hrvtrans HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, SUBMISSIONS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 1997-05-22 ERMELO 1 MADODA L MBOKANE JB3759 https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=55081&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/hrvtrans/ermelo/4ermmbok.htm MR LEWIN Do you have earphones ? MR MBOKANE Yes. MR LEWIN You can. Will you be speaking in English or Zulu ? MR MBOKANE In Zulu. MR LEWIN Fine. Thanks very much for coming. Before asking Doctor Ally to lead you in your evidence, I would ask Tom Manthata please to swear you in. MR MANTHATA Can you raise up your ... fine, good. Can you swear that the evidence you are going to give here will be the truth and nothing else but the truth, so help me God. MADODA MBOKANE (sworn states) MR LEWIN Doctor Ally, could you please lead ? DR ALLY MR MBOKANE DR ALLY Thank you Madoda. Your own injuries as a result of what happened when your house was attacked, do you, are you still suffering from the after effects of that injury ? What is your health like presently ? MR MBOKANE DR ALLY Were you still at school at the time that this happened ? MR MBOKANE No. DR ALLY What were you doing at that time ? MR MBOKANE DR ALLY And presently, what do you do ? MR MBOKANE DR ALLY Do you still receive any medical help ? Are you on any medication or anything like that ? MR MBOKANE No. DR ALLY Madoda, this conflict between the Black Cats and The Comrades, what is your understanding of what this conflict was about ? It claimed so many lives that led to people dying in such horrible circumstances. Can you share with us how you understood what was going on ? MR MBOKANE DR ALLY This anit-crime campaign, do you have any idea when it began ? When it started , more or less ? MR MBOKANE It started during 1990 while the people were fighting for decrease of rent. DR ALLY And you yourself, did you join any political grouping ? Were you involved in any way politically in the township, in the community ? MR MBOKANE I was an ANC member. DR ALLY Now the other thing about this conflict is often there are accounts of people shooting with firearms, guns, hand grenades. Were the Black Cats generally armed ? Did they have weapons most of the time ? MR MBOKANE The Black Cats were working in collaboration with the police because most cases where they were to attack The Comrades, the policemen would be running in front of the Black Cats. DR ALLY And The Comrades, did they also have arms ? Did they have guns ? MR MBOKANE DR ALLY And is it true that The Comrades would often also attack people who they believed to be members of the Black Cats ? MR MBOKANE DR ALLY I know you spoke about the police and saying that they collaborated with the Black Cats but did the community, The Comrades,. did they make attempts to go to the police to report on the activities of these so-called Black Cats ? Do you have any knowledge of that ? MR MBOKANE Yes, we, The Comrades used to go to the police but the police never took the matter further. DR ALLY MR MBOKANE DR ALLY Do you know of any attempts which the police made to try and bring these groups together, to try and bring about some resolution of the conflict ? MR MBOKANE DR ALLY And this Zwee Zwane, did you know him ? MR MBOKANE Yes, I knew him. DR ALLY And was he a leading member of the Black Cats ? MR MBOKANE Excuse me ? DR ALLY Was he a member of the Black Cats. Was he seen as a leading member ? MR MBOKANE Correct. DR ALLY And how was he killed ? Do you know ? What did you hear about the way he was killed ? MR MBOKANE DR ALLY And how was he killed ? Were you told that ? Did you hear perhaps if he was shot, stabbed ? What .... MR MBOKANE I heard he was shot. DR ALLY .... has remained. MR MBOKANE It looks like it has subsided. DR ALLY MR MBOKANE Yes, it looks peaceful because Comrades can go any place in the township and we live in peace. DR ALLY And are there still people who were members of what was then called the Black Cats who still live in the community ? MR MBOKANE DR ALLY And are they also safe ? And would you say that they also consider themselves to be quite safe ? Do they feel safe as well in the community ? MR MBOKANE It looks like that. They seem to be safe too. DR ALLY And you personally, by coming to the Commission, what are you hoping for ? What were your reasons for making this statement and coming to the Commission ? MR MBOKANE It was because I was so badly injured, I thought maybe the Commission might do something to help me personally. DR ALLY Thank you very much Madoda. MR LEWIN MR MBOKANE MR LEWIN Do you have any particular skills that you have developed yourself which might get you some sort of employment ? MR MBOKANE MR LEWIN Have you thought of trying perhaps of trying to find something like that ? To develop you singing skills ? MR MBOKANE MR LEWIN Have you approached anyone about the possibility of some sort of disability grant ? MR MBOKANE MR LEWIN MR MBOKANE No. MR LEWIN