Amnesty Hearings — Hammarsdale — 1998-08-12

CHAIRPERSON: We've completed the evidence of Mr Khumalo and we'll now proceed with hearing the evidence of another applicant.  I believe it's Mr Hlongwane.
	Mr Wills?

MR WILLS: Yes that is correct Mr Chairperson.

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: (sworn states)

MR WILLS: Thank you Mr Chairperson, Members of the Committee.  As you will all be aware, Mr Hlongwane has given evidence before this Committee at the Richards Bay portion of this hearing.  For the benefit of the members of the public here, I will be repeating some of the evidence as briefly as possible and that relates to his coming into the conflict in his early involvement of the IFP and how he got involved in that regard but hopefully we'll get through that fairly quickly.
	For the benefit of the Committee, we will only be dealing with the affidavit of Mr Hlongwane from page 130 of the record, which is the beginning, to the end of paragraph 48 which is at 151 of the record, that's basically up to him being placed in hiding by certain IFP officials in Ulundi.  After that he was operating outside of this area.  The eSikhawini portion you will realise that we've dealt with entirely and then we'll be left with the incidents in Ermelo.

CHAIRPERSON: Yes and which we'll be going to Ermelo next month for that portion of the hearing.  Yes, thank you Mr Wills, you may proceed.

MR WILLS: Mr Hlongwane you're presently in Westville Prison serving a particularly long prison sentence in respect of a number of incidents for which you've been convicted, is that correct?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: That is correct.

MR WILLS: These incidents are connected with you, being an assassin and a member of a hit squad working for the IFP and killing political opponents, is that correct?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: That is correct.

MR WILLS: Now there are also a number of incidents for which you have not been charged or prosecuted, is that correct?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: That is correct.

MR WILLS: And some of those relate to incidents which occurred in this area and going to be telling the community about those incidents today, is that correct?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: That is correct.

MR WILLS: Now you say in paragraph 4 of your affidavit at page 130 - just briefly, I want you to explain to the Committee and the community why you committed these numerous acts.

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: I committed all these acts because I was a member of the IFP.

MR WILLS: And what was your purpose in committing these acts?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: My objective was that communists should not be allowed rule KwaZulu.

MR WILLS: Right.  Now I want to turn to paragraph 8 of page 132.  I see you were born at B360 at Mpumalanga Township, Hammarsdale in 1968.  You grew up here in the Hammarsdale area and you attended school, your whole schooling in this area, is that correct?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: That is correct.

MR WILLS: And eventually you found employment at Glacier Bearings in Pinetown and up until that stage you had no real active involvement in politics, is that right?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: That is correct.

MR WILLS: And whilst you were employed at Glacier Bearings you experienced the fact that the fighting between the two organisations - and that is the UDF and the IFP - had commenced, but at that early stage you were not involved?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: That's correct.

MR WILLS: Now you say in paragraph 10, 11 and 12 how you got involved with the conflict and how you joined the IFP.  I want you to briefly tell the members of the community how this in fact occurred?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: I first started joining Inkatha - I was forced by Stembiso Nglovu and Sgangi Hlongwane.  One day when I was coming from work they asked me about Zekele Langa, who was my uncle's son, they asked me how he frequented my house because he was member of the UDF.  I told them that the house was my father's not mine therefore ...[intervention]

PANEL MEMBER: Could go slower, the interpreters can't cope with your evidence?

CHAIRPERSON: If you can just remember, Mr Hlongwane, the interpreters have to interpret simultaneously when you're speaking so if you could speak just a little bit slower to give the interpreter an opportunity to keep up with you?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: Thank you Sir.  It happened one day when I was still working at Glacier Bearings at Pinetown.  On my way from work I was stopped by Sgangi Hlongwane and Stembiso Nglovu who were members of the UDF and they asked me how IFP members came to my home or frequented my home if I was not a member of the IFP.  I responded that they should remember that that was my father's house and as such I had no right to determine who goes into my house and who doesn't.  They in turn said that I will see what's going to happen and because of that, because they - already peoples houses were being burned and there was fighting.  I then told Zekele, my cousin, about this and Zekele took me to Zekele Langa who is a member of the Executive Committee and a Councillor at Ward 4.  That Zekele told me that he could not help me because I was not an IFP member and that is how I joined the IFP.

MR WILLS: This information given to you by Stembiso Nglovu, you say in your affidavit, that essentially, that you felt threatened and that as a result of that, you thought that you were - your house was going to be attacked and you were afraid and threatened, is that correct?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: That is correct.

MR WILLS: And then you went to a Zekele Nkethle who was a prominent IFP leader and he said that he wasn't going to help you unless you joined the IFP, is that correct?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: That is correct.

MR WILLS: And this Zekele Nkethle in fact was a central committee member of the IFP is that right?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: That is correct.

MR WILLS: And as a result of this you decided to joint the IFP.  You paid your membership fee at that stage, is that right?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: That is correct.

MR WILLS: Now you say that this was during 1985, sometime during 1985 that this occurred?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: That is correct.

MR WILLS: Now prior to this, had you been involved in any violence whatsoever?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: I never participated in the violence, I was a soccer player.

MR WILLS: But things changed once you became an IFP member, is that right?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: That is correct.

MR WILLS: Now can you tell the members of the community and the Committee what - after you became an IFP member - what were the demands made on you as an individual as regards attending camps and going to meetings?

ISRAEL HLONGWANE: After I became a member I started attending IFP meetings.  On Wednesdays there would be a meeting and from Friday to Sunday there would be camps where we would be told that the UDF was an ANC vehicle and that the ANC's objectives were to govern KwaZulu Natal and in fact make it ungovernable and all our parents' possessions would be destroyed or they would take them over.  I was very angry about this and indeed I realised that I should be an Inkatha member.  That is what we were taught at the IFP.

MR WILLS: Now you say that - and I'm referring to paragraph 13, the top of page 134 - you say
"At a later stage I took part in the fighting between the UDF and Inkatha.  At that time there was intense fighting between the youths of the different political parties but very little between the adults".  You say
	"During this period we had no firearms and would use knives in our fighting."
This is the early time that you were involved in the conflict.  I just want you to briefly expand on that to the Members of the Committee and to the members of the community in order that they can understand the type of fighting.  Just describe to us the type of fighting that was going on?