hrvtrans HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, SUBMISSIONS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 1997-02-12 CRADOCK 3 ANGELINA RAMPO NOMAVUKA https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=55017&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/hrvtrans/cradock/nomavuka.htm ANGELINA RAMPO NOMAVUKA (sworn states) MR SANDI: Are your full names Angelina Rampo Nomavuka. MRS NOMAVUKA That's correct. MR SANDI The child that you are going to talk about, is Xola Owen Nomavuka? MRS NOMAVUKA That's correct. MR SANDI How old was Xola Owen Nomavuka at the time of his death? MRS NOMAVUKA He was 18 years old. MR SANDI Was he still a scholar at the time? MRS NOMAVUKA Yes, he was doing standard 10. MR SANDI How did you hear about your son's death. MRS NOMAVUKA I was at home, my sister's children came to my house to tell me that Xola was shot and they were on their way to fetch the corpse of the other boy who was also shot in Port Elizabeth. On the way back when they were at Skhulu Street Namapeni came out and shot them and the sister of Mrs January. MR SANDI You say he was shot by Velule Namapeni Buzani? MRS NOMAVUKA Yes that's correct. MR SANDI Did you know Velule Namapeni Buzani? MRS NOMAVUKA Yes I know him from the farm. MR SANDI Was he a policeman here in Cradock? MRS NOMAVUKA Yes. MR SANDI How can you describe him as a policeman, his behaviour? MRS NOMAVUKA He was behaving well, I didn't have problems with him, because I knew him and his parents from the farm. MR SANDI You say he was behaving well? MRS NOMAVUKA Yes. MR SANDI Isn't it true that Mr Buzani said that these children were just passing by and were singing, he just decided to shoot? MRS NOMAVUKA Yes he did. I am saying, just before this incident, I was still on the farm. I knew him from the farm, Namapeni. MR SANDI Did you hear that most of the people in the statements here when describing this incident, they are saying that these children were just passing by but Buzani just decided to shoot? MRS NOMAVUKA Yes that's correct. MR SANDI Weren't you shocked by this news. MRS NOMAVUKA I was very shocked because I never expected that to be done by him. MR SANDI Did you hear that there was perhaps any attempt to attack Buzani? Did you hear that one of the children maybe attempted to attack Buzani? MRS NOMAVUKA No I just heard that they were just on their way. MR SANDI Did Xola ever go to the hospital just before his death? MRS NOMAVUKA When I went to the scene I realised that he was taken to the hospital. MR SANDI Did you see him at the hospital? MRS NOMAVUKA No, the people said I mustn't go to the hospital, I must just stay at home. MR SANDI When did you hear about his death? CHAIRPERSON heard when they came back, my sister's children came to me to tell me about his death the very same day. MR SANDI Were there any disruptions during the funeral? MRS NOMAVUKA There were no disruptions and he was not buried at my home, he was taken by one of the gentlemen who stay in No 74, he's the one who was responsible for everything. MR SANDI Was he buried here at Cradock? MRS NOMAVUKA Yes. MR SANDI Did you get any visits from the police before the funeral? MRS NOMAVUKA There were policemen around. MR SANDI Did they talk to you as a family? MRS NOMAVUKA No. MR SANDI You say the police were around. Were they around before the funeral or during the funeral? Did the police visit your house during the funeral? MRS NOMAVUKA No. MR SANDI Is that all that you'd like to tell us? MRS NOMAVUKA Yes. MR SANDI Do you have any wish or request that you'd like to forward to the Commission? MRS NOMAVUKA All I request is his tombstone. MR SANDI Is that all Mrs Nomavuka? MRS NOMAVUKA One other request, if possible, because I'm not working, if I can get some assistance and the person who was responsible for my son's marriage, if she can be compensated. MR SANDI Do you mean the expenses of your son's burial? MRS NOMAVUKA Yes. MR SANDI Thank you Mrs Nomavuka. I'll hand over to the chairperson. Thank you Chairperson. CHAIRPERSON We thank you very much, we have heard your painful story. We sympathise with you about what happened to you, it's very hurting to hear what one of you said, that when you used to seek for help from the police the police would just send you away. But this is not a surprise because we know that it is something that used to happen during those days. We thank you for coming to the Commission. What we cannot do is to give you back your beloved ones but the request that you forwarded, we're going to take it to the President, especially the one that you say about assistance and try to get the tombstone for your relatives. On behalf of the Commission we deeply sympathise with you, we promise that we are going to forward all your requests to the President of this country. Thank you.