Amnesty Hearings — Vereeniging — 1999-01-25

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: That is correct.

MR STRYDOM: Did you see him during the attack?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: No.

MR STRYDOM: If he was there just before and during the attack would you have seen him?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: That is correct.

MR STRYDOM: At that time did you know where he was?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: I know he was at home.  I'm referring to Natal.

MR STRYDOM: I've got no further questions, thank you.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MR STRYDOM

CHAIRPERSON: Yes thank you.  Yes Ms Pretorius?

MS PRETORIUS: Thank you Mr Chairman.  At this stage when this attack took place you were only 17 years old, is that correct?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: I was thirteen years old.

MS PRETORIUS: Do you know how Victor Kezwa died?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: No.

MS PRETORIUS: Why did you have only the clothes you were wearing when you went to Kwamadala Hostel, what was the reason for that?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: It's because I ran away from the township, I could not go back to fetch my clothes.  Had I gone to Sharpeville, who knows, I would have been killed and my parents could not even bring me clothes because they were always being threatened.

MS PRETORIUS: I've no further questions, thank you.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MS PRETORIUS

CHAIRPERSON: Yes Mr da Silva?

MR DA SILVA: May it please you Mr Chairman.
	Mr Mkwanazi, you testified that you saw two military vehicles.  Could you explain where you were when you saw these vehicles?  You say you saw them after the attack.  Can you explain more or less where you were after the attack?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: We were retreating from Boipatong, we were at an open space.  Now these vehicles approached from the Vanderbijlpark direction.  Themba Mabote shot at these vehicles, they drove off leading to Sebokeng.

MR DA SILVA: So do I understand your evidence that you were in an open veld between Boipatong and Frikkie Meyer Boulevard, that's the road that leads between Sebokeng and Vanderbijlpark?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: That is correct.

MR DA SILVA: Now when you saw this vehicles, let me just clarify this, there's a road Noble Boulevard that is between Boipatong and the factories.  Did you see these vehicles any stage on Noble Boulevard or did you see them only on the road which is between Kwamadala Hostel and Boipatong?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: I saw them in the main road.

MR DA SILVA: Now when you saw them were they in the vicinity of the robots?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: That is correct.

MR DA SILVA: When you saw them the first time is that where you saw them, in the vicinity of the robot?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: That is correct.

MR DA SILVA: And you say Mr Mabote shot at them and then they moved off in the direction of Sebokeng, in other words in a northerly direction?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: That is correct.

MR DA SILVA: Now if you saw them the first time in the vicinity of the robots, what makes you believe that they came from Vanderbijlpark?  Is that not an assumption you're making?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: No, I saw them approaching from Vanderbijlpark and they wanted to stop us.  Themba Mabote shot at them, they moved from where they were parked, that is close to the robots and they headed for Sebokeng.

MR DA SILVA: But if you saw them the first time in the vicinity of the robots, what makes you believe that they came from Vanderbijlpark, in other words from a southern direction?

CHAIRPERSON: He said in his evidence that when he saw they were approaching from the Vanderbijlpark direction, is that not what he's saying?

MR DA SILVA: Mr Chairman I ...[intervention]

CHAIRPERSON: Unless there's something that I've missed here.

MR DA SILVA: Mr Chairman I asked him specifically this to try and establish why he says they came from the Vanderbijlpark area and I asked him specifically where did he see them the first time.  He says he saw them at the robots.  That is not from the Vanderbijlpark direction, Mr Chairman, this is why I'm trying to follow this up to try and clarify this.  Is your evidence, I understood your evidence to be that you saw them in the vicinity of the robots the first time?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: That is correct.

MR DA SILVA: My instructions are that they never came from Vanderbijlpark.  Is it possible that you made an assumption that they came from the Vanderbijlpark direction?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: There are two streets.  There's a four way stop in the middle, cars approach from Vanderbijlpark in the northerly direction, that's why I'm certain that they were approaching from Vanderbijlpark heading towards the north.

MR DA SILVA: Why do you say you're certain they were coming from Vanderbijlpark?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: I saw them on the left side of the road from Vanderbijlpark.

MR DA SILVA: But could it not be that they just parked there, it doesn't mean that they're in actual fact travelling from Vanderbijlpark?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: I saw them approaching from Vanderbijlpark, they were not parking.  They then turned towards our direction, they lit us, Themba Mabote shot at them and they drove off.

MR DA SILVA: Now if I remember Mr Mazibuko's evidence correctly, his evidence was that Themba Mabote shot several times at them.  Is that your recollection?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: That is correct.

MR DA SILVA: Now there were several witnesses that testified during the trial, a Mr Holi Bajosi and a Mr Malloy.  Do you remember them testifying during the criminal trial?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: That is correct.

MR DA SILVA: These vehicles that you saw can you describe them?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: Yes, brown in colour and these are small cars but topless because the people could protrude from within.

MR DA SILVA: So it's your evidence that both of them were brown and both vehicles didn't have a roof?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: That is correct, they were open at the top.

MR DA SILVA: Mr Mazibuko referred to these vehicles as suitcases, do you also know them as suitcases?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: That is correct.

MR DA SILVA: So you're quite certain you saw two vehicles which you know as suitcases?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: Yes.

MR DA SILVA: Now to return to Mr Bajosi's evidence and Mr Malloy's evidence and one of your co-applicant's evidence, Mr Magubane, he says he saw one vehicle.  Isn't it that you could be mistaken that there was only one vehicle?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: No I saw two cars.

MR DA SILVA: Is it - you can't give an explanation why Mr Magubane only saw one?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: Magubane one, I saw two.  It might happen that he saw one car, one vehicle, but I saw two.

MR DA SILVA: I just want to put my instructions to you, my instructions are that there was only one vehicle and that vehicle came in the direction of Sebokeng.  Do you have any comment in that regard?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: It was from Vanderbijlpark's direction.

MR DA SILVA: Do you have any comment in regard to there only being one vehicle?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: I saw two vehicles on that day.

MR DA SILVA: I have no further questions Mr Chair.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MR DA SILVA

CHAIRPERSON: Yes Ms Tanzer?

MS TANZER: Have you been sitting in these proceedings listening to the hearing since the beginning?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: Yes.

MS TANZER: You have heard what I have put to your co-applicant so far regarding Mr Nosenga's statements?

SONNY MICHAEL MKWANAZI: That is correct.

MS TANZER: So in order to prevent any protracted questioning, I'm going to just simply put to you as you are well aware Mr Nosenga's version are the events that led up to the Boipatong attack, the meetings that took place and the fact that there was police assistance during the attack on the night of the 17th June.  What are your comments in this regard?