Amnesty Hearings — Boksburg — 1999-02-23

MS LOCKHAT: Thank you Chairperson.  Just a slight amendment to the roll.  We will now commence with John Sithole, amnesty application number 5971/97.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Sithole's application appears on page 8 of the bundle ...(indistinct) page 8 of my bundle.  Mr Claassen.

MR CLAASSEN: Thank you Mr Chair, I call Mr John Sithole.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Sithole, do you have any objection to taking the oath?  You don't have any objection?

JOHN SITHOLE: (sworn, states).

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.  Mr Claassen.

MR CLAASSEN: Thank you Mr Chair.
	Mr Sithole you are today the applicant in an amnesty application before this Committee relating to an incident that occurred on the 12th of February 1994.  Mr Sithole, at the time of this particular incident, were you a member, or affiliated to any political party?

MR SITHOLE: Yes, I was a member.

MR CLAASSEN: In what capacity?

MR SITHOLE: I was an induna.

CHAIRPERSON: What were you a member of?

MR SITHOLE: I was an IFP member, Inkatha that is.

MR CLAASSEN: Mr Sithole, you, together with your application, submitted a supplementary affidavit stating, and also in very broadly preceding incidents relating to this situation in Zevenfontein prior to what happened there, could you just, in your own words, elaborate a bit on the background in Zevenfontein.  What had happened.  What Zevenfontein was like before this incident occurred, and what gave rise to the conflict which was apparent in Zevenfontein at that stage.

MR SITHOLE: We had a meeting at Zevenfontein, that we shall go and request a land, or some land, to build on, because there were people who had built towards the river, Jukskei River that is, and that was put next to the electricity or electricity wires, so to speak, and that was interfering with the settlers there.  And we decided we should march, and head to Randburg, and we all agreed on this, and indeed we marched.

CHAIRPERSON: Sorry Mr Sithole, when you say we had a meeting, and we agreed to march, are you talking about the community of Zevenfontein, all the people there, or is it just the IFP portion of that community?

MR SITHOLE: The whole entire community.

MR CLAASSEN: Mr Sithole could you just explain to the Committee, what was the political situation at that stage?  Was it already politicised?  What was the political atmosphere like in Zevenfontein at that stage?

MR SITHOLE: We were living so well in the area.

CHAIRPERSON: Sorry Mr Claassen to keep interrupting, but Mr Sithole, just to give us some idea, we know that the incident took place you say on the 12th of February 97.  When was this meeting in relation to that date?  Was it a year before, or many months before, or days, weeks before?

MR SITHOLE: Prior to the incident.  You see, I'm and illiterate man here, I wouldn't know the particulars in relation to the dates and the information you are looking for.

CHAIRPERSON: Yes, proceed please.

MR SITHOLE: We all agreed that we will march to Randburg to request a piece of land.  At night, prior to the day when we will march, I think it was about 3 a.m. before that particular march, we heard some noise around the squatter camps.  People seemed to be marching around.  As early as five I woke up, I took a shower, and at six I went to work, at TPA.  I boarded a truck, I went to work.  We have agreed that we won't have any flags, or demonstration, or any attire of political organisation, but we'll wear our ordinary clothes.

MR CLAASSEN: Mr Sithole could you just explain to the Committee, you keep talking of we, was this a community forum of some sort?  And what was your role in this forum?

MR SITHOLE: The entire community.  I am referring to the entire community when I keep saying we.

MR CLAASSEN: And what was your role, did you, were you bearer of any specific office in this community?

MR SITHOLE: I was an ordinary person at the time.

MR CLAASSEN: Please continue.

MR SITHOLE: I went to work, as I already said.  As I was passing the TPA, heading towards the tar road, I saw the ANC youth wearing the ANC attire, clothing, and they greeted us, together with my colleague.  We went to fetch some water and we came back with water, and I poured some water right around the squatter camp.  Just before I got off from work, people who had gone to Randburg were also back, and it was after work and we had another meeting.  Then the people from Randburg were giving report, and they told us that we have been promised a piece of land and they will be coming to sit with us.
	And I had complaints that I wanted to air to the ANC people, with regard to the demonstration they carried on that morning, because we agreed as a group that we will not wear any political clothes, and they did exactly that themselves in the morning.  And they said anyone is entitled to do what they want to do.  So that was so obvious to me that they were now bringing up some division in the community, so it meant we could affiliate with our group and they could affiliate with theirs, and act according to our groups.
	And we went to find out as to who was the leader of the group.  We tried and located the leaders of IFP.  We got hold of Khoza and Humphrey Ndlovu as well.  They agreed that they would be meeting with us shortly.  Indeed they came, and they came to launch, and they said we are now officially a launched IFP group, and IFP is not a group that will charge forward and fight against other people or against other groups.  We shall be peacefully maintaining stability as an IFP group in the area.

MR CLAASSEN: Mr Sithole you indicated that it was difficult for you to estimate how long before this incident this IFP, or this IFP branch, was established.  Could you, more or less in terms of months or years, how long before this 12th of February 1994 was the IFP in Zevenfontein established?

MR SITHOLE: It's a bit difficult for me to furnish you with that kind of explanation or information, as I'm not educated.  I don't know what year, I don't know what month, not to mention the dates.

MR CLAASSEN: Thank you Mr Sithole, please continue.

MR SITHOLE: Now they said that we shall not go and attack people and start on people in any way.  If they do that to us, myself as induna, official induna, I should take it upon myself to go to the opposing group and sit down and discuss what had happened, and we should be always be protecting the group and defending the group, so to speak, and time went on.

MR CLAASSEN: Mr Sithole what was your role in that IFP that's just been established at that stage?  What were your office in the IFP?

MR SITHOLE: I was induna.

CHAIRPERSON: Sorry to interrupt Mr Claassen.  What sort of induna were you?  Were you induna weSiswe, what kind of induna were you?

MR SITHOLE: I was an induna of the IFP group that was established in the area.

CHAIRPERSON: Were you responsible for calling the young men together?  Putting together amabuto if necessary?

MR SITHOLE: I would call amabuto.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.

MR CLAASSEN: Mr Sithole could you please continue, and just explain when this conflict started, and how it escalated to the point that this incident occurred.