Human Rights Violation Hearings — Pietermaritzburg — UNKNOWN

WITNESS:   Then he told us that as we were there we had come to be trained to kill all the members of the UDF, because it had been sent by the ANC to render the country ungovernable, and it wanted to overthrow the ruling government, whilst at the same time killing Inkatha members.  And he played some videos which showed people being killed and tortured.  And he showed us that these were our brothers, and we could even see the places at which these attacks took place.  We could identify the places.  At that time all of us were crying by then, and we were filled with so much hatred because we saw a lot of people being burnt down, being necklaced, and we were told at the same time that these were our brothers.  He further went on to tell us that we were not going to spend a lot of time at the camp.  We were supposed to go out and kill whatever was aligned to the UDF.

INTERPRETER:  Please take your time.  If you need some water please help yourself there.  (Pause)  If you're ready please continue.

WITNESS:   After Webber had left we were given pump action guns or shotguns.  That's when we were trained to shoot, and they realised that we were now champions and we did everything that we were told.  But it was hardly a week we were always shown these brutal videos.  No week lapsed without us being shown the video cassettes where our brothers were being killed by the UDF members.  On the fifth week we were given IDs with our ID photos, as well as force numbers - my force number was S914442W - and we were told that the following week we would leave the camp.  That was the sixth week and we were supposed to come back.  We were transported in buses from Cape Town, and we arrived at Imbali Hostel in 'Maritzburg, where our accommodation had been arranged.

INTERPRETER:  Who was your commanding officer?

WITNESS:   I'll explain as I go on further.

INTERPRETER:  Please continue.

WITNESS:   We got to Imbali Hostel.  That's where our accommodation had been arranged, and we were placed under the commander, Lieutenant Lang, who was a station commander at Plessislaer.  The duties that were assigned to us were that we should guard the homes of Amakhozi as well as the IFP officials.  Within six months under Lang we were told that we were going to work under Riot Unit Eight, which was under Captain Deon Terblanche.

INTERPRETER:  Which places did you serve guard duty at?  Whose houses?

WITNESS:   We guarded Nsikayezwa Zondi's house, as well as Ngoya at KwaSayeka, as well as a Chief Gavaza in Bomvini, as well as Chief Shayabantu Zondi, Chief Ngcobo and Mafunze, as well as David Ntombela's house.

INTERPRETER:  Please continue.

WITNESS:   When Captain Deon Terblanche came he told us that he was in command, and that we knew our duties that we should finish off the people who were attacking the IFP because they were planning to overthrow the government.  We continued to work under the captain, and he always told us that whenever there was a fight that broke out we should always side with the Inkatha members.  Even when we got guns that were possessed by Inkatha members we should not take them.  But if they were possessed by UDF members we should take them.  Even if we could shoot or kill the people we should not worry about prosecution.  That's exactly what we did when we worked with the Riot Unit Eight.  We used to go to places where there were fights and we would assist the IFP.  Whenever there were people who died during these fights we took those people in our vans and we would throw them at the mortuary, and no one would be arrested.  On this particular day we were working with Warrant-Officer Peens at Richmond.  We came across schoolchildren who were boycotting classes, and Warrant-Officer Peens gave a directive that we should shoot the children with No 5 rounds.  He also took part in the shooting.  So many children were injured.  Although the case was reported, but it's never proceeded to court.  It was alleged to have been finalised in August.  The situation became very tense in Hammarsdale.  Major Deon Terblanche collected us and he divided us into two platoons.  He told us that we were going to work at Richmond and some others were left in 'Maritzburg.  We were told that we were going to work in Mpumalanga township.  We were also given our commanders.  Our commander was Lieutenant van den Heever, Sergeant Roos, as well as Constable Willem de Wet and Constable Bhengu.  We were taken to Mpumalanga.  Before we were taken there we were taken to our commanders.  That's where we got Captain Brian Mitchell.  We were taken to Mpumalanga location.  That's where we were put in twos in certain IFP officials' houses, as well as other prominent members of the IFP - Sipho Mlaba, Zakhele Nkehle, as well as Mrs Ngoma.  I was in one of the houses that was usually attacked at ... (inaudible) ... that is Ndlovu's place on the border of Georgedale in the township.  The situation was tense.  Houses were being burnt.  There were funerals every day.  It was very difficult to assess the situation and say how many people had died, because whenever a person was shot he would be picked up by members of his clan, so that the members of the opposite party wouldn't know how many people had died.  At times we would be ferried in a lorry and we would go around patrolling the areas, and at times we would be travelling on foot.  Whenever we came across a UDF member we would torture you.  We would even tell a person to join the IFP.   Whenever there was anyone who was shot the first person who used to come was Willem de Wet.  Willem de Wet used to call Captain Terblanche.  And when Captain Terblanche came he said there was no problem, we can just continue with the killing.  Then at sunset we would be told to go back to the houses that we were guarding.  Then in December 1988, it was Christmas time.  That's where many members or followers of the UDF came.  Some were coming from Georgedale, some were coming from Samkhonto(?) area.  They came to the Mpumalanga location.  They came shooting already, and whilst we were still confused - that was myself and Bongani, who was my partner at Ndlovu's place -luckily Willem de Wet approached at the very same moment.  He was in a red kombi.  He told us that we should get out of Ndlovu's place and we should launch a counter-attack.  He gave us live ammunition called LG as well as SSG.

INTERPRETER:  What kind of a kombi was it that he came in?

WITNESS:  It was a Ford Husky.

INTERPRETER:  Was it a red Husky?

WITNESS:   That is correct.