Amnesty Hearings — East London — 1999-04-28

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: I was not involved in leadership, I was staying at home, but what involved me was the boycott issue.  That is how I got involved.

MR CLARKE: And you assisted in enforcing the boycott?

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: Yes, I assisted.

MR CLARKE: Did you meet with your fellow comrades and regularly strategise on the ways and means of carrying out your boycott?

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: There were people who used to have such meetings to strategise about the boycott, but we were just the followers, we were just called when they were going to embark on the roadblocks.  I didn't have knowledge about the strategies or what was going to be done to enforce the boycott, I was just following them,  I was just joining at the roadblocks.

MR CLARKE: I see, just a foot-soldier.  The leaders of your day who led you as, what I'll refer to as a foot-soldier, who particularly were they?

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: The person who was leading us was Mr Mfana Green, he was the one who would tell us all the details.

MR CLARKE: Was it under his instructions that you visited these various farmhouses and stores in the district?

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: No, it was not under his instructions, but those were instructions that we got from the, when we were embarking on the roadblocks.

MR CLARKE: Who did you receive those instructions from?

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: The decision was taken amongst us when we were embarked in the roadblocks, I was part of the people who took that decision, we'd discuss this and then take a decision.

MR CLARKE: I then understand that these were simply ad hoc decisions, decisions that you and your fellow roadblock activists carried out, following decisions made there and then.

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: Yes, we took those decisions there in the roadblocks.

MR CLARKE: Okay.  So these specific decisions were not then under the direct control and patronage of Mr Green, Mr Mfana Green?

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: He was also there when we were taking those decisions, because we would discuss, everybody who was taking part in that would discuss this and then take a decision.  He was part of that.

MR CLARKE: But the decisions were made by you there and then?

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: That is correct.

MR CLARKE: That is, the decisions to carry out these various attacks.

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: Yes, that is correct, the decisions would come out of the meetings that we would have there.

MR CLARKE: Right.  My understanding was that the central thrust of the UDM decision and of the time was that there should an enforced consumer boycott.

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: Yes, that is correct.

ADV SANDI: Sorry, Mr Clarke, I think I've heard you referring to this as the UDM, I understand it's actually UDF and not UDM.

MR CLARKE: I beg your pardon.  Thank you for pointing it out, Advocate Sandi.  UDF, sorry, it slipped.
	It occurred to me that there is an enormous - and this is a general comment that I'd like you to react to, an enormous gap between a consumer boycott of the white businesses in the village of Stutterheim and a series of attacks on old people and defenceless women, what is your response?

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: There is no gap there, these are connected because the reasons why attacked is because we wanted to get weapons so that we can defend ourselves when we were embarked in the roadblocks.  This was connected to the consumer boycott.

MR CLARKE: Would the court just bear with me.  The resolution to enforce the boycott, my instructions are that that boycott applied to white businesses in the village of Stutterheim, is that correct?

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: That is correct.

MR CLARKE: That is correct.  Now Mrs Clackers resided and traded five or six kilometres out of town, was she subject to this boycott?

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: I don't clearly remember the names, unless if you can tell me the area.

MR CLARKE: Mrs Clackers was the lady that you attacked in her shop on the Kologa Road.

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: I do remember her now.  Yes, this affected her because her shop was not too far from our area, it was a walking distance, we would walk to that area.  It was not far.  And there were people who were staying next, or near that area.  So by opening that shop these people would go and buy in her shop.

MR CLARKE: Was she informed that the boycott was applicable to her?

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: I don't remember whether she was informed.

MR CLARKE: Did you play any part in having her informed?

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: No, we didn't get an instruction to go and tell the owners of the shops about the boycott.

MR CLARKE: I see.  Now your evidence was that the residents in the area were to leave their farms and they were to be told their farms, is that how I understood you?

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: Yes, that is correct.

MR CLARKE: And as you mentioned, it was for the three reasons that you, or that your legal representative advanced, to take away police support, to provide land for you and to provide firearms for you, is that correct?

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: That is correct.

MR CLARKE: Now do you recall making the statement with the assistance of your representative, that was circulated a few weeks ago or a week or two ago?

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: Yes, I do recall.

MR CLARKE: I will read the second part of paragraph 4.4 to you, half way down the first paragraph
"It was resolved that the farmers should be warned to leave their farms.  This would achieve several objectives, firstly ..."
Possibly the lady interpreter would like to interpret that portion first.  
"... firstly, it would remove the support for the Security Forces, secondly, it would have resulted in land becoming available and thirdly, it would have provided arms with which to fight the Security Forces."

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: Yes, that is correct.

MR CLARKE: You remember that.  Now did you seriously believe that by issuing a warning to these farmers, that they would walk off the farms and leave you with their firearms to go and fight this war?

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: We didn't want them to leave their firearms, we wanted them to leave that area because the police wouldn't be able to get to us or to see  us when we were having our meetings, because they were helping the police and telling the police that we were in this direction or we went to the other direction.  We were then going to get the land.

MR CLARKE: That's not what your statement says.  Did you give Mrs Clackers any warning to get off the land?

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: I don't know because that didn't depend on us only because we were working as the community, so I don't know.

MR CLARKE: You don't know.  Now as I understood your evidence, the purpose of your visit to Mrs Clackers was purely to tell her to stop trading, is that correct?

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: Yes, and we also wanted a weapon.

MR CLARKE: I stand corrected, but I don't recall you stating that in your evidence-in-chief.  Bear with me, Mr Chairman, please.
	Do you recall the day of your particular visit to Mrs Clackers? - that is the shop, the lady sitting next to me, who traded on the Kologa Road.

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: No, I don't recall that particular day.

MR CLARKE: Do you recall the occasion when you went to the shop, the occasion that you were convicted for?

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: I used to go there to that shop when I used to visit my relatives, so I don't remember though the days.

MR CLARKE: You were convicted of having assaulted and robbed Mrs Clackers, do you recall the incident that gave rise to that conviction?

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: Yes, I do.

MR CLARKE: Now what time of the day did you enter that shop?

NZUNZIMA JIMMY NOKAWUSANA: I don't remember the time, but it was during the day.