Amnesty Hearings — Hammarsdale — 1998-08-12

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: So when we were from a meeting that was there with Zekele, Zekele told us that men, you must be careful, that there are people who are about to enter this township.  These people were wearing vests, white vests and they will actually wear scotch caps.  That means yours should be - would actually remove these things, or on the top and the comrades you'll actually recognise them by that and then we agreed on that and that meeting was over and then he called me aside and then he told me, the boy who was working with him was a very reliable person in the UDF, Vusi Maduna.
	Vusi Maduna when he left Clermont after a meeting with Archie Gumede before going home he used to come to Las Vegas and actually report everything that was discussed there and thereafter Zekele would call myself and Kholisi and actually give those details to us and thereafter we left Las Vegas and that all those ...[intervention]

MR WILLS: Please Mr Hlongwane, slow down.  There are certain points of clarification that I need to ask you.  This person you refer to who used to supply the information, what was his name?  The person who used to supply the information to Nkethle?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: He is Vusi Maduna from 1 South.

MR WILLS: Ja and as I understand it this person you described essentially operated as some form of spy and that he lived in the UDF area and he would supply information to Zekele Nkethle and then that information would be given to you to operate on, is that correct?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: Yes indeed, yes he was a comrade, a staunch comrade because he had a position in the UDF.

MR WILLS: But at the same time he gave information to an IFP leader?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: Yes indeed.

SISI KHAMPEPE: Mr Wills, where is 1 South, is that part of Mpumalonga?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: Yes it is another township that is here in Mpumalanga, it starts from 1 up until 6.

MR WILLS: Thank you Mr Chairperson, Committee Member.
	Okay tell us what happened when you left the meeting?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: And then Zekele then said that the person who was dressed like that must be killed and then we were going down the main road, we were actually toyi-toying doing this low dance from the meeting.  As we were coming down the road we passed the Masigani stop and when we arrived there by the ring where we were about to take the route to the station, just before then nearby Christo Vamalala's place, there was a boy who was in front of us was wearing such a tee-shirt.  His name is Nuga Maligneni.  Maligneni is the one who actually - Nugu is the one who actually was running and chasing this fellow and we asked this man why are you running away because we are also the comrades.

MR WILLS: Okay carry on?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: We asked him why are you running away because we are also the comrades and then he said no, he did not recognise us and that's when Bhani actually took out a knife and stabbed him and stabbed him once at the back and then we ...[indistinct] and then we went.

MR WILLS: Now as I understand from your evidence you asked him why are you running away because we are the comrades.  Why did you say that because you weren't the comrades?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: Yes that is what I said.

MR WILLS: Yes but why did you say that to him, what was the purpose of you saying that to him?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: We actually wanted him to confirm that he is also a comrade.

MR WILLS: So in essence you wanted to trick him into believing that you were comrades so he would reveal his identity is that correct and his political persuasion?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: Yes indeed.

CHAIRPERSON: Sorry, Mr Hlongwane, did he die?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: Yes he did die.

MR WILLS: Now as I understand your evidence, you didn't actually stab this person at all, he was only stabbed once by a person you recall by having the name of Bhani, is that right?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: Yes indeed.

MR WILLS: But clearly it was your intention together with the other members of the group that this person be killed, is that right, even though you didn't stab him?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: Yes it is the truth.

MR WILLS: Now this person, Vusi Maduna, you refer to as the spy.  Can you tell the Committee what happened to him at a later stage?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: As time went on, even on our side we did not know that even on our side there were sell outs and they actually took it that Vusi Maduna is working for us.  On one Saturday when he was actually going to have a meeting with Archie at Clermont, after I ...[indistinct] on the pass, the comrades were waiting for him and then they killed him and they burned him there and then, that's how he died.

MR WILLS: He was killed by the comrades?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: Yes indeed.

MR WILLS: The second incident you referred to is the ...[intervention]

SISI KHAMPEPE: Mr Wills before you proceed, can you give us the date or the approximate year when Mr Khaba was killed?

MR WILLS: Can you give an approximate date when this incident occurred?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: I can't but he worked - he already has worked for us indeed but I can't quite remember.

MR WILLS: I'm talking about Khaba's death, was that not during some time in 1987?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: It was early, ja it may be somewhere there, '87 or maybe at the end of '86 but it was early indeed.

MR WILLS: Is it not so that because of a number of factors -one, because of the number of incidents you'd been involved in over a very long period of time and also simply because of the lapse of time it is difficult for you to remember the exact times and dates of these incidents?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: Yes it is like that Sir.

SISI KHAMPEPE: Mr Wills, may I also ascertain approximately when his group was formed?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: In 1985.

MS KAMPEPE: Thank you Mr Wills.

MR WILLS: That was shortly after you left your, well shortly after you joined the IFP in 1985 that this group was formed and then you subsequently became the commander of this group, is that right?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: Yes indeed.

MR WILLS: Were you made the commander of this group in 1985 or was that during a later year, can you recall?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: As a person who was born here in Hammarsdale, when I arrived they actually know me.  On my arrival in that meeting and Zekele said he is happy to get a man like me, he's actually putting me ahead, he'll be my eye and that's how I became a commander.

MR WILLS: No, I know but when was that, what year was that?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: It was 1985.

MR WILLS: Now the next incident you had an involvement in was the death of Minz Khanyile during 1987 at Wozonanzo H.P. School in Unit 1 North in Mpumalanga.  Do you recall that incident?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: Yes indeed.

MR WILLS: Can you tell the Members of the Committee and the members of the community present what you recall about that incident?  What happened?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: We left at four and then we went at Bhani and from Bhani's we went home, we were just checking where UDF is and what is it doing and then we went to Induzuma.  The ones are - there's a duplication of ones and there's a duplication of twos.  There is 1 South and 1 North.  That person from 1 South doesn't enter 1 North.

MR WILLS: Why is that?  Can you just tell us - 1 North, what is that area.  Is that the area for the UDF or the - 1 North is a UDF area or an IFP area?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: 1 North - a dog, whatsoever, a cat, everything there is an IFP thing.

MR WILLS: 1 North was that a UDF area or an IFP area?  Which was the UDF area, 1 North or 1 South?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: Staunch IFP, 1 North is a place of the IFP members and 1 South, everything belonging there, whatever you meet on the street, you're meeting ANC.

MR WILLS: That's 1 South?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: 1 South.

MR WILLS: Yes, okay, continue?