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 after stabbing this other girl, the youth - the ANC Youth were very angry with this - released this girl. They took her clothes off and they marched her up and down the township naked. And that’s where my husband objected to what the youth did. Saying that, that was very unbecoming. And Nelson Mandela wherever he was, would never agree with this, because it was a disgraceful act. You cannot march a lady up and down naked in the township, that is very disgraceful, he didn’t like it.
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 he even said to them if you don’t understand what I am saying, that this is a disgraceful act, I will do my best to satisfy you, by calling some members of the ANC. I’ll phone Oudtshoorn, I’ll phone Cape Town and ask if this is correct, because this I do not like, I just want to confirm with them if this is not right. They said he could go ahead, but it was clear that they were not happy - they didn’t admit that and that’s when the conflict between him and the youths started.
This continued - he was phoning the members of the ANC and they agreed that they would come to sort this out, because they didn’t agree with it. Because they also said this was bad and they said they would come for sorting this out and then [indistinct] out ways of disciplining one another.
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.
Didn’t see anything but we saw group of youth going up and down toi-toiing. He went out and I followed him, I was still in my nightie and my overall because it was still very early. He was not going to work that Saturday. I went out - I followed him, it so happened that he went to our neighbour. He went to the back and talked to the neighbour and I followed him and we stood there together, we just watched the youth as they were toi-toiing.
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.
And then I went back, I didn’t see anything. I came back stood next to my husband as I was standing there - the other children came and said the comrades are looking for my father, we are very scared and we all stood there, we were watching the toi-toi going on and as I was standing there, my kids were apparently hungry they would go to the house and come back quickly and they’d say there is my father’s car going away. And then I followed and then indeed my father - my husband’s car was being pushed out of the yard into some open space and then they ignited it.
Then I went back to my husband, who was still watching, I went back to him as he was watching. I stood next to him again as we watched and then we saw it in flame, I said phone the police, you don’t know what’s going to happen after this. They said okay let me try - at my neighbours house, I won’t even go to my house and indeed he went into the house and the neighbour gave him the phone and he phoned the police. He phoned Plettenberg police station and then they said they were coming, but they didn’t come.
And whilst we were waiting for the police, one of the children said to - can you see the smoke coming from my house, I did go and the smoke was coming out and there was nothing I could do. I was scared of going in, turned back to my husband and said the house is smoking, it’s being set on fire. I don’t know who set it on fire, but there are a few who were going back to join the toi-toi and I was sure they were the ones who burned the house.
As soon as I told him, he went back into the neighbours house and phoned the police again and told them that they - his house was on fire and I told them we didn’t know what was going to happen after this, he pleaded with the police to come and he came out. I said to him, man you shouldn’t come out, you should remain inside, I’ll remain inside, he refused. He came out and stood with us outside.
And as we were standing, the toi-toi was increasing, the more and more youth coming to join it, and I said to him, seeing that the Plettenberg Bay police are not coming, call police from any other place, because we don’t know what’s going to happen. So he went in again, phoned the police. He said he would call the police from George and I’ll just call all the police and I urged him on, saying that I didn’t know what was going to happen.
Indeed he phoned but the police didn’t come. But after he phoned them he would come out - go in and phone and come out and watch - at one stage when he came out there were some young men who were coming to me and they asked me for my husband.
I said where - who was - I said he was just around, and unfortunately he was already out of the hut and he was in front of the neighbours hut and this young men went for him, the three of them, Sishuba, Tyki and Sabata, there is a fourth one whom I didn’t know but Totomansi my witness knows.
I knew only the three and when they got to him they didn’t ask any question, they chopped him with a kapmes three of them with this new kapmesse and they kap him and they struck him at his shoulder, on his back, the other one on his stomach, the other one on his face and then when I - when Sabata struck the second blow, he hit him on his head. And he blacked and he fell.
MS SEROKE
Let’s wait for a while Thobeka, who’s crying.
MS MASEKO
It’s my daughter.
MS SEROKE
Who’s this one next to you?
MS MASEKO
It’s my son.
MS SEROKE
Is that your son?
MS MASEKO
Yes it’s my son.
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
When he fell down, I tried to lift him up, and he said get [indistinct] if there is something I’ve done against you, forgive me, and they ran away. I tried to lift him up but I couldn’t manage. And when I couldn’t I left him lying on the ground and the blood was flowing in a big pool now. I left him there, I went up.
