Amnesty Hearings — Durban — 1977-08-07

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: If I remember well I shot, I fired two times because I shot a certain guy by the name of Simiso, I've forgotten his surname.  After shooting Simiso and the crowd that was outside there dispersed and we went into the house.  When I got into the house Bheki was left outside, I was the one who went into the house and I got Masulele, I shot him and he died.  I feel very sad about the way it happened because if I remember very well they were from a funeral and they had come from burying Masulele's brother.

CHAIRPERSON: Where, in whose house did this incident occur the shooting, where did this happen?

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: I remember a boy who stays there, his name was Dishi but I don't remember the surname or the household name.

CHAIRPERSON: Is there any way in which we can identify the place where this occurred?

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: When I went there I told myself that I was going to attack a UDF stronghold so I did not specifically know the house as to who it belonged to.

ADV DE JAGER: ...(inaudible) us please, you know where the stronghold was, we don't even where you were living at the time, we don't know whether you talk about Durban or Cape Town or where.

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: The area I'm referring to is Kwamakhuta.  It was ...(intervention)

ADV DE JAGER: What section?

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: Section 23.

CHAIRPERSON: Where were you living at that time?

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: I was staying at Section 19.

CHAIRPERSON: What happened to the man Simiso, was he injured?

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: Simiso didn't die he got injured.

MR SHEMBE: Did you realise after you were shooting that someone has died?

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: Yes, I did realise that there was a person who died because I shot him at point blank at close range and I was sure that he died but I wasn't sure about Simiso.

MR SHEMBE: Were you also, did you also realise as to how many might have died, how many people died or you were only sure of one person?

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: Xhosa no translation.

MR SHEMBE: Were you exact of the number of the deceased, how many people died at your shooting?

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: One person died.

MR SHEMBE: At the time of your shooting, where was this other person who were in your company, Bheki Zwane?

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: He was standing outside just next to the door.

MR SHEMBE: What was, what were you carrying with you besides the gun you were shooting with?

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: It was gun as well as something that looked like a tomahawk, I could refer to it as an axe.

MR SHEMBE: Did you use, did you also use that tomahawk in your attack?

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: Yes I did but what I remember using is the gun, I remember clearly using the gun.

CHAIRPERSON: What did you use the axe for?

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: I think I hacked Masulele because mine was a self-made gun and I wanted to make sure that he was dead.  After shooting him I hacked him.

MR SHEMBE: What did you do after you shot him?

CHAIRPERSON: ...(inaudible)

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: I started by shooting him and then I finished him off with the tomahawk.

MR SHEMBE: What did you further do?

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: I left thereafter, I went back home and I came across Ngamula, we went back.

CHAIRPERSON: ...(inaudible) any other questions relating to this incident that you would like to bring out?  You may then pass on to the next event - you know, try and make it in sequence so that we can have a clearer picture of what is happening.

MR SHEMBE: As far as this night of Masulele's death, did you, do you remember as to how many people were also injured in that house?

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: I only remember Masulele the one I injured but later on I saw Simiso, that is at the court.  I also realised that Simiso was also injured so these are the two people.  Then Makosi from Xhosa's place or Makosi Xhosa also said I pointed a gun at her.

MR SHEMBE: Was it on the same ...(intervention)

ADV DE JAGER: Yes, can you kindly repeat the name of the other person injured which you realised was injured at the court, what was his name?

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: That was Simiso.

CHAIRPERSON: We'd like to take it down, what is his name?

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: Simiso. (spelt)

MR SHEMBE: Who else was also injured on the night of Masulele's ...(intervention)

CHAIRPERSON: He's only mentioned those people.

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: It was only Simiso and Makanja Masulele died.

MR SHEMBE: Now there is another offence for which you were convicted, that is the one of assault and robbery on Letuli, Rosemary Letuli, what can you tell us as to how that robbery and assault happened.  Take us steadily and precisely as to what actually happened and your actual part you played in that assault.

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: Xhosa no translation.

MR SHEMBE: And the date as to when even if you cannot remember exact date, the approximation of the date and the year.

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: If I remember well the month was April, it was still very early in April and I would like to relate the background as to what happened that led me to that.  There is a certain man by the name of Langa ...(intervention)

ADV DE JAGER: Could you kindly go slowly.  We've go information that it was on Friday the 13th of April 1990, could that be correct?

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: Yes, that could be true because it was still early in April.

CHAIRPERSON: Tell us, where did this incident occur?

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: That was in Section 18.

MR SHEMBE: What happened, what did you do on the 13th then, tell us the exact event you did.

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: On that day at Section 18 - the Section 18 was divided, there were some other who were members of the UDF and Inkatha members within the same section so the other ones had fled their places because of the violence Inkatha and  UDF and on that particular day I saw Langa Tsele.  I used to see Langa Tsele during the attacks that were going on between the UDF and the Inkatha and when I saw Langa I decided that I had to attack him.  Just as I was trying to attack him he ran across Rosemary Mapumulo's house and when I went in there I saw Bheki Zwane and Langa escaped and went to the next house.

CHAIRPERSON: ...(inaudible) he ran into whose house, this man Langa Tsele?

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: It's Rosemary's house, I think it's Rosemary.

CHAIRPERSON: ...(inaudible) after he ran into Rosemary's house?

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: At that stage whilst I was chasing Langa, Bheki Patrick Zwane came across because he had realised that there was a fight and he came, he was in a warpath also.

CHAIRPERSON: ...(inaudible)

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: What I mean is that I saw him armed when he was approaching me.  I don't remember what he was having in his hand but he was armed and I do not want to commit myself and say he was carrying this sort of a weapon.  I don't remember what kind of weapon he had but at that stage I saw that he had something with him and he had come to attack.  I continued chasing Langa and I went into that house and kicked the door -  I heard a woman screaming.  I continued chasing Langa and I left Bheki behind.  I chased Langa but I could not get him and when I could not get him, I turned back and I went to the house.  I came across Bheki Zwane and we went back to our place.  On the following day if I remember quite well, a certain man by the name of Mkhize, Tembi Nkosi, Agripa, Mkhize and came to us ...(intervention)

CHAIRPERSON: ...(inaudible) know whether you are able to take all this down, certainly I'm not.

MR SHEMBE: I'm also failing to but ...(intervention)

CHAIRPERSON: ...(inaudible)

MR SHEMBE: Mr Hlengwa ...(intervention)

CHAIRPERSON: ...(inaudible) the following day.

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: On the following day Tembi Nkosi, Agripa, Mkhize came, Tembi Nkosi, Agripa, Mkhize ...(intervention)

CHAIRPERSON: ...(inaudible)

VUSI LINDA HLENGWA: Mkh, do you want the surname or the name?

CHAIRPERSON: ...(inaudible)