Amnesty Hearings — East London — 1998-04-14

MS GCABASHE: Now if I could just ask in that case, do you now what Siyoni's code name was?  Was it just Diesel or did he have some other name that you knew?

VUYISILE LEBRAN MADASI: I knew him as Diesel.

MS GCABASHE: Did you know that as his code name?

VUYISILE LEBRAN MADASI: Yes, because when I met him he was referred to as Diesel.

MS GCABASHE: Then Ntintili, did you know his code name or what did you call him?

VUYISILE LEBRAN MADASI: I just knew him as comrade Ntintili.

MR MBANDAZAYO: Thank you Mr Chairman.   Now, can you explain to the Committee paragraph 7, the last sentence
"Comrade Diesel was to be our link with comrade Xomiso and would provide us whichever we want"
What does that mean?

VUYISILE LEBRAN MADASI: We were trying to protect the lines of communication because he was meant to be our conductor.  I reported to Diesel if we needed anything within the unit.  Diesel coordinated everything.

MR MBANDAZAYO: Paragraph 9 Mr Chairman
"After I had completed the reconnaissance of the place, comrade Ntintili came with the arms.  The arms are as described in paragraph 9"
	Can you tell the Committee who requested the arms that they be brought?  Did you request the arms that they be brought or Mr Ntintili just came with the arms?

VUYISILE LEBRAN MADASI: I got there and stayed there with comrade Sky.  It is from Sky that we got the arms and accommodation.  However, as the commander of the unit I received the arms from comrade Ntintili.

MR MBANDAZAYO: Paragraph 10 Mr Chairman ...[intervention]

MS GCABASHE: I'm sorry, I seem to be a bit confused about this arms story, about whether it's Sky or Ntintili who arranged the arms.  I understand it to be Ntintili even from the affidavit, where does Sky come in?  I understand the accommodation part, the arms part?

VUYISILE LEBRAN MADASI: Your question is not clear.

MS GCABASHE: You see I have made a note here, your initial response was something along the lines that you got there and stayed with Sky so I understand your accommodation was provided by Sky, that's correct.  But you also said: "From Sky we got arms and accommodation", now it's the arms part I don't quite understand.

VUYISILE LEBRAN MADASI: My answer to this question, where the accommodation is concerned and the arms, as Sky was from that area he is the one who knew who to contact in - it is Ntintili who brought the arms to me directly.  I hope I have answered you well.

MR MBANDAZAYO: Thank you Mr Chairman.  Paragraph 10 Mr Chairman
"When I was about to decide on the wake of the attack at Yellowwoods, I was informed that comrade Ntintili has been arrested and we retreat from that area.  We were accommodated at Mdantsane at comrade Law's place who was a relative of comrade Nxeba"
	Can you explain to the Committee what happened and how did you retreat to Mdantsane?

VUYISILE LEBRAN MADASI: After the comrade came with the arms, comrade Nxeba and Mlungisi went to the phone.  When they got there they heard that comrade Ntintili was arrested and we then had to withdraw.
	It was clear that Nxeba knew people around the Eastern Cape.  I think he was going to meet one of his relatives.  We then had to use that day that he was meant to meet his relative, they were meant to meet at Alice.  We then moved to Alice, we then met with comrade Law, Nxeba's relative.  That is how we ended up in Mdantsane.

MR MBANDAZAYO: Can you tell the Committee what was comrade Law doing in Alice?

VUYISILE LEBRAN MADASI: First of all, comrade Law was a student at Fort Hare.

MR MBANDAZAYO: Paragraph 11
"As we were determined to hit the target we decided that on a Friday we must meet at Fort Hare at comrade Law's room as he was a student there.  We met at comrade Law's room, it was myself, Mlungisi, Nxeba, Diesel and Sky"
	Can you tell the Committee how did you arrange that you meet at Law's room at Fort Hare?

VUYISILE LEBRAN MADASI: As a unit commander I organised that the comrades meet.  We then found out as we met that comrade Law had at room at Fort Hare.  After having spoken to Nxeba we decided to meet there.  Mlungisi, Nxeba and myself stayed in Mdantsane.  Comrade Diesel and comrade Sky are from around here.  We made a way that we meet.  We met at Fort Hare.

INTERPRETER: The applicant is listening to channel 2 and he keeps waiting for the interpretation.  If he could list to channel 3 please.

MR MBANDAZAYO: Thank you Mr Chairman.
	Then when you met at Fort Hare, what did you decide to do?

VUYISILE LEBRAN MADASI: We discussed certain matters and we decided to carry out the operation.  Comrade Mlungisi and comrade Nxeba and Sky had to go get a car, I was then left behind with comrade Diesel.  We were left behind with the arms just outside Fort Hare.  They noted where we were sitting so that when they came back with the kombi they could pick us up, it was a Nissan.
	We got into the kombi and on the way there to the hotel the police came after, chasing us.  We then abandoned the vehicle.  We collected our stuff from the kombi but some of our stuff was left behind.  We went back to Fort Hare, we left our arms there.  
	The next morning the three of us went to Mdantsane, the other two comrades went back to their own area.  That is how it happened.

MR MBANDAZAYO: Mr Chairman, I will proceed to paragraph 14
"Because our mission aborted we decided that we must take a car in Mdantsane and use it on the attack.  On the following Friday we took a red Langley"
	Langley Mr Chairman, not Landley, it's a "g".
"red Langley from a certain person in one of the Mdantsane units and we drove to Fort Hare where we took arms and proceeded to Fort Beaufort but when we arrived the hotel was closed and we came back and dropped the arms at Nxlelo location in Alice.  We were a unit of three this time, it was myself armed with  R5, Mlungisi armed with R4 and Nxeba with Uzzi.  We decided that we will carry the attack on the following day on Saturday.  We dumped the Langley near Alice"
	Can you tell the Committee how did you get the Langley?

VUYISILE LEBRAN MADASI: After we got to Mdantsane the next morning we took the Langley.  I can't remember which unit in Mdantsane.  An elderly man was driving it.  We talked to him, he didn't give us any trouble.  We tried to communicate the conditions to him, we took his car.  After that we went to Fort Hare for our arms, it was Mlungisi, Nxeba and I.  We got to the hotel after that, the hotel was closed.
	We went back to Nxlelo, dropped the car.  The next morning, the Saturday we went to Alice where we were going to get a car to go back to the target place.  We got this car from a couple, we  dropped them off between Fort Beaufort and Alice, they didn't give us any trouble either.  We took our arms and we went to the hotel, it was open.  I hope I've answered you.

MR MBANDAZAYO: Can you proceed and tell the Committee what happened.

VUYISILE LEBRAN MADASI: We went inside the hotel.  We drove in, parked the car and after that I ordered comrade Nxeba to go to the back door so that as we were going to shoot by the bar there might be people who would want to escape from the back door and he then would deal with those people.
	Mlungisi had an R4, a pistol to use as a withdrawal sign.  The comrades prepared well.  After about three minutes the comrade used the pistol as a withdrawal sign and we left.  We didn't have problems on our way back.  We left the car just before King William's Town because we had a problem with a punctured tyre.   We then went to a place that Nxeba would know better, dropped off the arms.
	The next morning we took different transport, we went to Mdantsane, we took our clothing and went back to the Transkei individually.  I gave feedback to comrade Leklapa and Mjala.  I hope that I've answered you well.