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.
My husband has been struck with kapmesse and they asked where he was, I said come I’ll show you, they came. They followed me, they left the vans and we went down on foot. When we got there - he was - they would just saw this pool of blood, he was not there anymore. I said let’s go to the house, the house was still smouldering but it was - and we found him below the house and he had lost his consciousness - but he was still living. He was still alive.
And then they started rushing now and they hurried to the toi-toiers and I said it’s useless, all I want is for you to safe my husbands life, take him to hospital please. This one policeman took him, the other ones who had come with the vans, had gone to fetch the vans and the vans had come, the one policeman took him and lifted him and we got into the van. He said one word whilst we were in the van, he said what have I done to my people. I didn’t know how to answer him.
When we got to the doctor, this policeman, I went off - I alighted and this policeman said come Nelson let me support you, he didn’t stand up, he didn’t move, the policeman went back into the van, lifted him and brought him down. I tried to call him [indistinct] he was not responding but he was still alive. And so we came and the two doctors were there they tried - they tried to sew up the cuts but the blood couldn’t be stopped. They asked me to sit down and I sat down - they asked for some tablets, I was given five tablets to take.
And Dr Benning called for an ambulance and I said could I go, they said no I couldn’t go. I said please I want to go, they said no I’ll go and see him later and then I remained, the ambulance took him away.
There was a white person from the farm who - who - when there was someone in the community, who’s house has been burned we would talk to this white person, because he had a firm of planks he was - and then he would provide the person with planks. And they - this white person took him as his customer, they knew each other very well. He would go in his van to get some planks to built for the person who’s house was being burnt and this white person said to his wife, his wife was there, he instructed the wife t go with me to the township to go and look for my children.
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.
I took them and this white lady said Ms Maseko it’s better that I take you to the farm, then I can take you to the hospital later. And she said let me - let me buy - buy me - let me buy you some clothes because we didn’t have clothes all of us she bought us some clothes and when we got to her farm, she said we could take a bath and we took a bath and put on the clothes, the new clothes, the clothes she had bought for us. And we stayed for a while and they prepared food for us.
At about five o’clock in the afternoon towards sunset, whilst I was waiting there with my kids, this white lady came together with the doctor who attended to my husband, Dr Benning, she gave me more tablets. And then after that she said Ms Maseko, Nelson has passed away in George.
MS BURTON
Ms Maseko this is very hard for you - this is very-very sad - very-very painful but we don’t want to revive your pain, but it’s necessary now that we take out all the pain.
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
We’ll take a break then and give you a chance. We very sad - we very-very sad.
MS BURTON
Ms Maseko has asked that we take a break now, so since it’s lunchtime, I think we will stop now for lunch and you are very welcome to return at two o’clock and we will continue with the proceedings.
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
They told me that he has passed away, he didn’t die at Knysna where we sent him to, to hospital, when he arrived to Knysna they rushed him to George. That’s where he died in the hospital.
After they told me this news, they said my family must be with me in the farm, it was very difficult to find my family and relatives. Because each and everyone who was against the whole thing that had happened, the comrades had promised to kill them. The only person that I could find at that moment it was a [indistinct] Bhoko’s wife, he was my best friend - husbands best friend. He was also affected by this, his house was burnt down and his furniture and also his car. It was only his wife who was nearer to me she was by my side, they took me took this farm.
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.
She said she’ll try her best to contact them, they must be here. I said it’s okay with me. To be brief she made her means, she tried to phone - to contact my children, she phoned my sister too, she was a teacher in George. In brief they all came quickly.
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.
They tried their best to go and fetch my child who was in the college in Butterworth, they tried and they succeed. She was also there, my children couldn’t take it and they couldn’t believe it that their father has been killed by ANC members. They said they will try their utmost best to find out the cause of their father’s death - they tried - they tried and tried.
They phoned the ANC branches - the branches said it’s okay, they’ll try and investigate the matter. They also tried their bests up until the day of the funeral. It was very difficult and very hard, all our relatives were on our side, the community was one our side but there were no means for them to help me because each and everyone was trying to give help - they were promising to kill them.
They said we killed Maseko and we will also kill you. But through those difficulties there were those who managed to get through and help me, the day of the funeral arrived and they say the perpetrators say they don’t want the cops, he was not going to be buried there.
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.
