Amnesty Hearings — Boksburg — 1998-03-06

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: We stayed in the same Block, Block F.  She was a member of the street committee at that time in our street.  Maybe I am mistaken at the moment, perhaps the street next to ours, maybe not our street per se but maybe the next street.

MR MADASA: As far as you know, did he have a good relationship with the SDU?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: She had no problem with the SDU, they were just people to her, members of the community.  Even with the Youth League, I wouldn't say she had a problem.  It is just that I am not sure about the members of the Youth League, therefore I can't really say that she had a problem with the Youth League.

MR MADASA: You are aware that Bulelwa was killed?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: Yes, I am aware.

MR MADASA: The day before she was killed, is there anything - was there any meeting called by the Youth League if he there has, tell us about that?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: Yes, there was a meeting.

MR MADASA: Firstly, how do you know that the Youth League called a meeting on that day?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: Two comrades came to my house, members of the Youth League, they wanted Nomfundu.

MR MADASA: Yes?  Sorry, do you know their names?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: The comrades?

MR MADASA: Yes?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: No, I do not know them.  When they arrived, they asked where Nomfundu was.  I told them that she went to Nxlapo Section where she was visiting.

MR MADASA: Yes?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: They left a message for me to tell her that there was a meeting at eight o'clock at a place where we called the FNB.

MR MADASA: Yes?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: On the Sunday, they came back at about three o'clock.

MR MADASA: Yes?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: Fortunately that is when Nomfundu arrived, coming from Nxlapo.  They spoke to her outside, because that is where they met each other.

MR MADASA: Yes?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: As she was going inside, I asked her if she had gotten her message that there was going to be a meeting.  She said yes, there was going to be a meeting at eight o'clock in the evening.

MR MADASA: Yes?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: In the evening Nomfundu prepared to go to the meeting.   After about 15 minutes after she left, she came back.  15 Minutes elapsed after she had left, and she came back.

MR MADASA: Yes.

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: When I asked her how the meeting was, she said she did not know what was going on, she said she was asked to go home and wear her tracksuit and tackies.

MR MADASA: Yes?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: When I wanted to know exactly what was going on, she said that the SDU had called them to Block E.

MR MADASA: Yes?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: I said to her as she was not the only female member of the Youth League, I asked her to stay at home and lock the door, she must only open for me I said.  I said I am going to a lady who has children who are members of the Youth League.
	I didn't understand.

MR MADASA: What did you say?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: I said I am going to a lady who has children who were also members of the ANC Youth League.

MR MADASA: Yes?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: I got to this lady, I said to her I was actually looking for her daughters.  I said to them that my sister could not go with them, I had a problem because it was at night.
	When I got there there was a group of men, when I was about to knock at the door, they ran away.  It was the Youth League.

MR MADASA: Yes?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: I went inside, I told this lady that my sister could not go to this meeting because it was at night, and she was a girl.

MR MADASA: Yes?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: Whilst I was speaking to this lady, a certain young man knocked on the door.
	He asked for a key from this lady.  I saw this young man, I don't know if I should divulge his name.

MR MADASA: Yes please do.

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: It was Buthelezi's son, Thokozani.

MR MADASA: Yes?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: This lady gave him the key.  After I had spoken to this lady, I then said I am leaving.  On the way back home, I came across these young men.

MR MADASA: Yes?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: Something shocked me.

MR MADASA: What was that?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: One of them said I told you that you were hurrying this thing up.

MR MADASA: Yes?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: I greeted them, after I did that, I asked them what is going on here men, I said.  They said no Ma'am, nothing is going on.

MR MADASA: Were there any girls amongst them?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: No, it was just young men.

MR MADASA: Yes?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: I then proceeded on my way home.

MR MADASA: Yes?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: I got there and I slept.

MR MADASA: Did Nomfundu go to the meeting?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: No, she did not go.

MR MADASA: And then the following day was Bulelwa's death?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: In the morning the next day, I just heard a noise.  Somebody then knocked on my door after the noise.

MR MADASA: (Indistinct)

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: Yes sir.

MR MADASA: Yes?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: This lady asked me if I had heard that the gun shots that were fired the previous night, they were used on Bulelwa.

MR MADASA: Yes?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: After I heard I left to go to the other women that were on my street, I told them that we should go and see where Bulelwa was killed.

MR MADASA: Did you go to see?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: Yes, I did go.  Her corpse was there on the road, but it was covered.  There were men standing around.

MR MADASA: Did the community gather there?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: Yes, the community did gather.  Not a lot of people, there was not even 100 people, just a group.

MR MADASA: Did you remain there at Bulelwa's corpse?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: We stood there, listened.  There were already some comrades there.  I remember that we spoke to comrade Buthelezi.  He said that we have found Bulelwa's corpse.
	He said that they had not slept the whole night, just looking over the corpse.

MR MADASA: Yes?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: After that, we went back home because I was preparing to go to work.

MR MADASA: Do you know of the meeting that was called by Buthelezi at F?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: I don't know what the meeting was about because he called a lot of meetings as he ...

MR MADASA: Okay, let me ask you this, do you know Buthelezi?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: Yes, I do.

MR MADASA: Did he belong to any organisation?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: He was a member of the Block, Block F.

MR MADASA: Did he belong to a political organisation?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: I wouldn't know, I wasn't used to the man.

MR MADASA: Do you know that a meeting was called to form a new SDU for Block F by Buthelezi?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: Yes, I am aware.

MR MADASA: Did you go to that meeting?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: I was present.

MR MADASA: Was Bulelwa at that meeting?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: She was present.

MR MADASA: Were you told why the meeting was called?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: We were told that a new SDU was going to be formed.

MR MADASA: Who told you that, who called the meeting?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: I couldn't be sure about that, I don't know who the Chairperson of the meeting was, however comrade Buthelezi is one of the people who said that this meeting has been called, because they were going to form a new SDU.

MR MADASA: Did Bulelwa talk at that meeting?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: Yes, she spoke.

MR MADASA: What did she say?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: She asked if it was important for a new SDU to be formed where there was a SDU existing at the time.

MR MADASA: Yes?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: I am not sure how she answered.

MR MADASA: Was money collected at that meeting?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: No, money was not collected, however, R50-00 per house was meant to be collected.

MR MADASA: Had Bulelwa asked why is it necessary to form a new SDU when there was one in existence?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: Yes, I heard her ask that.

MR MADASA: Did anyone respond to her question?

NOMBUNISO NDWANE: Certainly there should have been somebody who answered.  However, I was not interested in listening to the answer.

MR MADASA: What did you do after the question, did you leave the meeting?