Amnesty Hearings — Durban — 1998-04-21

MR MBAMBO: He had two houses, one in J2 and another one is H1 and his legal wife resided in H1 and she was a police woman at the KwaZulu Police and the house is just in front of the police station gate.  ...[indistinct] he resided with his second wife.  If he was in H1 it would be very difficult to attack him there because first of all his house was opposite the police station.
	Secondly his wife was a police and because of that we would not attack his home.  And in J2 he never used to frequent the place and therefore it would be difficult to establish as to which house he was at what time.  
	And thirdly there was also Constable Skanjiso who was also a Caprivian but he was not within our hit squad because he was drinking excessively and he was always next to Dlamini.  They drank together and moved around together a lot.  Even when we came across his car with an intention of hitting it, Skanjiso would be inside the car and therefore we would abort the operation.  These are some of the things that prohibited us from carrying out our duty and we also had something else to do at the same time.

MR HEWIT: So how many attempts were made between the time that he was, his name was put up for elimination and the police raided your home for the illegal firearms?

MR MBAMBO: Four times.

MR HEWIT: And on the actual day which you did kill him the operation seemed to go incredibly smoothly, without any hitches at all, is that correct?

MR MBAMBO: Yes, that is correct.

MR HEWIT: And the day that you killed him was a short time after he brought the police, the white policemen to your home where they found illegal firearms?

MR MBAMBO: That is correct.

MR HEWIT: And are you saying that it was just a coincidence, nothing more than a coincidence that he was killed after you had been found in possession of unlawful firearms?

MR MBAMBO: Yes, I can say that.

MR HEWIT: You say that his murder, very shortly of that incident, had absolutely nothing to do with that incident?

MR MBAMBO: No, what he did at my house after for example having reported to Mrs Mbuaze, she reported to Brigadier Umzumela and Brigadier Umzumela requested that myself and Mr Mbuaze come to his office.  On arrival he reprimanded from the time when I entered his office until I left, saying that he had long issued an instruction that the person should be killed and what were we waiting for.
	He said we were not sharp anymore and he then sent me to go to Mrs Mbuaze at Ulundi and obtain a statement about what Sergeant Dlamini did at my house and he was going to file this statement in the BSI file.  That would be the file to the effect that instructions to the death of Mr Dlamini had to be carried out.   I indeed went to Ulundi and wrote the statement and I brought it back to Brigadier Umzumela.  	I think the statement is still in the file if it had not been removed.

MR HEWIT: In paragraph 115 of your affidavit you describe your working clothes and there you say
"I woke up, put on my working clothes which are my balaclava, black tracksuit pants and a grey jacket"
is that the attire which you donned every time you went out on an assassination?

MR MBAMBO: Yes, that is correct.

MR HEWIT: Then in paragraph 117 of your affidavit where you actually deal with the murder of Sergeant Dlamini, at the end of that paragraph you say
"He did not answer me but he took Mtetwa's 9mm service pistol and went back inside the house and fired one shot and then came out.  Israel then jumped the fence into Sergeant Dlamini's neighbour's yard and broke the outside light"
do you remember that?

MR MBAMBO: Yes, I do.
MR HEWIT
"He came back to us and then he took my head under his right armpit and covered me with a jacket to conceal my identity as I was very well known in that area because of my being very fair and well built"
is that correct?

MR MBAMBO: That is correct.

MR HEWIT: Can I assume then that when you went to murder Sergeant Dlamini you weren't wearing your working clothes, namely a balaclava over your head to conceal your identity?

MR MBAMBO: That is correct.

MR HEWIT: Well now it seems to me that the murder of Sergeant Dlamini does not appear to have been executed in a professional way as if it was simply a political assassination.  It seems to me that this murder was effected out of anger and rage because he'd done his duty as a policeman and brought policemen to you home to find illegal weapons.  Can you explain why you didn't take precautions by covering your identity to go and murder this person?

MR MBAMBO: Firstly, I was wearing the camouflage that I usually used but I did not have my balaclava on.  If you still remember very well, on leaving the house we did not have an intention to kill Ndanda and Sergeant Dlamini but we were accompanying Xena to look for Lamula, not with the intention to kill him but they had to have a fair fight.  That is the reason why we went with Allie who was not a member of the hit squad.
	And when we were at Paul's shebeen and Xena was at Nbula's in the house and Ndanda came, after having looked for him for some time I therefore did not see reason to let go of that opportunity.  I then went to Ndanda, myself and Israel as I appear here with not disguise.  That is why when I called him, on turning to face us he recognised me and he tried to draw his gun.  After that we then went back to J2 where I resided.  And because we had just completed a successful operation we then decided to go via Dlamini to check if he was not home and we also carried out an attack there.  
	Xena has already explained that he shot twice using a shotgun.  He was shooting upwards knowing that nobody was going to hurt with these two shots, so that Sergeant Dlamini should answer and that would indicate to us as to his presence and we were hoping that he would shoot back but he instead insulted us.  I agree with you that it was unprofessional, the manner in which we carried out our attacks in these two places because we did not have an intention of hitting them when we left the house.  That is why those two cases landed us in jail, yes I agree with you.

MR HEWIT: Before the police came to your home, the white policemen came to your home and found the firearms, you had not personal problem with Dlamini?

MR MBAMBO: Not at all.

MR HEWIT: There was no ill feeling between the two of you?

MR MBAMBO: No, not at all.

MR HEWIT: It was simply a job of work, that you'd been told to kill him?

MR MBAMBO: Yes, that's correct.

MR HEWIT: After the policemen came to your home, and in doing so they smashed down your door as I gather.

MR MBAMBO: That is correct.

MR HEWIT: And it appeared to you then that you were going to be arrested initially?

MR MBAMBO: Yes, that is correct.

MR HEWIT: You then see that the person that is responsible for all of this is Dlamini outside.

MR MBAMBO: That is correct.

MR HEWIT: I presume that at that point your feelings for him became a little more personal, you must have been annoyed with them then.

MR MBAMBO: Yes, that is correct.

MR HEWIT: So the first time that a dislike or a hatred or an annoyance with Dlamini came into the picture was the very night when the police burst into your home and found you in possession of unlicensed firearms?

MR MBAMBO: Yes, you can put it that way if you wish but I decided perhaps that what he did confirmed what was happening at the Goldstone Commission because Goldstone, Dlamini was working hand in hand with Goldstone initially pertaining to the investigation reference to the hit squad.  And what he did to me, he did not only do it because I am Romeo Mbambo.  He could have done it if it were Ginam Mkhize who had an arms cache.
	And because the firearms were at my place he decided to bring them to my place, not because I am Romeo Mbambo.  And for example, I can say he was continuing to fight the hit squad and the IFP.