hrvtrans HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION HEARINGS 1996-06-26 WORCESTER 3 https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=56160&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/hrvtrans/worcest/ct00230.htm CASE NO: CT/00234 VICTIM: MZIKHAYA MKHABILE VIOLATION: TORTURE ON ROBBEN ISLAND TESTIMONY FROM: MZIKHAYA MKHABILE TAPE STARTS IN THE MIDDLE OF QUESTIONS MR MKHABILE After three months, two months we were released. MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA Could you please explain to us the reasons and the causes why you were arrested? Please give us a clear picture of what happened in 1960. MR MKHABILE MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA Which month was it in 1960. MR MKHABILE MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA Is it the only one because you gave us the other dates and months. MR MKHABILE I think this is the only one, you can forget ... MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA Do you still remember the month in 1960? MR MKHABILE I remember the day that we were there, it was on a Saturday. MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA Was it in March? MR MKHABILE MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA Okay lets go on. From there you were severely assaulted in the van and can you show us exactly where you were injured? MR MKHABILE I was injured on my ear, my right ear. MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA I can see there is a scar but what else happened in your ear other than the scar which you now have? MR MKHABILE There was nothing ever wrong with my ears at that time. MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA Could you please explain to me after you were severely beaten and released from prison, what happened in 1961 and 1962. MR MKHABILE In 1961 there was nothing going on but in 1962 in May, people were arrested and detained. Every week people were being arrested and being assaulted in May, June, July, September and October and all these people were never brought to trial. We felt that we were going to be finished off by this kind of treatment by the police. In the end we felt that we wanted the police to release the people who had been detained. MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA We would like you to explain to us, as you are saying each and every time you were coming from work you would get arrested, why were you arrested, what was the reason for your arrest every day? MR MKHABILE They said there was an atmosphere that was leading to chaos, which could lead to anything and they were in a hurry to arrest us. They just took people and they wanted people to explain what was going on exactly with this atmosphere of unrest. MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA As you are saying people were electrocuted and caned, can you please try to explain to us who these people were severely treated by the electric wires and the mountain. MR MKHABILE MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA This place known as Bo-Paarl that you are telling us about, were there houses there where people were taken to? MR MKHABILE XHOSA - NO TRANSLATION MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA As you were going to march was it to protest and ask for the release of those who were arrested? MR MKHABILE We as men went out to try and tell the people that we wanted, there were many of us who went along to the chief, some of us went to the police station and I was amongst the group that went to the police station. On our way there before we actually reached the police station we came across a van which came in between the marchers and said we should stop. Somebody called Bloem Makileni was taken, was shot and somebody else was actually shot by someone called David Mfeni, he was David Mfeni, he was shot. We were put in the cells and when we came to the police station there were many police standing outside the police station. Nobody actually said what they were doing or asked what we wanted, we just stood there. We wanted to get out of the town altogether. The place was surrounded by police and we were arrested. We were taken to the police station and kept there. There were very many of us. After that we were taken to Roeland Street Prison in Cape Town. At this place in Roeland Street we stayed for some time and then again sent to Worcester. At Worcester we were kept in the very old jail and there again we were severely beaten. I was also shackled at my feet and had the handcuffs on my wrists. I was tied between two chairs, the sticks were put between my knees and I was pushed and pushed and I was also pushed against the wall and my head was hit against the wall. During this time I was punched continually. I was suspended by my handcuffs which were connected to these sticks and I was being swung backwards and forwards and my head was hitting the wall. They then took the handcuffs off me and the shackles off my feet. I was covered with blood and my face was very swollen. They left and then they returned again and said, right are you going to talk now? I remained silent. They came with a sack and they put this sack over my head and then they tied the sack on with a rope around my head. Some were at the other end of the wall, some were pulling the rope and they said leave it, so those on the other side left the rope and I was struck down and lost consciousness. I woke up in another cell and my ears were bleeding heavily. There was ten of us and they let us out in the early hours of the morning. As I was looking around even those who were around me were severely injured. We were taken into a place for water and told that we must drink. I was feeling very thirsty so I drank and I tried to wash my ears. We were then taken back to the cells. Those who were severely injured today were taken to us who were beaten before. That is where the injuries to my ears started, my deafness started there. It was in December 1962 here in Worcester. MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA When was your case? MR MKHABILE The third one was charged, he received 12 years imprisonment