hrvtrans HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION HEARINGS 1996-06-19 GEORGE 2 https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=55095&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/hrvtrans/george/ct00544.htm CASE NO: CT/00544 VICTIM: NELSON ZUZILE MASEKO NATURE OF VIOLENCE: KILLED TESTIMONY BY: THOBEKA DORIS MASEKO [wife] THOBEKA DORIS MASEKO Duly sworn states MS SEROKE I greet you Tobeko, are you the husband of Nelson Zuzile Maseko? MS MASEKO Yes that is so. MS SEROKE Who was beaten to death on the 24th of March 1990. MS MASEKO That is so. MS SEROKE In the township of Bossiesgif in Plettenberg? Can you described to us what happened for this tragedy. MS MASEKO Yes I can, firstly my husband was an ANC member in Plettenberg Bay at Bossiesgif. He was very active in the organisation and because he was so active trying to help people, there was a problem, just a slight problem that took place at Bossiesgif between the community. There was a young girl who fought with another young girl and when they fought, this other one stabbed the other. And when he objected to that, there was conflict between him and the ANC Youth. He was not the only one who was objecting against this act, a number of residents - the whole community were against this, but because he was an outspoken person, he insisted that this was very wrong. And this continued, this conflict continued between him and - and I think I work thereafter. One day he was from work, it was in the evening, he was bringing stuff. The youth hit the van - the Kombi he was driving but he escaped, he suffered no injuries. It was Wednesday, he went back to work, came back in the evening that same day, came back to his house, Thursday morning he went back to work, there was nothing. Friday there was nothing and then on Saturday very early - very early and this - at about quarter to eight, we heard the sound of the toi-toi coming from outside. We went outside to - just to check what was happening. Whilst we were standing there, a young girl, my daughter came and said comrades have gone into - three comrades have gone into our house, they looking for my father. I said what do they want him for. She said they say -they talking about him and she was blushing, she would look nervous and shaken, I said okay, wait here and she waited. MS SEROKE MS MASEKO MS SEROKE MS MASEKO MS SEROKE Is that your son? MS MASEKO MS SEROKE Just cool down, take your time, this is very sad what you describing to us is very sad, very-very sad. MS MASEKO MS SEROKE All this time - all this time the police have not yet - had not yet come? MS MASEKO No - no they had not come. MS SEROKE As I was going towards the police direction I found them coming down the road, driving in two vans, going towards the township. I told them that we have been waiting for them for quite a long time, the whole morning. But now what you wished to happen, had happened. This white lady took me to the township again, the ambulance had gone by this time. I was [indistinct] alighted from this car, I was called by a friend of my son, the one next to me here. And said mother come, your children have been hidden this side and he pointed the house at which my children were hidden. I went there, to fetch them. I was - they said and the one who is now 18 years - the one who is 18 years now, when he got there, he fainted because all this time when this was happening my children were standing next to me watching this, and he just said that they ran when his father fell down and they were chased but then they escaped. MS BURTON I would like to know do you want us to go on or do you want us to continue - or can we take a break? MS MASEKO MS BURTON We will continue with asking questions of - of Ms Maseko. MS SEROKE Thobeka we welcome you again this afternoon, we are continuing the process, will you please start where you left. When you heard the news that your husband has passed away. MS MASEKO Dr Benning and his wife was also there, and then we go - we went to look for Regina, while we were looking for Regina we saw a van, they were coming up Bossiesgif. Those who were able to count them, they said they were 19 of them, they said they have arrested Sishuba and he is in one of those vans and then we left, we left off to the farm. When we arrived there - there were those who managed to get away to come to the farm. We made a prayer gathering in the farm, after the people had left, it was very late that day. The white lady, the owner of this farm, wanted to know about the whereabouts of my kids, of my children, they were asking about the adult ones. I told her that my first born is in Johannesburg, she is working there and the other one is in the Butterworth College and the third one is in [indistinct] - the fourth one is in George, they were not there, all of them. On Monday as this thing happened on Saturday, they arrived on Monday in the evening. They said they must go and fetch my daughter at the airport because her employers had boarded her a plane. There was also another relative of mine who was here in George who was given a car by my sister and she said she must go and fetch my mother in Mtanzani. The went to fetch my mother-in-law in Gobo-Gobo - we were all there together. This is where I had to stand up where Sishuba was a leader, I told them the situation, I was with my children, the one who works in Johannesburg and my younger son who was just next to me, and my son who was also in [indistinct] I told them that there is no way else I can bury my husband, this is where we lived, so I am going to bury here. In Knysna I tried to built myself a shack to stay there with my children, I was very happy to be in Knysna, they will come to me the residence of Knysna, welcomed me ever since I was in Knysna from 1991, I never had any torture or anything bad - they welcomed us and I stayed there, up until now I am staying in Knysna and I am very happy. MS SEROKE The cause of this seemed to be very difficult some of the statement here said your husband was a Community Councillor is that true? MS MASEKO MS SEROKE MS MASEKO Totomansi was one of my witnesses, he have seen this thing happening. MS SEROKE But it is said that this case will just end no way, they were released and that is one of the problems. Just as the same with the one that causes your husbands death. What I can say to you, we are very pleased and thankful that you had relatives although they were underground or undercover and the people of Knysna who welcomed you. Even though it was so painful to you - to give us this statement, but it is very good when you are saying from the bottom of your heart that things that had happened at least you feel relieved. So what would you like us to do for you? MS MASEKO So my request was that if I could be helped with my - with their education and also in rebuilding the home that they wish for, that would be nice, so that they should never again be saying if our father were here, this would be like this and this would be like that, so that, that could now stop. Thank you. MS SEROKE What happened to your house at Plettenberg Bay - what happened to the house that you left in Plettenberg now. MS MASEKO They burnt it, they burnt it down with everything in it. MS SEROKE Thank you, the Chairperson will now take over. CHAIRPERSON Ms Maseko you say that your children tried to find out from the ANC what actually happened. Is the ANC still looking into this case, are they still trying to clarify the matter? MS MASEKO CHAIRPERSON But this present moment is the ANC doing anything more or [indistinct] MS MASEKO There is nothing that ANC is doing. MS SEROKE Would you also like us to investigate or would you like us to wait a while. MS MASEKO MS SEROKE Do you have the names of those who were in - who were the office bearers then in your branch, the people whom you kept on phoning. MS MASEKO I do have the names. MS SEROKE Would you kindly please give us those names and their phone numbers if you know them. MS MASEKO MS SEROKE MS BURTON Ms Maseko thank you very much, this has been very hard for you and we are really grateful for your courage and strength in telling us all of this. We have taken note of the things that you have asked, and we will do our best to see what is possible to assist, we have already made some investigations into the things that you have told us in your statement and we will pursue with the other people you have named to see whether there is anymore that an be established. And we wish you and your family well and thank you very much. MS MASEKO Okay, thank you.