Members of Khulumani Support Group outside the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg, 16 November 2022. The members have been camping there for a month demanding reparations for victims of apartheid. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
Raped, struck with a sjambok, shot with rubber bullets and tear-gassed. Winnile Nfihlakalo Madondo suffered these abuses during apartheid and has been camping outside the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg since 18 October, demanding reparation.
Madondo (51) is one of more than 100 people who have been sleeping on the premises of the ConCourt, demanding for government to compensate them for the injuries they suffered under the apartheid regime.
A victim of police brutality, Madondo said she suffered the traumatic crimes while on her way home from work at night.
She had to jump a razor fence fleeing from the soldiers. One day, a soldier caught her and raped her. During another incident, tear gas was thrown at her, which has affected her sight ever since.
“I was working different shifts, if it was at night our transport would leave us on the street and we had to walk home. One day they hit us with the sjambok and threw tear gas at us.
“From there I had eye problems, at first I could partially see but over time I got blind,” said an emotional Madondo.
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The Galela Campaign and the Khulumani Support Group, representing over 100 000 people, are demanding that the government reopens the reparation process for apartheid victims.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), set up in 1995 through the Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act, was tasked with identifying victims of apartheid who should receive reparations.
According to GroundUp, a list of victims of gross human rights violations was drawn up in 2003, and according to the Department of Justice, 17 416 people received a once-off payment of R30 000.
However, some said they have not received a single cent and pleaded with President Ramaphosa to re-open the process and stick to the R120 000 in reparation that they were individually promised.
The Khulumani Support Group’s national coordinator, Nomarussia Bonase said it was the second time they had camped outside the ConCourt this year. She said in April they had fruitless engagements with the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola.
She said Lamola promised to provide feedback by the end of July, but was mum when the time came, despite them sending him many emails.
“Always the answer from the department of justice is that he is going to meet with the president and the portfolio committee on a way forward,” Bonase said.
Bonase said they would not leave the ConCourt until the government provides the promised reparation benefits of educational support, housing benefits and medical benefits for those who suffered long-term injuries.
“We need compensation for the hardships we endure while camping outside trying to speak to them. We need a scheduled date for this meeting saying that we are starting now the negotiation processes of opening the doors for correcting the wrongs of the TRC,” said Bonase.
Most of the members of the sleep-in protest are elderly people with poor health conditions.
One elderly woman fainted on Thursday morning – an ambulance was called but did not arrive. She is now struggling to speak and has been lying on the cardboard box she sleeps on for hours.
They complained that the Constitutional Court now locks their bathrooms at knock-off time. They have to wait until 9am the next day to relieve themselves.
They said the employees at the ConCourt influenced other neighbouring buildings to prevent the group from using their toilets.
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