hrvtrans HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, SUBMISSIONS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 1997-03-25 LUSIKISIKI 2 THEOPHILUS NDLOVU BONGOZA https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=55543&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/hrvtrans/lusiki/bongoza.htm THEOPHILUS NDLOVU BONGOZA (sworn states) MS CRICHTON Can you hear me Mr Bongoza? MR BONGOZA Yes I can hear you. MS CRICHTON Now you are here today to talk about yourself. You were arrested by the police. What was the charge for that arrest? MR BONGOZA I was arrested because I was a member of Congo. MS CRICHTON In your statement it says that there was a person by the name of Dyasi and his house that was burnt. Was there any connection to your arrest? MR BONGOZA Yes, that name was mentioned. MS CRICHTON When you were arrested for the second time, you were taken to Umzimkhulu and there you had interrogation for five months. During that time what was your experience? MR BONGOZA When I was first arrested they brought me to Lusikisiki and I was arrested alone. And then they transferred me Umzimkhulu for five months. I was not ill-treated in Umzimkhulu because when I arrived there I was praying, I was singing church songs. And the police, because I was behaving well they did not ill-treat me, but the food was bad. We used to eat beans which were not healthy. MS CRICHTON Thank you for that testimony. In your requests to the Commission you make a statement about Nquzo mountain and your concern for that mountain. Will you explain what your concern is please? MR BONGOZA About the Nquzo mountain, the people who died there and who were buried there and the way they died. When I look at that mountain I can see that it is not well looked after. I would like the Commission to build a police station there so that mountain can be looked after. If the Commission would help to build a police station in that place I would be glad. MS CRICHTON Mr Bongoza there have been people who have asked for a memorial to be put there. Would you agree with that? MR BONGOZA Yes I would agree with that, but that will not help much. That is why I am asking for the Commission to build a police station there, so that the police would look after that place. If there will be a monument there, it will not have good meaning. MS CRICHTON Mr Bongoza, one last question, I want to take you back a little bit to Kokstad when you were on trial. You were represented by Mr Swart. Where is he now? MR BONGOZA I do not know where Mr Swart is because since I was released I never contacted him, because when I was released I told myself that I will not agree with the Government and I was scared of the Government. MR BONGOZA Thank you Mr Bongoza. Is there anything else you wish to say to the Commission? MR BONGOZA Yes I have another request to the Commission that I sold most of my cattle to pay for Mr Swart. I would like the Commission to build a church in my area because it was only God who helped me to be released. I would like the Commission to build a church. That is my request. MS CRICHTON Thank you Mr Bongoza.