Amnesty Hearings — Johannesburg — 1998-09-15

MR MBANDAZAYO: Thank you, Mr Chairman.
"I, the undersigned, Phila Martin Dolo, do hereby make an oath and say that I am an applicant in the undermentioned operations.  The facts to which I depose are true and correct and within my personal knowledge, unless the context states otherwise.  I was born in Uitenhage in Kwanobuhle Township and grew up in the Eastern Cape.  I was born 29 years ago and unmarried.  I left school in 1989 doing 9 and left the country to Botswana the same year.  I joined PAC through Azania in 1984 and joined APLA in exile in 1989.  As APLA operative, my general instruction from APLA high command was to prosecute the armed struggle with all means against the racist minority regime which was undemocratic and oppressive.  They said the armed struggle was in essence a guerilla warfare during which we as APLA cadres had to seek and attack the bastions and minions of the then aforesaid regime.  The ultimate objective of PAC and APLA was not only to topple the then racist minority regime, but to eventually return the land to the majority of the African people.  The bastions and minions of the then erstwhile regime were in terms of the APLA perspective the member of the South African Defence Force, the members of the South African Police and reservists in general, the farmers as they belonged to commando structures over and above the fact that they occupied the farms which had to drive them away from so as to widen our territorial operation base, which was aimed at eventually consolidating, deliberated and repossessed land.  The white homes which were garrisons of apartheid.  My general instruction was to seek, identify and attack the enemy who was seen in the context of the above stated bastions and minions of the regime, and also to train other cadres and command them in whatever operation that is being embarked upon.
	Diepkloof Police attack.  In consequence of and in pursuit of the above stated objective, during May 1993 I commanded a unit of APLA cadres that launch and attack on a South African Police vehicle in Diepkloof which resulted in one of the policemen in the said vehicle losing his life and apparently another one was injured.  During May 1993 the South African Police, through its security forces, launched a national swoop on the offices of PAC and also arrested various members, including those who were in the national leadership position of PAC.  This act was seen as being provocative and declaration of hostilities against the PAC despite its involvement in the negotiating process, which action had to be responded to.  I then received instructions from the director of special operation who was also a deputy director of operation who had deployed myself in the area earlier in the year to counter the above stated aggression of the South African Police."
	Mr Dolo, I would like in that paragraph just to tell the Committee if you know the name of this person who was the director of operation and who was also deputy director of - who was director of special operation and also deputy director of operation?  The name of the person who deployed you in the Gauteng area.

PHILA MARTIN DOLO: His alias name is Polite.  I don't know his real name.  Normally known as Sipho.  Whether is it his real name, I don't know.

MR MBANDAZAYO: Mr Chairman, just for the record, I would like to confirm that the real name is Sipho Bulelani Quma.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.

MR MBANDAZAYO: Thank you, Mr Chairman.  Now also, Mr Chairman, just to go back.  Now, just to go back, Mr Chairman, to paragraph 9.  I've just forgotten, I wanted the applicant to tell the Committee in detail how they attacked the vehicle at Diepkloof which the police who happened, one of them, lost his life as a result of the attack.  Can you tell the Committee how did this happen, this whole operation happened?

PHILA MARTIN DOLO: As it is also stipulated in this chapter 3, number 10, whereby the police, through its security forces, they launch a sweep, a national sweep on the PAC offices and a lot of its members were apprehended.  The following day, that I think was on the 26th, I think this police sweep was on the 25th, then the following day, the 26th I have the contact with Sipho telephonically.  And he encouraged me that we have to intensify our operations in response to this aggression which was committed to the PAC.  In that same a unit, I ordered a unit under the leadership of Kenny to go out and attack the police.  But I learnt the following day that nothing crop up.
	The same following day, that is on the 27th I again ordered him with the same unit to go out and attack the police station, the police, whether on their police van or whether moving on foot.  They again, out of a lot of dilly-dallyings caused by one of the operatives names Musa.  They were using Musa's car.  So, Musa was having problems.  That's the information I get from Kenny, that he was having problems with his cars.  That led my involvement now, to be practically involved in these operations, that would be on the 28th.  
	Then on the 28, with the information from Peter Patrick Mochundu about the movement of the police in that area of Diepkloof and Orlando it was then that we decided to attack the police in questions.  To the attack itself, in the morning, I think it was Friday, on the 28th, in the morning of that 28th, Friday, I was with Kenny at Diepkloof, Zone 2.  Peter, Musa and Godfrey came to my place as we agreed the previous day to go and launch this attack.  
	The attack or an ambush was going to be carried out in the T-junction area of Orlando East and Diepkloof.  Godfrey and Peter will be acting as warning group, will be giving me signals when the car is approaching.  I deployed Godfrey to the area likely the car will use and Peter to the opposite direction.  Myself, I will be - I acted as an assault group.  I would be the one who will carry out the attack whilst Kenny will act as my security.  We waited there and we got the signal from Godfrey and then I attacked the car and we withdraw.

MR MBANDAZAYO: Can you tell the Committee in your opinion, as you were there, you were the only one who attacked the car or did the other one also fired at the vehicle?

PHILA MARTIN DOLO: I noticed when we retreated that Kenny was also firing.

MR MBANDAZAYO: Thank you.  Can you, Mr Dolo, tell the Committee, was this operation a general operation or did it, this one, fall under the special operations?

PHILA MARTIN DOLO: I was deployed there under special ops.  All the operation I have to embark upon will be specifically for special operations.  It also means the same one.  It was in conjunction with the swept that was conducted against the PAC members' offices.  That's how it come about.

MR MBANDAZAYO: Okay.  Just for the benefit of the Committee, just to give them a clear picture.  Is there any other operation which you are involved in or you ordered people to undertake as part of special operations when you were deployed in Gauteng?

PHILA MARTIN DOLO: I also once ordered an operation that was carried out in the area of, I think Vereeniging, again of attack or ambush.  I ordered that attack.

CHAIRPERSON: You say the Eikenhof issue?

PHILA MARTIN DOLO: Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: You ordered that one?

PHILA MARTIN DOLO: Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: And was that executed by your men?

PHILA MARTIN DOLO: Yes.

MR MBANDAZAYO: Mr Chairman, ...(inaudible)