatrice Tandiswa Maseti please come to the stand. Mrs Maseti, who is with you?
MRS GOBODO: I am Philisa Gobodo.
CHAIRPERSON: What is your relationship.
MRS GOBODO: I am her sister.
CHAIRPERSON: We welcome you Mrs Philisa Gobodo. We will hand over to Reverend Xundu to help you take an oath.
REV XUNDU: Let us start with you, Beatrice Tandiswa Maseti.
BEATRICE BRENDA MASETI: (Duly sworn in, states).
REV XUNDU: Thank you.
PHILISA PATRICIA "TUMSE" GOBODO: (Duly sworn in, states).
REV XUNDU: Thank you. Mr Chairperson, they have been properly sworn in.
CHAIRPERSON: Mr Sandi.
ADV SANDI: Thank you Mr Chairperson. Mrs Maseti, you are going to talk about what happened on the 27th of September 1992. Is that correct?
MRS MASETI: Yes, that is correct.
ADV SANDI: This incident happened in Alice?
MRS MASETI: Yes, that is correct.
ADV SANDI: In Gqumahashe in Alice?
MRS MASETI: Yes.
ADV SANDI: This happened to your husband, Ndodiphela Caswell Maseti. Is that correct?
MRS MASETI: Yes, that is correct.
ADV SANDI: He was killed, that is what you said in your statement?
MRS MASETI: Yes, that is correct.
ADV SANDI: Please tell us the allegations that led to your husband's death.
MRS MASETI: He was, they alleged that my husband was a headman.
ADV SANDI: Who was saying this?
MRS MASETI: It was one child who told my niece that my house was going to be burnt down.
ADV SANDI: Was there a headman at that time in Gqumahashe?
MRS MASETI: There were two headman, Mr Shoyi and Mr Betshe. ADV SANDI: Was there a Tribal Authority there?
MRS MASETI: Yes.
ADV SANDI: There was no problem or conflict.
MRS MASETI: At that time the Tribal Authority was not functioning.
ADV SANDI: Was he taking part in the Tribal Authority.
MRS MASETI: Yes, he took part then in the Tribal Authority.
ADV SANDI: At the time of, during the day of this incident you said in your statement you were not at home.
MRS MASETI: Yes, we were attending a funeral at my home.
ADV SANDI: Your husband was with you?
MRS MASETI: Yes.
ADV SANDI: Please tell us when you came back from the funeral, you found a house in flames.
MRS MASETI: It was on the 28th of September. We found that my house was burnt down.
ADV SANDI: When did, when did this happen?
MRS MASETI: This happened the previous night, but there were still flames when we arrived.
ADV SANDI: Was there anybody who told you what happened?
MRS MASETI: The neighbours said that they did not see anything, they were sleeping when my mother asked them.
ADV SANDI: Did you manage to find out what exactly happened, who burnt down your house?
MRS MASETI: No, but we suspected that the people who burnt down the house are the same people who killed my husband.
ADV SANDI: Your husband was attacked on the same day?
MRS MASETI: Yes, he was attacked that same day. Because there was a boycott we were not going to work at that time. I was working for Reverend Notshe. He then told us to go to ANC offices to report this incident. He took me, my husband and my son. We went to the ANC offices. The Reverend said that he brought this man to report that his house was burnt down. At the day of the Bisho massacre this man, my husband, was there. At that time he was not working. On that Bisho day the Reverend said that he was the one who took my husband at home, but the people in the village said that my husband was taken back home by the police car.
One of his friends told him that you are going to be necklaced, because you are getting R800,00 as a headman. I said that how can I do such a thing, because my wife is working for Reverend Notshe and she is getting R200,00. I am not a headman. My husband did not do anything about this, because he knew that he was not a headman. After this, on the 28th, we found our house in flames. When we came back from the office the Reverend told me to stay at home for a while. It was on the 28th. In the afternoon my husband told me that he was going to examine the damage in the house. He was together with one child. This child then came back home saying that there are people with petrol near the house and they were saying that they are going to burn my husband. This child said that one of them said he cannot do this, he cannot burn a person to death.
We then decided to go to the police and to report this matter. The phones in that area were not working. We went to the taxi rank to take a taxi. These people were still in front of my house. When we were in Gqumahashe one of the people with me said that my husband was the one being chased by these children. They were, they had tyres and petrol with them. I could not see him at that time. We then took a taxi, but this child said that, told me that these people set these tyres alight. When we were approaching Mr Finca's house in town we saw the Reverend in his car. I told the taxi driver to stop the taxi so that I can go to the Reverend. I told him that, Reverend, they have killed my husband. The Reverend said to me, do not say that, because you did not see this. He took us to his home. He left us there saying that he was going to look at what was happening in that area.
