hrvtrans HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION HEARINGS 1996-08-13 BEAUFORT WEST 2 CT/00363 DORA VUMAZONKE DORA VUMAZONKE HOUSE STONED & BURNT DOWN https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=54956&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/hrvtrans/beaufort/ct00363.htm ADV POTGIETER Good afternoon Ms Vumazonke, I want to just make sure whether you can hear us. You can hear over the phone, your headphones, you hear the translation? MS VUMAZONKE Yes sir. ADV POTGIETER Before you give your evidence ...[intervention] MS SEROKE We greet you too. ADV POTGIETER DORA VUMAZONKE: Duly sworn states ADV POTGIETER Dr Ramashala will facilitate your evidence and I hand back to her. DR RAMASHALA Good morning Ms Vumazonke, can you hear me? MS VUMAZONKE Yes, I can hear you. DR RAMASHALA MS VUMAZONKE Yes. DR RAMASHALA Your brother who was Godfrey Vumazonke ...[intervention] MS VUMAZONKE Yes, that was his name Geoffrey. DR RAMASHALA Geoffrey Vumazonke [indistinct] MS VUMAZONKE Yes. DR RAMASHALA Okay, could you start with your story. MS VUMAZONKE In 1985, on the 22nd of August - on a Thursday - my sister had gone to a prayer meeting and her name was Olga and half past five she came back from the prayer meeting. She went into the bedroom to undress, her last borne came in by the name Nobolelo to tell her that the Comrades were going to come and they were burning where they were. So we ignored this information and my sister said we should play a game Ludo and we should ignore what this child is saying. Whilst we were ready to play the game - we just heard throw - stones being thrown all over the house, breaking windows, breaking doors. Then there was this stone throwing, then police come said we should hide under the bed and I said no I was big. And these beds were not lifted, so she decided to hide under the bed. I also tried to hide under the bed - just the head could get under the bed. Then there was this throwing of stones, then we heard a loud sound as if it was an explosion of gas. Then I asked whether he had heard anything which was like fire, then he said he had heard. So I went to the house and I found my sister sitting on the dustbin and we talked to each other and she asked me how I had come out of the house. Then I said I came out of the house when it was quite and then she said she was worried about us because she went and she went to the police because she was worried about me and the child. Because the house was burning and she thought we were inside. DR RAMASHALA Ms Vumazonke the person you referred to in your statement as Katriena. MS VUMAZONKE Then on Friday he took us away and I asked them where they were going to sleep and they - he said they were going to sleep in the house, they were not going to run away because of these children. So he took us to Rustdene at Sistoyzee with and we spent one month there. DR RAMASHALA [indistinct] recognized the person who threw a brick? MS VUMAZONKE Yes. DR RAMASHALA MS VUMAZONKE DR RAMASHALA MS VUMAZONKE Yes. DR RAMASHALA MS VUMAZONKE They said Geofrey Vumazonke was a counselor and he had - he had stopped being a counselor long ago, so when they were singing they were singing that he was an informer. DR RAMASHALA But you say that Geoffrey resigned from ...[intervention] MS VUMAZONKE Yes. DR RAMASHALA Where is Geoffrey now? MS VUMAZONKE He is in George now. DR RAMASHALA And Katriena who was the one who was injured in the fire? MS VUMAZONKE DR RAMASHALA Where is she now? MS VUMAZONKE She is in George, she was in hospital for six months. DR RAMASHALA The burning of that house then left you and the rest of the family without a place to live, is that correct? MS VUMAZONKE Do you mean now? DR RAMASHALA At the time of the fire, did you have a place to live? MS VUMAZONKE At the time they were burning, that was the night when I ran away to the Diamond family. Geoffrey and Olga slept in the house because they did not want to leave the house and I went to sleep at the Diamond family. I lived there in the house. DR RAMASHALA Is there anything else that you want to tell the Commission or that you want to ask of the Commission? MS VUMAZONKE My request is that this Commission should help my brother to repair that house because the windows were broken, the ceiling is damaged, it is in a bad state. DR RAMASHALA But your brother lives in George now? MS VUMAZONKE Yes he lives in George, he is going to pension next year and come back to live here in Fort - Beaufort West. DR RAMASHALA And it appears that [indistinct] . MS VUMAZONKE DR RAMASHALA And - and you are helping the rest of the family, I suppose? MS VUMAZONKE DR RAMASHALA [indistinct] MS VUMAZONKE DR RAMASHALA [indistinct] statement, Chairperson. MS BURTON Any other questions? ADV POTGIETER Thank you chairperson, Ms Vumazonke Katriena you say are - was the only person who was injured in this incident? MS VUMAZONKE Yes, it was only Katriena who got burnt and she got the - she fell and had an injury on the heal and at the time she had to move on a wheelchair because she could not walk. But she is all right now and she is in George. ADV POTGIETER I just want you to confirm, you said to us in your statement that Katriena got burnt. She burnt her feet trying to put out the flames, is that what actually happened? MS VUMAZONKE Yes sir. ADV POTGIETER She was in hospital for several months, is it for six months? MS VUMAZONKE Yes sir. ADV POTGIETER [indistinct] for that period of time? MS VUMAZONKE ADV POTGIETER [indistinct] if I ...[intervention] MS VUMAZONKE Katriena Aapies ADV POTGIETER Is it Aapies? MS VUMAZONKE Yes. ADV POTGIETER Where is she now? MS VUMAZONKE She is in George. ADV POTGIETER Is she a relative of yours? MS VUMAZONKE No, we know her - we just know her very well. ADV POTGIETER In which hospital was she? MS VUMAZONKE She was in one of the hospitals here in Beaufort West. ADV POTGIETER Do you have an address where she can be contacted? MS VUMAZONKE ADV POTGIETER Would you be able to assist the Commission to get in touch with her? MS VUMAZONKE Yes, Zuziwe is sitting there at the back, she could help. ADV POTGIETER Thank you Ms Vumazonke. MS BURTON MS VUMAZONKE MS BURTON