Amnesty Hearings — Durban — 1998-04-17

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: The rally that was held at eSikhawini in 1992 was the rally bigger than any other rally that was ever held there.  It was attended by several top leaderships led by Prince Gideon Zulu.  I can also say that the ANC also had information that the rally was going to be big and the intention of the rally was to drive out all ANC members from eSikhawini.  There are four hostels that were targeted for attack.  On the eve of the rally in the evening the ANC also mobilised it's own people and they put barricades at the entry points of the township and special reference to Songobilo Hostel, Railway Hostel, J1 Hostel - they had stationed people there who were guarding and they were using walkie talkies.  I remember I was with Constance Mangele patrolling at night and on arrival at J1 we were not allowed to gain access or entry into the area.  We were stopped by the ANC marshals with a Mr Dhaliwe who is now deceased and they were using walkie talkies and on asking them why they were doing that and they said they had information to the effect that they were going to be attacked and they did not have confidence in the KwaZulu Police and they decided to organise themselves so that they could communicate to ward of this attack.
	We therefore could not search and the following day in the morning buses that were transporting IFP members started driving in.  They drove in through the H2 enter point near Malangala and they would drive up Makaboso Street and on arriving at Makaboso the buses stopped there and people alighted and they were to start marching from that point to where the rally was to be held at J2.  That is a long distance from that point to J2.  I still remember there were several ANC leaders who were trying to speak to KwaZulu officers that what is done by the IFP followers is wrong because it will start a friction.  Why is it that they drop people off so far away from the stadium because the distance that they would walk to the venue was a distance that included the ANC areas from H2 to Emakandaleni to Main Road dividing H1 and J2 section and the ANC members were not listening, they were not taking into consideration.  The march started there because the aim was to attack from H2 up to Songobilo Hostel and from Songobilo Hostel proceed to J1 attack until up to Shlangalane Hall.  By that time they should have completed the whole eSikhawini and the march proceeded up to the road separating H1 and J2 and this march was led by Amabuto.  Amabuto leaders, should I say, yes leaders who would under normal circumstances be clad in their Zulu attire and they were also carrying these traditional weapons and on arrival at Songobilo Hostel the march being led by Prince Gideon Zulu there was an exchange of gunshots from Songobilo Hostel and during that shootout one person got injured.  
	At the time I was very close to Mr Gideon Zulu another leader from Emabaweni, he was also an IFP leader and on being shot at there I still remember that Gideon Zulu had 303 rifle, he wanted to stand up and shoot back.  I stopped him and pressed him on the ground and some of these Amabuto stopped the followers and indicated to them that they should not proceed.  One woman who came from Ntsele who had intelesi, some traditional herb came out from the march and went to the Sonobilo Hostel and she sprinkled this African medicine around and she came back to join the march and before we actually left, the police, the Internal Stability Unit police of the SAP together with the KwaZulu Reaction Unit, they fired teargas canisters to us at Sonobilo Hostel and as the place was smoky, the march proceeded to the stadium.  The hostel continued shooting but no one else got injured after this medicine was sprinkled and until we arrived at the J2 stadium and at the time when Prince Gideon Zulu was addressing the IFP followers at the stadium - I'd like to explain this - J2 is next to J1, the J2 area belongs to the IFP and the ANC is in charge of J1.  The stadium is at the end of J2 - that simply means just from that point you are nearer to J1.
	There were people who were standing on rooftops at J1.  One of them was wearing a pinafore carrying an AK47.  He started shooting towards the stadium where the IFP followers were gathering.  That's where one woman died.  People were angered at the stadium and when police started attempting to calm them down, Prince Gideon Zulu instructed that they should also attack.
	People left the stadium and they moved towards J1.  I no longer accompanied Prince Gideon Zulu at the time.  I left in the company of Lieutenant Njale of the B.S.I. and Lieutenant Njale who was Station Commander at Inzani together with Brigadier Msemela and one Captain whose surname I have forgotten - Captain Skekane and we drove to J1 across and when we arrived at the place where the gunshots were being fired from we found IFP members together with Amabuto shooting at the house and trying to burn it as well.
	There was a girl who was sleeping in the house, they got inside and killed her.  They opened the garage - there was a car parked in the garage and they took it out and they also burned the car.  They took everything what was inside - T.V. sets, televisions, radios etc and they looted these things. 
	The whole J1 was under attack so that all the KwaZulu together with the SAP police did not even attempt to stop them.  I still remember Brigadier Msemela on arrival at the house that I've just spoken about he said these people should hurry up and get out of the place.  The whole of J1 was attacked and many people died until they got to Shlangalane Hall where dinner was to be served.  Dinner was not partaken of because Prince Gideon Zulu was so angry, he was angry with myself and Dina and Malanduna and other who were present and he accused us of not having done our job because the ANC is still very strong in the area.  He started reprimanding the local level leaders to the same effect and he referred to Insileni where there is not even a single ANC member because there is a flag ahoist in the area to the presence of the IFP and he wanted to the same flag to be hoisted in eSikhawini.  	He said there was to be a second march and he referred to it as a march to clean the pots and he wanted a situation that there would be no single ANC member in the area during the time of the march.  That was the situation and position until we parted ways in the evening.

MR WILLS: Yes, just a few point of clarity Mr Mbambo, this person you said that you met on the evening before when you wanted to search the hostels, this Teliwe, this is the person who we've now learned his name is April Teliwe in whose murder you participated in some time later is that correct?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: That is correct.

MR WILLS: You've also indicated that the police, sorry that the crowd after leaving the hostel attacked J1 section and a number of houses were burned.  Do you recall if that is the day that the house of a significant ANC leader in the area, Mr Willis Mkunu, the day that his house was burned?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes.  That is correct, I also do remember that, Dina Mkhize was also present but he was not present as a member of a hit squad but as a member of the police wearing his camouflage.  He also tried to stop the people from burning the house but he failed.

MR WILLS: Just as on a point of interest - as regards that attack did the IFP suffer a set back in eSikhawini as a result of that attack?