Human Rights Violation Hearings — Moutse — 1996-12-02

MR MAHLANGU: I did not agree to join them and the King said, leave him out, do not be seen in his presence and he must not be seen in your office.  I was the target number one in KwaNdebele.  The first person who was supposed to be killed before anything could take place was myself.  Yes, I was found at Matjhirini and I was detained.  My gun was taken, I was assaulted with very big stones.  A very hefty man, hefty as this man sitting here was wearing boots and he just trampled on me.  He could not do anything to me because I gave up hope and I heard the Lord telling me that he is with me.  They poured me with a five litre of petrol, but I never burnt until this day.  The second time I was poured with a two litre.  They just took it from petrol pumps at Matjhirini.  They poured it all over me.  I never burnt.  You can see I am here with you today.  They went back.  They said this man is a great believer, let us not kill him.  It would be much better to leave him alone because should it happen he dies, we are all going to die.  I looked at myself, I was under a shade.  I thanked my Lord.  I said, Lord, thank you because I am sitting here under a shade which only covers myself not everybody.  I said to him thank
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you, you have rescued me from such a bad situation.  I will never stand in front of you here and tell lies. 
 From that day then the fire started because it was rumoured around the area that I had been killed.  My relatives received the message that I have died.  One person from Matjhirini took me to the clinic and I was given medical help and I stood on myself because only two of my ribs were broken.  I said to this man who gave me a lift, thank you very much.  When I was still at the clinic I saw a large group of youth around the clinic.  The police were called by my brother's sister and the police came and dispersed the whole group.  My car was already burnt, but I was still alive.  Everything was burning.  Our houses were burnt down.  They were burnt to ashes.

RUSSELL ALLY: Thank you.  Thank you for that statement Mr Mahlangu.  Just a few questions.  When Imbokhoto was formed you said that it was widely supported, but can you tell us, at that point, what ...  You said when Imbokhoto was formed ...

CHAIRPERSON: Just, Russel please.  TV cameras please, we have agreed that we would really have the fixed cameras.  It is a bit distracting.  Sorry, can you remain fixed or sit down?  Thank you.

RUSSELL ALLY: You said Imbokhoto had wide support when it was first started, but can you tell us at that point, what were the aims of the organisation?  What did it stand for?

MR MAHLANGU: The main objective to form Imbokhoto was that KwaNdebele was just a new place and it did not have a police station.  We only had a police station at Groblersdal, Marble Hall and Sustershoek.  There were no transportation for people, there were no telephones.  Imbokhoto was formed
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so that it can negotiation on behalf of the people and protect the people because the community was really suffering from criminal activities.  You would send your daughter to the store.  When she comes back she is raped and she does not have money in her possession at all.  People were worried about such activities and we took such matters to the King and the King passed those issues to the Executive and he deemed it fit to start an organisation that will protect the community especially they children from being raped.

RUSSELL ALLY: Now, that was the original intentions, that it would substitute for a police force because you say there was no policing and it also had a council element, but after 1985/1986 would you say that Imbokhoto actually changed or did it remain the same organisation throughout this period?  In other words did its aims and objectives ever change over this period and Imbokhoto become something different?  Something that it was not, maybe, originally intended to become?

MR MAHLANGU: Imbokhoto was still the same.  In 1984 and 1985 it was registered and it was a lawful organisation and men were chosen to sit and write down the constitution, to run Imbokhoto as to the principles of Imbokhoto.  Nothing was changed, but in 1986 we were then told that Imbokhoto is assaulting people, Imbokhoto wants to take the Government.  Some of the things were done by Imbokhoto and some were not.
 At one stage the police were assaulted and their guns were taken away from them.  It was rumoured that it was Imbokhoto.  I told van Niekerk that, listen van Niekerk, Imbokhoto has never assaulted your policemen.  How could you say that Imbokhoto assaulted your people.  I said to him 
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conduct an investigation and then you will come up with a clear statement as to who did this.  The investigation was done and only two guys were found back.  People confessed that they kicked people's doors, you know, trying to implicate Imbokhoto.

RUSSELL ALLY: Why was a motion passed in the KwaNdebele Legislative Assembly in August 1986 that called for Imbokhoto to be disbanded?  What led to that feeling that people actually said that this organisation should no longer exist and although there was no official decision taken, no one really spoke against it.  What happened then that such a call should be made?

MR MAHLANGU: The Parliament made such a recommendation, but Imbokhoto never stopped existing.  It is still existing even today.  Everything can be done, but Imbokhoto is still existing.  The Parliament did not even have powers to burn Imbokhoto.  I am still a member of Imbokhoto even today.

RUSSELL ALLY: And what would you say to those people who argue that after 19 ...

CHAIRPERSON: Order please.

RUSSELL ALLY: How would you respond to those people who say after 1985 Imbokhoto became an instrument of those who wanted independence?  That it stopped being a cultural movement and it stopped protecting people, that its sole function was to intimidate and to harass those people who were opposed to independence?  How would you respond to that?

MR MAHLANGU: People who were against independence were saying Imbokhoto is at the forefront of taking power.  They said, no, we do not want Imbokhoto because we do not want independence.  There was a group saying Imbokhoto is behind
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this whole issue of taking power.  We were told that a kraal is going to be built around KwaNdebele and people are going to use passports to get out of this area.  We were told that Imbokhoto is not wanted anymore because it wants independence.  Yes, I agree with what you have just said, Imbokhoto was not engaging in the activities that it use to do at first.  It was against this law of incorporation.

RUSSELL ALLY: And the raid in Moutse on the first of January 1986, what role did Imbokhoto play in that raid where over 300 people were rounded up in places like Motete and taken to Siyabuswa.  What role did Imbokhoto play?