hrvtrans HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, SUBMISSIONS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 1997-04-10 TZANEEN MATIAS M NKWAMBA 0580 https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=55987&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/hrvtrans/tzaneen/tzankwam.htm DR ALLY FATHER GALVIN Opens proceedings with a prayer and a hymn. DR ALLY MISS SEROKE DR RANDERA Mr Nkwamba, good morning. Mr Nkwamba can you hear me? MR NKWAMBA Yes, I can hear you. DR RANDERA Good morning to you and welcome. Can you please... (interrupted) MR NKWAMBA Thank you. DR RANDERA Can you introduce the lady who is with you this morning? MR NKWAMBA Loi, this is my wife. DR RANDERA MR NKWAMBA (sworn states) DR RANDERA Thank you very much. Mr Nkwamba we are with your story going back to 1985 to a place called Lulekane. You are going to tell us what happened to you and to your community in that area. We have of course got your statement but please take your time and tell us what happened in 1985. MR NKWAMBA DR RANDERA MR NKWAMBA I can hear you, the Honourable Chairperson. DR RANDERA .We will take whatever documentation you have afterwards. I would just like to ask you some questions please. MR NKWAMBA Thank you. DR RANDERA MR NKWAMBA DR RANDERA Thank you, Sir. I just want to follow that up with a few other questions. You say in your statement again that you had applied to be the Chief of this area, to the Central Pretoria Government and then subsequently, Chief Minister Etswanisi came and installed himself as the Chief. Was that again a common thing that happened in this area where suddenly a Minister of Government comes and declares himself the Chief of the area? MR NKWAMBA DR RANDERA MR NKWAMBA DR RANDERA MR NKWAMBA DR RANDERA Thank you. The last question. Again from your statement you said that when your property was burning and this was being done by community members, the police stood by at a distance and watched. Now by this do you mean that the police were unable to control the crowds or were the police supportive of the whole situation? MR NKWAMBA DR RANDERA Thank you. Joyce! MS SEROKE Mr Nkwamba, are you still living in, in this farm Kwagga, or is it still called Kwagga? MR NKWAMBA MR MANTHATA Mr Nkwamba, did I hear you well that you did apply to the Magistrate to be a Chief ? MR NKWAMBA MR MANTHATA As you put it that you did a lot for the people, I guess you could have put up schools, you could have put up clinics but one area that is still a problem is the one that you referred to of witchcraft. Where you are saying two children were assumed to have been burnt down in a house. How did you handle that problem? MR NKWAMBA MR MANTHATA I just wanted to hear your response to the question. The rest we quite appreciate, you know, how much you did for the people. MR NKWAMBA Mr Chairperson, can you please repeat your question? MR MANTHATA MR NKWAMBA MR MANTHATA To understand you clearly Mr Nkwamba. Are we saying that the problems largely between you and Etzwanise and not between you and the central government? That is, not between you and the apartheid government? MR NKWAMBA MR MANTHATA No further questions. DR ALLY