Amnesty Hearings — Hammarsdale — 1998-08-11

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: We attended meetings and I was working on a six to six shift and sometimes I would not be able to attend the meetings, so I do not know whether these objectives were carried out because I also resigned from the job shortly after commencing working.

MR STEWART: Why did you resign?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: The problems related to the promises that had been made to us, because when we left the Mkuzi Camp in December, Mashubane promised that he would pay our salaries for the following four months but when we arrived at Sasol in December we did not receive our salaries.
	On enquiring we were not given any response and we decided to resign.  I worked on a six to six shift for three consecutive weeks and earning only R500 and decided that I should resign and return.

MR STEWART: Now Mr Khumalo, you explain in your application how you came to obtain a normal job for a period but then at some point you returned to Ulundi because there'd been a publication about Caprivi trainees.  Just explain that to us, why did that mean that you must now return to Ulundi?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: On returning from Sasol I remained in Pietermaritzburg to find employment.  I got a job in 1991 as a security guard at NPA.  I worked with some guys whom I'd attended school with, these boys were comrades.
	On a certain day our names were published in UmAfrika newspaper and as I arrived at work these boys were talking about me and I realised that they might kill me, therefore I thought I should resign.  I did this and returned to Ulundi.  
	I went to Ulundi for purposes of seeking employment.  I did not find employment until I returned to Pietermaritzburg.  I remained in Pietermaritzburg for about two months.  On a particular day my father told me that a certain Madlanduna had called and asked me to report in Durban.  I did this and I met Mashubane.  I was thereafter employed by the IFP office in Durban.

MR STEWART: Mr Khumalo, what work did you have to do for the IFP at the IFP office in Durban?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: My job was that of bookkeeping as well as recruiting, issuing receipts and forms to people who wanted to join the IFP.

MR STEWART: So was it what might be described as normal political organising work and not the work that you'd been doing previously, of being involved in attacks and defending IFP areas and so on?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, it was normal political work.

MR STEWART: Now in your application you also deal with Incident 10, an attack that you were involved in for Mrs Mbuazi, about whom this Committee heard a lot in Richards Bay and that that was in eSikhawini sometime in 1992, how did you come to be involved in eSikhawini?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: When I fled Pietermaritzburg and went to Ulundi, I remained in Ulundi for a while and Madlanduna told me to go to Joyful at Ntselene.  Joyful sent me to eSikhawini to go help out there.
	Three days did not elapse when we saw a group of people approaching from an ANC stronghold area.  There were about 10 or 11 of us.  I had a pump gun and we approached this group.  I remember Lucky who was a Special Constable to have been there.  Injuni was also present and some other IFP members.
	As we approached them they had already started burning people's houses and gunfire was exchanged.  Because these people were many we started retreating.  Fortunately KwaZulu Police came and we all dispersed, the comrades ran away and we also ran away.

MR STEWART: Were you armed in that incident?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, I had a pump gun.

MR STEWART: Did you use it, did you fire it at these people?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, I did shoot once.

MR STEWART: Are you aware whether anyone was injured or killed?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: No, I do not know.

CHAIRPERSON: And when you say you fired the pump gun, did you aim it at people when you fired?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: I shot at the crowd.

SISI KHAMPEPE: May I interpose Mr Stewart?
	How large was this group of ANC toyi-toying?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: There were many, about 100.

SISI KHAMPEPE: Were they armed as well?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, they were heavily armed.  They actually hit Lucky, they actually threw a grenade at Lucky.

MR STEWART: Mr Khumalo, how far away was this crowd when you fired at them, are you able to estimate?  Perhaps even if you indicate in this hall.

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: It could have been about 100 metres away.  We tried to prevent them from gaining access into the houses.

MR STEWART: How long in total did you remain in the eSikhawini area before you left?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Not more than a week because after that particular attack I think I remained for a day or two and then left.

MR STEWART: Now you mention that at some point you received instructions through your father where a message had been left, to go and see MZ Khumalo who then made arrangements for you to go to Johannesburg, do you recall that?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, he told me to go and see MZ Khumalo  in Durban.  I started working in the IFP office for about six months and thereafter I was taken to Johannesburg.

MR STEWART: Were you given instructions as to what you were to do in Johannesburg?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: I was fleeing from Durban.  I would hide but at the same time work in the IFP office where I would be responsible for quite a number of things.  I would do clerical work as well as escorting IFP dignitaries when they attended particular ceremonies or were going some place.

MR STEWART: You say you were fleeing Durban, was that in connection with the same case you've told us about where you jumped bail, or was it in connection with something else?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: I would not know because Mashubane came to me and he told me that some policemen were looking for me and it would be a good idea if I fled.  I did not ask him why but I knew that I had skipped bail before, so they may be looking for me in connection with that.

MR STEWART: Now when you were working in Johannesburg, did you come to work at all with Themba Xhosa?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, that's the person I ended up working with.

MR STEWART: And what work did you do with him?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: We would accompany him or escort him when he went to address meetings or rallies or maybe when he went to go and do his organisational duties.  Sometimes he would send us to collect weapons, guns and ammunition or transport these to different areas.

MR STEWART: And what was the purpose of transporting these guns and ammunition around?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: There was conflict in Johannesburg at that time between IFP and the ANC. IFP people had been chased away from the townships and were residing in hostels and at that time we would supply the hostels with ammunition if they did not have sufficient supplies.
	Because of this ongoing war there were sometimes shortages of guns, ammunition and we would be supplying this.

MR STEWART: Aside from this support role which you've described, did you personally become involved in any of those conflicts in the sense of shooting at people and so on?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: No.

MR STEWART: Mr Khumalo, how did it come about that you came to give a statement which formed the basis of your evidence in the Peter Msani trial and to then come before this Commission?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Briefly I can say that I had been fleeing the police since 1988 and therefore did not have a normal life.  I was tired of that life.  During this time what we had been fighting for had been achieved, there was now a new democratic order in South Africa and therefore the war that had been going on would have to come to an end but this would not be easy.  It would be necessary for people to confess and come out in the open.  I found it important that I should come forward as a role in bringing about peace, that is why I went and made this statement.