Amnesty Hearings — Durban — 1998-03-26

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: On the first day, on Saturday, a Ndlovu boy was shot and killed in the scrap yard.  This happened after Zikhali has brought the ANC boys, like Schoolboy, in the location.  The Eshowe police came there and instead of making arrests, they just continued shooting.  Mr Zikhali thereafter drove off and left the scene.  Nobody was arrested there.  This happened during the day.

MR ALBERTS: Regarding the killing of this boy ...(intervention)

MR MALAN: Were you there, did you see this?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: Yes, I was present.  I saw it happening.

CHAIRPERSON: Just stop there.  When this man came into the area with other people was there a fight between his people and the people in the area?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: Yes, a fight would ensue.

CHAIRPERSON: And was it as a result of that fight that this Ndlovu boy died?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: Yes, he died during that fight.

CHAIRPERSON: Were there other people that were involved in that fight?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: From which party?

CHAIRPERSON: You have to have two groups of people if there has to be a fight isn't it?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: It was the IFP and ANC members fighting.

CHAIRPERSON: Yes and were you part of the IFP that took part in the fight on that day when Ndlovu died?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: These boys were brought on that day and they alighted near Mr Nyawuza's scrap yard.  I was from the shop on that day and I saw this car driving past.  These boys were ten.  They walked toward the scrap yard and I then heard gunshots being fired by these boys who alighted from Zikhali's car.  Zikhali then drove off.  This IFP boy was left there.  The police arrived and intervened.  One of the ANC boys died at the scene was found by the heard boy the following day.

CHAIRPERSON: So you were not involved in that fight?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: No, I was not personally involved on that day because I did not have a firearm.

CHAIRPERSON: Alright, now it as a result of this fight that Ndlovu boy died that you people took a decision about Zikhali?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: Carry on.

MR MALAN: Sorry Mr Alberts.
	Could I just take you back.  What time of day did this happen on that Saturday?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: It was during the day, in full view of the public.

MR MALAN: And you said that the body was discovered only the next day, is that correct?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: Yes.

MR MALAN: Did you run away yourself when you heard the shots?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: Yes, I also ran away.

MR MALAN: Did you see the shooting or did you just hear the shots?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: I saw where the firing was taking place.  Not that I heard.  I ran away after Ntokozo Ndlovu of the IFP was shot.

CHAIRPERSON: You can't run away because the Ndlovu boy died because you did not know the Ndlovu boy, his body was only discovered the following day.

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: No, I did not say the body of Ndlovu was found the following day, I said the body of one of the ANC boys, who was shot when the police arrived there, was found the following day.  Ndlovu boy's body was taken by the police on the same day he was shot.

MR ALBERTS: Just to get this clear, did you see the body of the Ndlovu boy on that same day?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: Yes.

MR ALBERTS: Was that only after you went back to see what has happened after the shooting had ended?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: When I came back after the police have arrived, it was after all the shooting had ceased.  I then saw the police removing the body of this Ndlovu boy.

MR ALBERTS: Was it because of the shooting that you initially ran away?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: Yes, I ran away because of the shooting.  It was also because I knew that they were also looking for me.

MR ALBERTS: When you saw this kombi did you also see Mr Zikhali at that time?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: The car was driven by him on that day, not by his driver.

MR ALBERTS: Okay let's go back to the meeting that you had.

MR MALAN: Let me just get a bit more of the picture, the background. You say you knew they were looking for you, why were they at that stage looking for you?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: It was because I was an IFP member.

MR MALAN: But there are millions of IFP members, they weren't looking for all the IFP members were they?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: That is true.  I was a person well known in the location because I was vocal.  I used to approach people and tell them to stop what they were doing because they might find themselves in trouble in future.

CHAIRPERSON: Had you in the past attacked ANC people and that is why they were looking for you?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: Before that, we became involved in skirmishes with the ANC people.  This happened during the day and it was after the ANC members had killed a lot of people.

CHAIRPERSON: When you say we I am talking about you. I am talking about you, did you yourself ...[intervention]

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: I was involved, yes.

CHAIRPERSON: So you were known to them?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: I knew that they were looking for me because there were other people who came from Pietermaritzburg on that day.  I was a known person then.

CHAIRPERSON: And so you think that on that day they may have been looking for you?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: They did not say but I could see by their actions that they were looking for me.

CHAIRPERSON: They didn't tell you that we are looking for you, you just assumed that they were looking for you?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: This scrap yard that was attacked is where a lot of IFP members were staying.  Their houses had been burnt at Nyanini and Mr Nyawuza had given them a shelter there.  He built shacks for them there.  This is the place then, that was always attacked by the ANC members.

CHAIRPERSON: But you couldn't have seen from their actions because when the shooting took place you were away from them. There was a shooting and you hid and you looked at it. So how could you see that they were looking for you?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: I knew that they were looking for me because they had shot at me before.  This happened a day after I was chased by people with firearms.

CHAIRPERSON: The question was relating to you.  I am talking about you, how did you know that they were looking for you?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: I knew because they shot at me before.

CHAIRPERSON: Alright, carry on.

MR ALBERTS: The shooting incidents that you mentioned between you and the ANC before this incident of the Ndlovu boy, where did that take place?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: It happened in the location near Nsibande's house.

MR ALBERTS: Is that in the IFP area or in the ANC area?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: This was an IFP area.  There is also an ANC area in the location but is far.

MR ALBERTS: And how did you become involved in those shootings?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: I was involved with Mr Dlulane because I was a resident in the location.  One could not stay in the location if one was not an IFP member.  You had to move out of the area.  I stayed there because I am a boy from KwaZulu.  I had to look for myself.

MR ALBERTS: What I am trying to get at, when this previous shootings took place who was doing the attacking?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: ANC members were the ones who was doing the attacking.

MR ALBERTS: And were you shooting at them in defence?

THULANI MZOKHONA MYEZA: I was shot because I was defending myself.

MR ALBERTS: Okay let's go back to the meeting regarding Mr Zikhali, was only Mr Zikhali discussed at that meeting?