Human Rights Violation Hearings — Ermelo — 1997-05-22

MR LEWIN: Do you have earphones ?

MADODA MBOKANE: Yes.

MR LEWIN: You can.  Will you be speaking in English or Zulu ?

MADODA MBOKANE: In Zulu.

MR LEWIN: Fine.  Thanks very much for coming.  Before asking Doctor Ally to lead you in your evidence, I would ask Tom Manthata please to swear you in.

THOMAS MANTHATA: Can you raise up your ... fine, good.  Can you swear that the evidence you are going to give here will be the truth and nothing else but the truth, so help me God.

MADODA MBOKANE: (sworn states)

MR LEWIN: Doctor Ally, could you please lead ?

RUSSELL ALLY: Welcome Madoda.  The events which you are going to relate to us is also part of this conflict that we've been hearing about so much to-day.  The conflict between, on the one side the Black Cats and then the other side, the Comrades and you were caught up in that conflict yourself.  I'd like you to just tell us your experience and what happened to you.

MADODA MBOKANE: It was on the 28th of July, on Sunday at Umzulu Street.  There was a conflict.  One of the leaders of the Black Cats was shot.  In that confusion one of my brothers who wasn't there went to the scene where there was shooting and one of the leaders of Black Cats was shot.  He tried to help Zwee by taking the watch from his wrist and he was going to report to the Black Cats that he has been shot.  One person by the name of Boblina came to our house to tell us that Zwee has been shot and he's dead.  Thereafter they went to tell the Black Cats and the Black Cats came to our house to investigate the matter to find out what happened to Zwee.  The Black Cat thought Zwee had been betrayed by Bob.  They tried to ask us a lot of questions but we didn't know anything.  The following Monday they came to tell us that it's possible they might come back to attack us.  On that Monday they never came back to attack us.
 On the 30th of July, it was on Tuesday, we were sitting at home with the family and we were discussing family matters.  It was in the evening.  While sitting there the deceased, Bob's mother heard a knock at the door, the front door.  When she went to investigate she could see that this might be the people.  She tried to ask them as to who they were.  One of them answered saying he's Themba.  It was so confusing and we just kept quiet.  They started kicking the door.  I wasn't sure whether they shot at the door or whether they hacked with a panga.  As we used to call the deceased Kohli and we asked, why do you have to close the door.  While we were still there two people entered the house.  One of them was wearing  a balaclava and he shot, he pointed at the deceased with a firearm and they asked where Bob was and we told them Bob was not at home.  They took us and put us into the deceased room.  They were taking the mother throughout all the rooms trying to search for Bob and we really told them that we didn't know where Bob was.  Therefore they continued their rounds, searching the house with Bob's mother.  She tried to lead them or bribe them and she called someone by the name of Kanage.  As she was a Shabeen Queen she tried to persuade them not to do what they wanted to do.  She tried to give them some money.  They took the money and everything and  (indistinct)  it together.  They switched off the lights in the room where we were.  They took Bob's mother to the kitchen and when they arrived at the kitchen they shot her.  It was so late and dark.  
 They ran away and they were shooting as they were running away.  We didn't see when the grenade was thrown at us because it was dark.  As I was running away from that incident, as I was trying to run I happened to step on top of the grenade.  It exploded.  I discovered waking up lying on the bed and I was oozing blood.  I couldn't walk and I was confused.  The people were also confused.  They even offered to go and see what happened to Bob's mother.  I asked them to go and find out how she was.  They also tried to attack the front room but they failed.  Most of the people ran away and I was left alone because I couldn't walk.  
 Later when I talked to my Mom, I called her and told her, it looks like I'm going to die.  I asked her to take me to my place.  Just to take me to my home and I crawled.  When I arrived at my grandma's place, I felt that I was going to die on the road.  Therefore I crawled next to one neighbour.  The neighbour took me into the house and I asked the neighbour to try the next neighbour, to ask the neighbour next door to take me to hospital.  She said she's afraid because there was fighting outside.  She couldn't.  They tried to go and make  a call.  They called for an ambulance.  After that I couldn't remember what happened because I've got some problem in remembering things.  I've have some pains on my feet and all my trousers were torn and I thought I'm going to be cripple at that time.  They took me on an ambulance to hospital.  I stayed in hospital for about two months.  I would say that the Black Cats working in collaboration with the police, searched for Bob and they found him together with my brother.  They were suspecting there were people who knew exactly what happened on Zwee.  I don't know as to how the trial lasted but they went to court and they ended up winning the case and that's where it ends.

RUSSELL ALLY: Thank you Madoda.  Your own injuries as a result of what happened when your house was attacked, do you, are you still suffering from the after effects of that injury ?  What is your health like presently ?

MADODA MBOKANE: I would say it's so persistent at the moment because, firstly I would like to say that I grew under the hands of Bob's mother and this incident put me in a situation where I'm in great sorrow because I don't what to do for the children at the moment and my legs also cold and I always like to feel like going outside where it's sunny, to stay and relax.

RUSSELL ALLY: Were you still at school at the time that this happened ?

MADODA MBOKANE: No.

RUSSELL ALLY: What were you doing at that time ?

MADODA MBOKANE: I used to work with the deceased's mother, trying to help her make ends meet.

RUSSELL ALLY: And presently, what do you do ?

MADODA MBOKANE: At the moment I'm not doing anything.

RUSSELL ALLY: Do you still receive any medical help ?  Are you on any medication or anything like that ?

MADODA MBOKANE: No.

RUSSELL ALLY: Madoda, this conflict between the Black Cats and The Comrades, what is your understanding of what this conflict was about ?  It claimed so many lives that led to people dying in such horrible circumstances.  Can you share with us how you understood what was going on ?

MADODA MBOKANE: I would say that it started long ago during the anti-crime campaign and trying to help the community against people who robbed the people in the community.  I discovered, I wasn't in the location but when I arrived I was told that there's conflict in the location.  It's not about the anti-crime campaign anymore, it's now the Black Cats fighting against The Comrades and the Civics.

RUSSELL ALLY: This anit-crime campaign, do you have any idea when it began ?  When it started , more or less ?

MADODA MBOKANE: It started during 1990 while the people were fighting for decrease of rent.

RUSSELL ALLY: And you yourself, did you join any political grouping ?  Were you involved in any way politically in the township, in the community ?

MADODA MBOKANE: I was an ANC member.

RUSSELL ALLY: Now the other thing about this conflict is often there are accounts of people shooting with firearms, guns, hand grenades.  Were the Black Cats generally armed ?  Did they have weapons most of the time ?

MADODA MBOKANE: The Black Cats were working in collaboration with the police because most cases where they were to attack The Comrades, the policemen would be running in front of the Black Cats.

RUSSELL ALLY: And The Comrades, did they also have arms ?  Did they have guns ?