Ucuku Olwenziwa ngoPasi Luzwisa Ubuhlungu Project #3

Hey bro! l got your number on facebook and l  was  touched about you re-writing our history and keeping the records of our afflictions as the  Mthwakazi nation. In short I was born, bred and matured in Matabeleland South my district is Plumtree. In 1984 l was doing my form one aged 16. My schooling had been disrupted due to war  that we all thought was a  war of liberation but actually later became a war that brought slavery to us. During the gugurahundi era l was still a student as I have said, but l was kicked, beaten, gun butted, made to roll on the ground, forced to pin my finger on the ground while spinning and being kicked by the soldiers.

I didn't understand their language. I became  unlucky four times to find myself on the wrong side of  those monsters. On another occasion l was forced to carry a big rock and to run around a big tree whilst my friend and classmate was given a big rod to sjambock me at the back, whilst they laughed. All this happened on our way from school while we were in  school uniform.

Another thing that is still fresh in my mind is when l came from school and found my mom in tears, saying soldiers had beaten her severely and nearly killed her because of the lid of a bucket on which l had drawn different types of guns, she said the soldiers   didn't believe  that it was  a student who drew the guns. Also because my father was working in South Africa and l wore South African shoes/tekkies and this made me to be a victim. There is a long list of things these soldiers did, on another occasion when we were going to Thekwane High School  for sports ClOs didn't believe I was a student and escorted me till they saw me boarding  the school bus.

I hope one day things will be alright so that we also can be comforted. Wounds heal but our hearts have not stopped bleeding.

Ndebele translation

Sakubona bhudi. Ngithole inombolo yakho yocingo kuFacebook. Ngithintekile ngendlela osincenda ngayo ukuthi sibhale imbali yethu njalo sitsho okwasehlelayo siyisizwe sikaMthwakazi. Ngamafitshane mina ngizalwe ngakhulela esifundazweni seMatebeleland South indawo yakithi yiPlumtree. Ngo 1984 ngangikubanga lakuqala esikolo sebanga langaphezulu, ize nje ngasengileminyaka elitshumi lasithupha. Lokhu kwenziwa yikuthi ukufunda kwethu kwakuphanjaniswe yimpi esasicabanga ukuthi yimpi yenkululeko kodwa eyajika yaba yimpi eyaletha ubugqili kithi. Ngesikhathi segugurahundi ngangingu mtwana wesikolo njengoba sengitshilo kodwa ngakhahlelwa,  ngatshaywa ngombobho, kwathiwa kangigiqike phansi, kwathiwa ngihlabe phansi ngomunwe ngapha ngibhoda ndawonye amasotsha engikhahlela.

Ngangingaluzwa ulimi ababelukhuluma.
Ngaba lomnyama wokuhlangana labothubayi laba kwaze kwaba kane. Ngesinye isikhathi bangiphoqa ukuthi ngibhode isihlahla esikhulu ngithwele ilitshe elikhulu ngapha umgane wami esasifunda sonke bethe angitshaye ngomchilo sankomo elimayo. Bona babehleka ngaleso sikhathi. Konke lokhu kwenzeka nje sisendleleni ebuya esikolweni siqgoke impahla zesikolo.   


Okunye okusangihlupha emcabangweni yilapho engafika khona ngivela esikolweni ngathola umama wami ekhala. Wayekhala ethi amasotsha amtshaye acitsha ambulala bemtshayela imibhobho engangiyidwebe esivalweni sebhakede. Wathi bebengamkholwa nxa ebatshela ukuthi zidetshwe ngumtanakhe ofundayo.

Ngoba ubaba wami wayesebenza eSouth Africa ngangigqoka izicathulo lamathenesi ayebonakala ukuthi lawa ngawe South Africa lokhu lakho kwakusenza ngizithole sengihlukunyezelwa khona. Zinengi izinto lamasotsha egugurahundi azenzayo. Ngesinye isikhathi ngangisiya emdlalweni esikolweni seThekwane ngahlangana lamaCIO. Abazange bakholwe ukuthi ngingumtwana wesikolo. Bangiphelekezela baze bayofika lami esikolo ukuze babona ukuthi ngigada ibhasi yesikolo sibili.

Asethembe ngelinye ilanga kuzolunga lathi siduduzeke. Izilonda ziyaphola kodwa inhliziyo azikaxoli.


To share your stories about what happened during gugurahundi horrors email veapndlovu@gmail.com or Whatsapp +27824407756. Anonymity guaranteed if requested.