I am to bury here, you were also helped by my husband to get a place to stay, so there is nowhere else I am going to bury him. And he said it’s okay, he doesn’t have a problem with that.
We buried him at the end of the week, we buried my husband at Plettenberg Bay. After the funeral my children tried their best to get the reason and the cause of their fathers death. It was very difficult to find the truth, we tried to find the ANC members even in other places, those we managed to get, they tried their best and come and visit us, they tried to contact this ANC youth members unfortunately they couldn’t get any thing from them.
From those members I mention Mr Fasi and Ms Fasi from PE, Jack, that’s Mkusele Jack, they tried their utmost best, they told us they couldn’t get any evidence, they couldn’t get the reason, the cause of his death. No-one was giving them any information.
After they’ve tried very hard, my children advised - got some advice to go to the Council of Churches, it also tried it’s best to get the cause and the reason of this, unfortunately they also couldn’t make it. Maybe there was something that had caused this conflicts, maybe whites were behind all this, we don’t know, but we can’t really get the truth. But what is clear all about there is no reason why Mr Maseko was killed, they even don’t know why they were doing it now.
After that without knowing why did they kill my husband, they tried to torture me and my children, I had - I had hoped that when this thing had passed, they’ll feel sorry or they will be very much apologetic and tried to apologise. But unfortunately it wasn’t like that. I couldn’t manage to go to the farm, I tried to built a house, but they burnt it down again. And I tried to built it again and they burnt it down again.
And my relatives now said to me Ms Maseko we don’t encourage you to built a house again and stay here, can’t you try and move and stay somewhere else, I tried to listen, I moved to Knysna.
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.
That’s all.
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
No I am sorry it’s not true.
MS SEROKE
So I don’t think we would have to go through this, what I’d like to know was there any charge laid against this people because in the statement Tiki, Sabata and Sishuba and Faco have been stated. I believe he is the one who said you couldn’t identify. It is said that these people were charged, were you attending the court cases, who were the witnesses, your witnesses?
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.
We know and we understand the pain Ms Maseko, there is nothing painful seeing his car burnt down, following his house and then your husband being beaten and axed to death. And it’s very much painful also when you called the police - they just couldn’t arrive in time, and even at the end of this you couldn’t even have a peaceful stay in your area, you had to leave where you stayed and start from the beginning somewhere else.
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
I have a problem, since I lost my husband there is something that cannot comfort me, it’s always keeping me sick when my children look at where they are staying - they have always very sad, because their father had built them a home and it was destroyed and everything we had was destroyed. Now personally I do not have the energy to built them a home like the one their father built for them.
Secondly my children’s education was being paid for by him, I did not have the means and the energy to pay for their education. I have a child who passed std 10 in 1993. He stayed for about - for two years out of school but very eager to continue with this education. Till this year, his sister felt sorry for him, the sister who is in Jo’burg.
And enrolled him at the college in a Coloured area called Hornley. Where he is taking a computer course, a six months computer course. In six months R1,000-00 has to be paid plus book fees, which is - which are quite high, the sister paid the R1,000-00 for the six months and I tried the books, but I couldn’t get all of them, because each of the books cost about R60-00, I managed to buy three, I couldn’t buy the fourth one.
That’s very sad to me, that is very-very sad as he was writing exams after the six months had expired, he said mom I would like to continue and then I said my child I won’t have this R1,000-00 again for the next six months. I don’t know where - what I’ll do. He has a sister who is doing std 10 this year, my pain is that I don’t know what to do with her if she passes her Std 10.
There are other sisters coming after here, they also at school - all of them, there are five of them come after her, they also at school, I don’t have the energy to take care of these kids, I can’t do anything for them. But myself too after all this, I became very weak in health suffering from high blood. I - I only work two days a week and get R30-00 a day, nothing - no other support is coming forth and from the money that I get from the Government for food, I just add on that just to cloth them, to cloth myself - it’s very [indistinct] it’s a very [indistinct] amount, I don’t know what to do.
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
When they tried and they said they can’t get any truth.
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
I will be very happy and that’s my wish to know the cause - the death of - that causes the death of my husband because I never got the real cause up until now.
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
Unfortunately I don’t know the phone numbers, but the people who helped to investigate this who were from PE, it was Mr and Ms Fasi, Mkusele Jack from PE and the members of the Council of Churches in Oudtshoorn. I don’t know their phone numbers.
MS SEROKE
We know the others whom you’ve mentioned.
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.
