Amnesty Hearings — East London — 1998-04-15

CHAIRPERSON: Explain to me please what happened, you arrived there, the three of you.

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: Yes, we arrived the three of us.

CHAIRPERSON: And two of you went towards the bar as I understand it?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: When we arrived there, we parked the car.  One of us went behind and the two of us approached from the front.

CHAIRPERSON: Where did you approach to?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: We approached the front of the bar, the front of the hotel.

CHAIRPERSON: And when did you start shooting?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: I was told exactly the position from where I should operate and I, when I got out of the car, I went straight to a place where I was supposed to stand, that was a window, where I shot from.
	My fellow comrade who was going to be with me on the front side, went straight to his position of operation.

CHAIRPERSON: So, you went straight to the window you have shown us, the window of the bar?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: I went to the window, walking alongside the cars that were parked there, so that if there is anyone inside who looks through the window, he should not easily see me.
	I was not walking straight, I was walking along the cars.

CHAIRPERSON: So, were there many cars parked there that you could walk behind?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: I said this incident took place a long time ago, I don't remember how many cars were there, there were cars parked.
	I don't know if there were other cars behind the building or not.

CHAIRPERSON: And you walked to where you had been told you should operate, which is a window outside, the bar window that you have indicated, is that so?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: That is correct.  I was shooting inside the bar.

CHAIRPERSON: Is that where you started shooting, inside the bar?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: That is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: And your colleague, Mr Madasi, you have told us I think, that he went into the bar?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: He operated from the entrance of the bar, yes, I agree with you.  Even though I do not know the distance from the door and the place where he was.

CHAIRPERSON: But it was inside the door?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: Yes, he went through the door.

CHAIRPERSON: And is that where he started shooting?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: He was supposed to shoot from that point.

CHAIRPERSON: And then you gave the signal by firing shots with your revolver, that you should retreat?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: That is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: And did you stop shooting then?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: Yes, the shooting stopped, we went to the car and left.

CHAIRPERSON: So from the time you left the building, there was no more shooting?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: There were no shooting, sir.

CHAIRPERSON: So the only shooting that took place, was the shooting by you, through the window into the bar, and by Mr Madasi while he was in the bar?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: I think that is the only shooting sir, because if there was anything that took place, I would have heard.

CHAIRPERSON: Did the shooting stop when you fired the 38 revolver?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: When I shot with the revolver, I had the rifle in my other hand.  After shooting, I think my comrades heard the signal and they stopped.

CHAIRPERSON: You see, we have a plan that was prepared by the Police and we will no doubt here evidence from it, but perhaps you can explain, that there were a number of shots fired outside the door of an old building next door to the hotel?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: Can you repeat your question please?

CHAIRPERSON: There were a number of shots, apparently six of them, fired at a building next, at the door in the vicinity of the door of an old general dealer's shop, next door to the hotel?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: I do not bear knowledge of that.

CHAIRPERSON: There were a further six shots fired at the corner of the hotel, at a portion of it, which was indicated as a store?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: I do not remember that because after signalling for retreat, all of us went to the car.
	Even though a person who came a bit late, was Nqeba because he was behind the building, because we were very close to the car, we were the first to be at the car, and he came later.

CHAIRPERSON: And there is indication that somebody fired two shots in the vicinity of the blue bakkie and broke its window?  Can you say anything about that?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: A bakkie outside?

CHAIRPERSON: Yes?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: I do not remember well, because I was operating from outside, I think it must have been shots from me, because I was operating from outside the building.  I did not go inside.

CHAIRPERSON: And the photograph shows shots all over, scattered on the wall of the building, but you have told us you shot through the window into the bar?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: We were not aiming, we were rapidly shooting.  It might have happened that when I was outside, some of my bullets hit the wall before signalling for retreat.

CHAIRPERSON: If you will look at photographs 5 and 6, you will see there are many bullet marks on the wall.

ADV GCABASHE: Mr Diaho-Monaheng, do you know which side of the hotel this might be?  You are looking at the shots that were fired, or the holes in the wall.  Do you know which side of the hotel that might be?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: This is the front of the hotel, where we were according to my view.

CHAIRPERSON: How could these shots have been fired all over the wall, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, without you knowing it?  You were standing there?

ADV SANDI: Mr Diaho-Monaheng, aren't those the shots you say might have come from you?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: I said we were shooting rapidly, I shot from outside.  It might have happened that these were the shots from my gun.
	Because if you shoot and the gun jerks you, so it might have happened that when I was shooting inside, I was jerked and then they went to the wall.  That is why I have not disputed that yes, it might be some of the bullets from my gun.  I am the person who shot from outside.

ADV SANDI: And what about Nqeba, is it not also possible that some of the shots came from him?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: I would not be certain, because he was behind the building.  I don't know whether he shot or not.

CHAIRPERSON: You haven't told us that you heard any other shooting.  I have asked you about the shooting you have heard, you have told us about that.

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: That is my explanation, and I am further explaining that because I was shooting from outside, I cannot dispute that these shots might have been from my gun, because I was operating from outside.

CHAIRPERSON: You were shooting through the window?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: That is correct, I was shooting through the window, inside, but I explained that I was shooting rapidly, and when you shoot rapidly, the gun jerks you, so it might have happened that when I was  shooting, the gun jerked me and some of the bullets went to the wall.

CHAIRPERSON: I can understand the bullets in the immediate vicinity of the window, that is a perfectly reasonable explanation, but bullets way up the top of the building do not fall into that category.
	You have said there was no shooting at the other building next door where the photographs taken by the Police, and the plan, shows that there was a great deal of shooting.

MR PRIOR: Mr Chairman, I don't want to interpose, I have also photographs, other photographs of the pointing out which, and that is not the point of informing the Committee, the photographs, the clearer picture of the hotel building and this store room which I think may have been referred to as the general dealer's shop, it seems to be two distinct buildings, and I have a clear photograph of that if the Committee wishes to see that.

CHAIRPERSON: I don't intend to ask any more questions about this, I think we should take the adjournment at this stage.  Some people had been working very hard since nine o'clock.  We will take the short adjournment now.
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