Amnesty Hearings — Umtata — 2000-03-27

MR DUKADA: Thank you, Mr Chairperson.  We are ready to proceed in the application.  Mr Chairperson, this is a preliminary, the applicant in his official application form made a statement and subsequent to that there were certain requests for further details to the statement and he also prepared individual affidavits to some of the issues raised by the member of the Committee who put questions in writing to the witness.  The affidavit which I handed to the Committee and the various legal representatives, is no more than a consolidation of various responses emanating from the affidavits.
	May the witness first be sworn, Chairperson.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you, Mr Dukada.

NELSON NKOSINATHI SIQHOLA: (sworn states)

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Dukada.

MR DUKADA: Thank you, Mr Chairperson.
	Is it correct that you are a Captain in the South African Police Force and Acting Station Commissioner for the district of Qumbu?

NELSON NKOSINATHI SIQHOLA: Yes, that is correct.

MR DUKADA: You have made an application for amnesty before this Committee.

NELSON NKOSINATHI SIQHOLA: Yes, that is correct.

MR DUKADA: And just to get your background, Mr Siqhola, if you look at paragraph 4 of your affidavit, can you just read that paragraph.

CHAIRPERSON: Sorry, I think Mr Dukada, before you proceed, you're referring to the affidavit that was handed in this morning, I think for purposes of the record, we'll call that Exhibit A.

MR DUKADA: Exhibit A, yes thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: So this affidavit that we received this morning, deposed to by the applicant, is Exhibit A.

MR DUKADA: Thank you, Chairperson, Honourable Members.
	Mr Siqhola, can you read from paragraph 4 of Exhibit A.
MR SIQHOLA
"I was born and grew up at Mvumelwano administrative area, in the district of Qumbu.  I attended my primary and higher education at Mvumelwano Primary School and Qumbu Village respectively. 	Throughout my upbringing in the district of Qumbu, I was not exposed to any political education, nor did I belong to any of the then lawfully recognised political parties in the former Republic of Transkei.  All forms of unofficial political activities were banned in Transkei.  Trade unions were also prohibited."

MR DUKADA: Yes, thank you.  And you passed your standard 10 examinations in 1979, is that correct?

NELSON NKOSINATHI SIQHOLA: Yes, that is correct.

MR DUKADA: And then you joined the then Transkeian Police Force on the 13th June 1980.

NELSON NKOSINATHI SIQHOLA: Yes, that is correct.

MR DUKADA: And you underwent your training at the Transkei Police College in Umtata.

NELSON NKOSINATHI SIQHOLA: Yes, that is correct.

MR DUKADA: And did any persons come to recruit you to join the Security Branch whilst you were undergoing training?

NELSON NKOSINATHI SIQHOLA: What kind of a group?

INTERPRETER: Will you please repeat your question.

MR DUKADA: Sorry Mr Siqhola, my question was, at the time you were undergoing training as a police recruit, did any members of the Transkeian Security Branch approach you and recruited you to join the Security Branch?

NELSON NKOSINATHI SIQHOLA: Yes.

MR DUKADA: And are you able to remember the names of the two persons who came to you whilst you were at the training college?

NELSON NKOSINATHI SIQHOLA: Yes, I can still remember their names.

MR DUKADA: Will you tell the Committee the names of those persons.

NELSON NKOSINATHI SIQHOLA: The first one was Gen Gladile, the second one was Gen Lavis.  Those were the two people.

MR DUKADA: And then after you completed your police training, there was a pass-out parade in Umtata, is that correct?

NELSON NKOSINATHI SIQHOLA: Yes.

MR DUKADA: Did anything happen to you on the day of the pass-out parade?

NELSON NKOSINATHI SIQHOLA: Yes.

MR DUKADA: Yes, could you please elaborate that to the Committee.

NELSON NKOSINATHI SIQHOLA: After leaving the stadium I was taken to the security offices on the first floor of the Botha Sigcau building.  When I arrived there with other members we were given some documents with three pages.  This document looked more like an affidavit or an oath that was supposed to mean that we were joining the South African Police Force.

MR DUKADA: No, no, sorry, I don't think the interpretation is accurate.  The witness is saying that they were joining the Transkei Security Branch, not the South African Security Force.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.

MR DUKADA: Will you please confirm that Mr Siqhola, is it correct that you were told that you had joined the Transkei Security Branch?

NELSON NKOSINATHI SIQHOLA: Yes, that is correct.

MR DUKADA: And can you read from paragraph 7.1 of your affidavit.
MR SIQHOLA
"During 1981, I attended security lectures at 6th Floor, Botha Sigcau building, Umtata.  These lectures were conducted by a certain Capt Smith of Zimbabwe.  At times Gen Lavis would lecture us.  At the lectures we were told about communism and its danger to South Africa and Transkei, in particular we were told that the African National Congress was a security threat to Transkei and South Africa."

MR DUKADA: And can you just proceed with paragraph 7.2 as well.
MR SIQHOLA
"Our lectures concentrated on ...(indistinct) tactics and strategies of combatting communism, countering of strategies of all banned organisations and exterminating all revolutionary forces in the Transkei and the Republic of South Africa, particularly the African National Congress, which we were told was waging war against the people of Transkei and South Africa.  We were also shown political video material, some videos showing the burning of human bodies by a tyre, in the townships of South Africa.  We were told that these were some of the atrocities which were committed by the ANC in its struggle for revolution in South Africa.
		During the lectures we were asked to make all endeavours to combat the activities of the African National Congress, which was then regarded as a serious threat to Transkei and the Republic of South Africa.  One of our lecturers, Mr Smith, already referred to above, would even cry during lectures and urged us to hate the ANC in particular.  I became convinced that what we were told in the lectures was correct.  I began to hate the ANC immensely."

MR DUKADA: Captain, is it correct that the Transkei Security Branch had a number of offices throughout the ...(indistinct) of Transkei?

NELSON NKOSINATHI SIQHOLA: Yes.

MR DUKADA: Each office in each district was headed by a Branch Commander.

NELSON NKOSINATHI SIQHOLA: Yes.

MR DUKADA: And in the Transkei Police Force, particularly the Security Branch, you served in the districts of Port St Johns, Lebote(?), Lady Frere, Tabankulu and Umtata.

NELSON NKOSINATHI SIQHOLA: Correct.

MR DUKADA: Was there any political activity in the districts of Port St Johns, Lebote, Lady Frere, Tabankulu?

NELSON NKOSINATHI SIQHOLA: No.

MR DUKADA: Do you recall arresting or ill-treating any person whilst stationed in these districts other than Umtata?

NELSON NKOSINATHI SIQHOLA: Not at all.

MR DUKADA: Is it your evidence before this Commission that your duties in these districts was simply to keep surveillance of certain suspects who had been identified to you by your seniors as a serious threat, as well as screening applicants for firearm licences?

NELSON NKOSINATHI SIQHOLA: Yes, that is correct.

MR DUKADA: Now Captain, is it correct that your first encounter with ANC activists was in 1984, when you were transferred from Tabankulu to the Umtata security offices?

NELSON NKOSINATHI SIQHOLA: Yes, that is correct.

MR DUKADA: And you served under Brig Dengana, at offices which were situate in Norwood suburb in Umtata.

NELSON NKOSINATHI SIQHOLA: Correct.

MR DUKADA: And is it further your evidence that there were several other senior policemen there, including Col Sifumba, Col Booi, Col Jekem, Capt Jushu, Capt Sabantu(?), Lieut Tonenge and many others you cannot recall at this stage?

NELSON NKOSINATHI SIQHOLA: Correct.