Amnesty Hearings — Hammarsdale — 1998-08-11

MR STEWART: Did you come forward on your own accord or were you encouraged by anyone?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Madlanduna came to me and he explained that the war was over, that we should stop fighting.  I think that is one person who encouraged me.

MR STEWART: And who did you approach in coming forward to give a statement?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: I approached Colonel Dalton of the ITU.

MR STEWART: Mr Chairperson, would this a convenient time, it may be that I have finished or it may be that I have one or two things to clarify after lunch.

CHAIRPERSON: Yes, I see that it's almost 1 o'clock Mr Stewart, it would be a convenient time now to adjourn for lunch.  We will now take the lunch adjournment, thank you.
COMMITTEE ADJOURNS
ON RESUMPTION

CHAIRPERSON: Please we would like to start.  Please quieten down.
	Mr Khumalo I remind you that you are still under your former oath.

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: (s.u.o.)

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Stewart?

MR STEWART: Thank you Mr Chairperson.
	Mr Khumalo, when you were given KwaZulu Police Appointment Certificates, what was the purpose of that?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: The purpose was that we should be able to have a cover.  As we were doing this job of killing comrades, it was necessary for us to have some sort of protection like that we are police so that we cannot be suspected easily.  It is easy to carry a gun if you have an Appointment Certificate.

MR STEWART: Now you say it was cover for this job of killing comrades.

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, it is like that.

MR STEWART: What were your objectives in that job and what were your instructions in that job?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: May you please repeat the question?

MR STEWART: What were your objectives in that job and what were your instructions in that job?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: To reducing a number of the comrades as we were killing them, that would mean the number of our members will increase and the decrease of the comrades will be a decrease of a threat that was directed to us, the Inkatha members.

MR STEWART: From whom did you receive your instructions?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: The instruction was from Madlanduna.  At times from the leadership of IFP just like MZ Khumalo.

MR STEWART: Did you have general instructions as to what you must do?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, there were two types of instructions.  There was a specific instruction and a general instruction.  The general instruction I would just refer that, say for instance if you arrive in a stronghold of the UDF you must just kill and destroy everything such that there is somebody who will actually tell you that you must go and attack on a particular area.

MR STEWART: And the specific instructions?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: The specific instruction:  I will just make a reference like at kwaMakutha area, kwaMakutha area was a specific instruction.

MR STEWART: Mr Khumalo, I'm sure that there are people here today who are family members of the victims of attacks and incidents that you've been involved in in this area in the late 1980's, what do you have to say to them today?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: I know that there are a lot of people that I actually hurt and that I let them part with their fathers, others, their mothers and others with their sisters and brothers.  I cannot be able to apologise individually to these people but what I actually ask for is that they forgive me.  All that I did I did because I was trying to make my political party be successful.  	If it was during this time, if it was now I wouldn't have done that but in that particular time I had the belief or I had beliefs that in my doing that it will help me at the end, not knowing that I was killing myself.  I know that my apology will not raise those people who died, those that I killed and those that died because of me.  However I plead that they accept me as a part of a society that is alive and I'm looking forward and I am prepared to start a new life.  That life that I was supposed to lead in which my family raised me accordingly.

MR STEWART: No further questions Mr Chairperson.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MR STEWART

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you Mr Stewart.  Mr Wills, do you have any questions to ask the witness?

MR WILLS: Yes, thank you Chairperson, I have a few questions.
	Mr Khumalo, my instructions are that at the height of the political violence in Mpumalanga in the late '80's, the township was distinctly divided up geographically into areas dependant on the political persuasion of the residents, for example there'd be ANC areas and IFP areas, is that correct?  Or should I rather say UDF areas at that stage.

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes.

MR WILLS: And it would be very difficult for a UDF person to move into a IFP area and visa versa?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes.

MR WILLS: And if a UDF person for whatever reason did appear in an IFP area he would be regarded, his presence there would be suspicious, is that correct, and he would probably end up being attacked?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: If you were a UDF member and you actually were found in an IFP area, you would be killed or you would run away.  Likewise, if you were an IFP member and you were at the UDF stronghold you would be in the same situation.

MR WILLS: My instructions are further that that wouldn't matter if you were a man or a woman, the same would apply.  If you were a woman for example from a UDF area, you resided in a UDF area and you were found in an IFP area, the same consequences would follow, either you would be attacked or you would have to run away, is that correct?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, you wouldn't choose, whether you are a male or whether you are a female, whether you are an old man or whether you are an old lady, it was just the same.

MR WILLS: So even if you didn't know that individual personally, let's say an individual who came into an area of different political persuasion, that wouldn't stop a person from being attacked?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, there was no other way.

MR WILLS: I want to turn very briefly to your training as a Special Constable in Koeberg.  When you were in Koeberg, did you get any propaganda training?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, we did because at times we were shown videos whereby UDF were actually burning people just like there was an incident whereby Mike Skosana was burnt in the East Rand at Duduza, that we were shown daily so that we must just have a look at what UDF is doing and when we leave this place it should just be heard that UDF was around or alive.

MR WILLS: Now my instructions are that there were no UDF persons invited to attend the South African Police Special, or training as Special Constables at Koeberg, is that correct?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, it was only IFP members.

MR WILLS: And clearly from the instructions you were given by the South African Police at that stage, you were taught to hate the UDF even further?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, it is like that.

MR WILLS: Now when you were operating in Mpumalanga, the gist of your evidence as I understand it is that you were attached to the KwaZulu Police Station at Mpumalanga for a while, is that correct?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, it is so.

MR WILLS: And there were certain policemen at that police station who were members of the KwaZulu Police, who knew exactly the unlawful activities that you were engaged upon, is that correct?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, it is the truth.

MR WILLS: And at no stage did any of the policemen from that police station try and stop you from participating from what were clearly unlawful activities?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: No, none tried to stop us.

MR WILLS: In fact it seems from your evidence that certain policemen encouraged you?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, it is so.  Like the police that were working at Weber, van Vuuren.