The Reverend came back. He asked me whether he must take me home. I said, yes, he must take me home. He took me to Didage at home. I told my mother about this. My mother said that we will, in the morning, the next morning we will go there and find out what happened. My sister then came together with my cousin from Alice telling me that my husband died. My sister would be the one who will know what exactly happened.
ADV SANDI: Before I talk to your sister. Were there any people who were arrested concerning this incident?
MRS MASETI: Yes, there were people who were arrested.
ADV SANDI: Were they taken to the Court of Law?
MRS MASETI: Yes.
ADV SANDI: What happened to that case?
MRS MASETI: The case is still on. It will be held on the 16th. They sometimes tell us that the attorney representing these children is not present. They would postpone the case now and then. It will be on the 16th of May.
ADV SANDI: Is this case in Alice?
MRS MASETI: Yes.
ADV SANDI: What is the attorney of these children?
MRS MASETI: He is Manjezi.
ADV SANDI: Who are the accused?
MRS MASETI: Zuko Makapela, Mawande Billie, Vuyisile Betshe and one Soleke man, Nkutalo Makapela and two from Sophile family, Temba Sophile and his brother. I have forgotten the other two. There are nine.
ADV SANDI: You said that they are nine?
MRS MASETI: Yes, they are nine.
ADV SANDI: Is this case on?
MRS MASETI: Yes, it is on.
ADV SANDI: How far did this case, how far is this case? Are they waiting to be sentenced?
MRS MASETI: These children are going to be asked one by one. Three of them are not, did not appear in court yet. Some of them said that they know nothing.
ADV SANDI: Let us now go to your sister. Do you have anything to add on this matter?
MRS GOBODO: When I arrived he was not there. I was told that he had been necklaced. I then left and that same night the soldiers told us to go back. We were going back home. I was not allowed to go back. I slept in Alice and that same, the following day I went home to report this matter. After that we went back to Gqumahashe. We went to look for his body. There is a way from their house, but we found out that that road was closed. We could see where my sister's husband was necklaced. We saw dogs around. We then went to the mortuary in Alice, Mr Jonas's mortuary. He said that we must first start to the police and report this matter.
We went to the police station. We waited there, because we were told that there is another person from Melanie family, his family is to be there. At about five I went back home to report that the body was in the mortuary. We went to the police know and again, because we wanted to know about the funeral proceedings. We were told that he was an informer, he cannot be buried there. We took him home.
ADV SANDI: Who told you that you cannot bury him in that village?
MRS GOBODO: The youth told us. As I arrived on this day when my sister's husband was being necklaced I heard that he was not going to be buried in that area, because he was an informer. We took his body to my home.
ADV SANDI: The people who did this did they come to you to apologise or to show that he or she regrets this?
MRS GOBODO: No, nobody came to us.
ADV SANDI: Where are you staying now, Mrs Maseti.
MRS MASETI: I am renting a room in Alice, but when I am not at work I stay at home with my mother.
ADV SANDI: Did you manage to build the house?
MRS MASETI: No, I was afraid, because I do not have a husband now, I cannot go back and stay there.
ADV SANDI: Do you have children?
MRS MASETI: Yes, I do.
ADV SANDI: How old are they?
MRS MASETI: The first one was born in 1964, the other one in 1968, they youngest 1983.
ADV SANDI: You do not have a home in Gqumahashe now?
MRS MASETI: We do have a home, because my mother-in-law is still alive, but I was staying with my husband in our own home, but it is the one who was burnt down.
ADV SANDI: Do you have requests, Mrs Maseti, to the Commission concerning this matter?
MRS MASETI: Yes, I do.
ADV SANDI: Please tell us your requests.
MRS MASETI: I would like the Commission to provide me with a house so that I can stay in that house with my children. My older child is not, is mentally disturbed. I would like the Commission to assist me with my younger child, to help me with his education.
ADV SANDI: Thank you Mrs Maseti and I will also thank your sister. I will hand over to the Chairperson. If there is something you forgot to mention, you will get a chance when my colleagues ask you questions if there are any questions. Thank you Mr Chairperson.
CHAIRPERSON: Mrs Maseti, thank you for coming here to the Commission and for giving us a picture, a sad picture of what happened. Some of us do remember such incidents. We remember that your husband was killed and his body was lying there, the dogs were also there surrounding the body. There are many things done by people on behalf of the struggle. Some of these things are very sad. We thank you for coming forward. We have noted your request that you would like us, as a Commission, to investigate and to find out who are the perpetrators so that they can ask for forgiveness or they must get punishment for what they have done. We thank you and we will look at your requests. We sympathise with you as the Commission. Thank you mam. You may now step down.
