hrvtrans HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION HEARINGS 1996-08-12 BEAUFORT WEST 1 CT/00377 EMILY MANONG [mother] DANIEL MANONG https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=54961&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/hrvtrans/beaufort/ct00377.htm 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 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. Don Jaftha Bhoeto Yoyo Xhani, Ellof. That is actually what I can remember and how I can explain it. DR RAMASHALA 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 MR MANONG DR RAMASHALA 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 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 MS RAMASHALA Your mother was then admitted to the Kempton Gedenk Hospital in Victoria West. Is that true? MR MANONG MS RAMASHALA Do your remember the doctor who attended her? MR MANONG 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 DR RAMASHALA Do you know where they are now - where is Stanley Vhula now? MR MANONG 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 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. 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 MR MANONG CHAIRPERSON Dr Ramashala? DR RAMASHALA MR MANONG That would be very difficult, that would be very difficult, I prefer it to be like it is right now. DR RAMASHALA MR MANONG 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.