and two were discharged. We were taken to jail and we slept there. The following morning we were given shorts to wear and we were taken to the docks. We were handcuffed arm to arm and leg to leg and then we were severely beaten. After we arrived in the docks we were handed over to the Robben Island police and put into a boat. When we reached there we were severely beaten again. When we arrived in the prison we had to take off the clothes which we were given in Paarl and we were given others. We got tickets as well. The following day we were deployed. There were Boers by the names of Kleynhans and van der Berg who beat us severely and mercilessly. I received this scar on top of my eye from van der Berg as well as the scar on my head. MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA Sorry, you spoke of a scar on top of your eye, who beat you there because it is visible? MR MKHABILE Kleynhans and van der Berg were the ones. MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA And the one on top of your mouth, was that van der Berg? MR MKHABILE MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA Could you please show us the scar. MR MKHABILE The scar is visible. MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA Are you trying to say that these people were beating you and which object did they use? MR MKHABILE They used big knopkierries. MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA Can you tell us how you were tortured and assaulted while you were at Robben Island? MR MKHABILE Will you excuse me? By the time I arrived at Robben Island we were given clothes and we were deployed around the police station. All the new arrivals were under the command of Pieter Kleynhans. Pieter Kleynhans was in charge of the field known as Langbou. Under the guard of Kleynhans we took wheelbarrows with iron wheels and we had to dig until white sand appeared and then we had to plant plants there. Pieter said that he wanted all the drivers to come forward, some did and he showed them the Robben Island lorries. We took our wheelbarrows and our spades and we worked there. We were beaten while we were working. We came back in the late afternoon and the following day it was back to work again. They beat me on my head with a big knopkierrie, I fell on my mouth and when I tried to get up they beat me again, twice in the waist and my other leg felt numb. They told me to put the wheelbarrow aside which I tried to do and they told me to come with them. The supervisors then came along with spades. Pieter Kleynhans handcuffed me. They dug a grave and with my hands behind my back they put me in this grave with only my head sticking out. They tried to close the grave. He took his knopkierrie and pushed it into my penis, then he urinated into my mouth and I swallowed the urine. MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA MR MKHABILE MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA MR MKHABILE Here are these scars. MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA So you had to sleep with your wounds and your sores that emerged as a result of this treatment? MR MKHABILE I never received treatment for any of these wounds, never. MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA MR MKHABILE I then went on and was still being beaten by someone called van der Berg. By this time I was completely deaf in my one ear but the other one was still managing to hear somewhat. This other ear of mine hears a little. We wanted Verwoerd himself come and answer two questions, are we political prisoners or are we prisoners, this is what we wanted Verwoerd to answer. We were on hunger strike for two weeks and then the supervisor of the jail asked for a few persons to come and talk to him and we were told that the leaders that had caused these disturbances would be locked up in jail. MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA We thank you very much. I would like to ask you a few questions firstly, are there any people that you can remember by name of those who were arrested within Paarl? MR MKHABILE I would first like to make this request because some people that I was arrested with at that time who were on Robben Island have been hanged since then and some of them who were at Victor Verster also hanged, hanged by the state, sentenced to death. I will talk about one of them that was at Worcester. James Henries came to me at that time we ... MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA At the time you were there did you meet the State President? MR MKHABILE MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA The last question, you told us about lorries, Robben Island lorries and that people who are able to drive were given lorries, can you explain to us what the lorries were doing on Robben Island? MR MKHABILE These lorries were wheelbarrows, they were just making fools of us as there were no lorries only wheelbarrows. MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA We thank you very much Mr Mkhabile for your report. When did you meet your wife? MR MKHABILE I met her in 1976. MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA By the time you were release you had reached the stage to take a wife? MR MKHABILE I had no other way. MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA _________________ They told us that you loved to sing. MR MKHABILE I used to but ever since I became deaf I lost interest. ________________ ________________ MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA ... my colleagues if there is anything. Mary? MS BURTON Mr Mkhabile the time that you were so involved in Paarl and in Worcester was a time when ... was very strong, were a supporter of ....? Maybe Pumla can translate. MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA MR MKHABILE Yes I was involved. MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA Seemingly they are finished but I would like to ask you a last question. What would like the Commission to do, what would your wish from this Commission be? MR MKHABILE MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA MR MKHABILE MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA