Amnesty Hearings — Cape Town — UNKNOWN

<UNKNOWN>: t that time I was not awarethat it was going to be the St James church. When we got to the target however,I realised that it was a church. Nonxuba then told me that we were going tobe the main operators, he gave me a rifle and a handgrenade. I knew what thiswould entail as I had received training in how to handle weapons and ammunition.Mlambisa parked the car fairly close to the entrance of the church. We got outof the car. I had no disguise and only put a cap on my head. When we enteredthe church Nonxuba led the way and as we entered we were in a passage whichled to the main doors. People were walking up and down the passage. We leftoff the passage for a few seconds and then Nonxuba said we will enter throughthe main doors. Nonxuba then told me to throw the handgrenade and to shoot tokill. Nonxuba led the way and we then burst through the doors of the church.Nonxuba first threw his handgrenade, he was on my left hand side, and then Ithrew mine.

<UNKNOWN>: s the handgrenades exploded, we took cover behind the doors, re-enteredand while the people inside were screaming we started to shoot. We shot indiscriminatelyand I finished my full R4 magazine, some 31 rounds of ammunition. We had alsoheard a shot outside and a car screeching. We went back into the passage toreload for our later protection. Inside the church one of the churchgoers hadalso fired at us.

<UNKNOWN>: s we left Nonxuba was in front and I turned back to shootat the person who shot at us. We got into the car and the car sped away. WhenI was inside the car, I realised that I was bleeding. When we were inside thecar Nonxuba again directed Mlambisa where to drive. I subsequently learned thatit was a house in Ottery. Inside the house Nonxuba treated my injury with bandages.I had suffered a cut on the left hand finger. The next day I left the housewith Mlambisa and went to Old

<UNKNOWN>: rossroads. I was later arrested at Unathi inOld

<UNKNOWN>: rossroads on 5

<UNKNOWN>: ugust 1993. I admit that I was not truthful when I gaveevidence during my trial. I do, however, wish to reiterate that the notebookwhich is referred to at pages 52 and 53 of the record which is before the

<UNKNOWN>: ommittee,that that notebook belonged to Vusi although I had scribbled on some loose pageswhich were found in the notebook. I had no idea that the St James church wasto be the target. It is now obvious, however, that Vusi and Nonxuba had knownof the operation for some time.

<UNKNOWN>: s a member of

<UNKNOWN>: PL

<UNKNOWN>: we operated under the slogan"one settler, one bullet" and this to us meant that any White personin South

<UNKNOWN>: frica was regarded as a settler and if we came across any settlersduring our operations, they had to be killed or injured. I now deeply regretthe loss of life and injury caused by me and the other applicants on 25 July1993, and all I can ask for is that the family, relatives and friends of thedeceased and the other victims, forgive me. I respectfully submit that my applicationcomplies with the requirements of the

<UNKNOWN>: ct, that the offences that I have committedwere associated with a political objective as contemplated by the

<UNKNOWN>: ct and thatI have made a full disclosure of all the facts relevant to the St James incidentand to this application. I accordingly, respectfully request that I be grantedamnesty in respect of the offences which I have committed and for which I havebeen found guilty and I am currently serving a sentence". It is dated andsigned by Gcinikhaya

<UNKNOWN>: hristopher Makoma on the 7th day of July 1997.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Makoma, will you just stand please to take the oath.

GCINIKHAYACHRISTOPHER MAKOMA: (sworn states)

SISI KHAMPEPE: Thank you, you havebeen properly sworn in.

CHAIRPERSON: Your counsel has read our your affidavit,did you understand it?

GCINIKHAYACHRISTOPHER MAKOMA: Yes, I did.

<UNKNOWN>: nd do youconfirm its contents?

GCINIKHAYACHRISTOPHER MAKOMA: Yes, I do.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.

<UNKNOWN>: re there any questions you wish to put to this witness Mr

<UNKNOWN>: rendse?

NORMAN ARENDSE: Yes, Mr

<UNKNOWN>: hairman. Mr Makoma, at the time on the 25th ofJuly 1993, you were a member of

<UNKNOWN>: PL

<UNKNOWN>: is that correct?

GCINIKHAYACHRISTOPHER MAKOMA: Yes,it is correct.

NORMAN ARENDSE: Did

<UNKNOWN>: PL

<UNKNOWN>: have any political objectives andif so, what were these political objectives?

<UNKNOWN>: PL

<UNKNOWN>: had politicalobjectives.

<UNKNOWN>: PL

<UNKNOWN>: is a military wing of the P

<UNKNOWN>: , it was formed to fight the armedstruggle. It was fighting to bring back the

<UNKNOWN>: frican land to the owners whomare known as

<UNKNOWN>: fricans, who were taken by the

<UNKNOWN>: oers and they ruled.

<UNKNOWN>: PL

<UNKNOWN>: wasthe military wing, it was involved in the armed struggle, fighting the Whites,fighting for the independence of the

<UNKNOWN>: lacks.

NORMAN ARENDSE: Did you agreewith or associate yourself with that objective which you have just described?

GCINIKHAYACHRISTOPHER MAKOMA: Yes, yes.

NORMAN ARENDSE: Now Mr Makoma, you said in your affidavit,that you entered the church with one other person, and that was Nonxuba, isthat correct?

GCINIKHAYACHRISTOPHER MAKOMA: Yes, it is correct.

NORMAN ARENDSE: Now we'vealso heard my colleague here next to me, Mr

<UNKNOWN>: embridge put it to your comradenext to you that they will say that there were three people inside the church,what do you say to that?

GCINIKHAYACHRISTOPHER MAKOMA: No, there were only two of us.

ADVARENDSE: Mr

<UNKNOWN>: hairman, if I could just for the record refer to page 1 ofthe bundle handed in on behalf of the victims, that the summary of the factsin paragraph 2, the last sentence in paragraph 2 alleges that while two guestsingers were singing a hymn on the stage, accused 1, that would be SichomisoSiphiwe Nonxuba and Makoma, the applicant, entered the church through a doornext to the stage. The accused carried machine guns, R4 rifles and handgrenadeswhich had wire nails glued to it. I just mention that for the record, becausethat was the summary that was given to us as counsel in the criminal trial.Now Mr Makoma you heard what I just read out to you about that it is allegedhere that you entered through a door next to the stage, would that be correct,at the church at the time that you committed this deed?

GCINIKHAYACHRISTOPHER MAKOMA: I won'tsay it was near the stage, but what I know is that we entered and on my leftside there was something like a pulpit.

NORMAN ARENDSE: Is it correct thatyou were armed with an R4 rifle and that you had a handgrenade on you?

GCINIKHAYACHRISTOPHER MAKOMA: Yes, it is true.

<UNKNOWN>: an you just take that bundlewhich is there by

<UNKNOWN>: assie. Mr

<UNKNOWN>: hairman, I just want to refer to some mattersin the second bundle if I can call it that.

CHAIRPERSON: The second bundle.

ADVARENDSE: No, not the record of this application. The bundle handed up bymy colleague, Mr

<UNKNOWN>: embridge.

CHAIRPERSON: Yes.

<UNKNOWN>: an youturn to page 5 Mr Makoma. On page 5 and going onto page 6, your counsel at thetime Mr Desai who is now a Judge, read into the record in the criminal triala plea on your behalf, do you remember that?

GCINIKHAYACHRISTOPHER MAKOMA: Yes, I do remember.

ADVARENDSE: You remember that you pleaded not guilty in respect of all thecharges against you?

GCINIKHAYACHRISTOPHER MAKOMA: Yes.

NORMAN ARENDSE: Now obviouslyat the time you were not telling the truth to the court when you pleaded notguilty to the charges against you, is that correct?

GCINIKHAYACHRISTOPHER MAKOMA: Yes, Iwas not telling the truth.

NORMAN ARENDSE: In the middle of the page onpage 5, round about lines 18 to 20, there is reference to a Task Group underthe leadership of Siphiwe Makweso and that this group was specifically informed,it should be formed I suppose, to protect P