Amnesty Hearings — Hammarsdale — 1998-08-11

MR STEWART: And did you know that he was going to do that before he did it?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: No, that was never planned.  We actually planned to attack Choncos and come back to sleep.

MR STEWART: Well I understand insofar as the plan was concerned, but now after the original attack, at the time immediately before Musa fired at that woman, did you know that that was his intention, that that's what he was going to do?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: No, I did not know that but when we asked him thereafter: "Why did you shoot that person" and who that person was, then he explained to us that that girl is from Langa and that girl is a comrade and the house, the Langa family is the house of the comrades and then we couldn't say we were ...[indistinct] because that was done already.

MR STEWART: And was she actually killed?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: No, she didn't die, she was actually shot on the thigh.

MR STEWART: And to your knowledge she then survived after that?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes.

MR STEWART: Okay, now if we go back to where you were, at that time you were approaching where you were staying, what did you do with the firearms?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: When we arrived at Zweli Dlamini, because as we were running away I saw the police as if they were approaching Three Line, so when we arrived we took those two 765's and HMC and then we hid it under the fence of our neighbour and within some few minutes thereafter the police came with Djablani Dlamini, Zweli's brother and then were raiding in the house and they wanted the 65 and then Djablani was beaten by them and actually told them that there was a 65.  They didn't find that 65 and they left thereafter.

MR STEWART: Had Djablani also told them about your involvement?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: I think he did because when we were running away from Choncos we went up, there's a house, that house was the Dlamini's house at Vusi's and then we crossed there and when we were crossing there Djablani was there with Vusi.  Musa Xulu spoke with Djablani and told then in the house and they heard his voice and they heard that it was Musa.  I think they actually then figured it out, that whose that because thereafter we were arrested.

MR STEWART: What happened on being arrested?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Before we were arrested, at night a lot of people were arrested, I suppose about seven because Tulani and the others, myself and Musa and Sbu ran away.  I ran away and stayed at the valley.
	When I was running away I left my clothes in the house.  After a week I came back for my clothes.  When I started there at Sxelo's there's a place where they sell liquor.  I stayed there until it was dark.  When it was dark I then went to fetch my clothes.  
	On my way I met the ZP's, they passed, they were in a kombi.  Thereafter I met another kombi and I thought it's the same kombi that I met however it wasn't so, it was the riot investigation people.  They searched me.  I had a butcher's knife and the appointment certificate of Ulundi.
	We were sitting in the house after the shooting and they were arresting me that I'm the one who shot.  When we were on our way out I did not hear that there was a shooting already, so I was taken to the place where the shooting occurred and then there were other females, the mothers.  They said: "This is the person who was shooting here".  
	I was taken there and then they asked who was with me and I can't quite remember who was with me but that person was actually arrested on the way.  That person actually mentioned my name and he said I'm Sosha and then the police were happy and they said: "We have been looking for you for a long time".  That is how I got arrested.
	All of us were arrested on that night because Musakulu was arrested in Maritzburg, Noko was from his place.  About 10 of us were charged in this case.

MR STEWART: Now Mr Khumalo, you say that there were 10 of you in total who were charged, were you formally charged in court?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, we went to court and then we received bail.  I can't quite remember whether it was R200 or R100 and then I went back to the township.  When I arrived in the township I didn't even sleep in my house, I went to Zweli's because we used to camp there.  Then I saw the police in my house, the very same police who arrested me, they were with the others now.  I was surprised that now what do they want because they did charge me and I'm out on bail now.
	The following day I woke up and I went to Ulundi and I went to Mashobane and told him that I'm in trouble and then I'm arrested like this, and Mashobane advised to me run away, not to go back to court.  ...[intervention]

MR STEWART: Mr Khumalo, this Mashobane, is that MZ Khumalo?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, it is MZ.

MR STEWART: Why did you go to tell him, what did you expect from him?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: As our leader, I needed the advice as to what to do because I indicated that I was arrested for this case and the police came at night, so him as a person whom I perceived to have information and have connections with people who have knowledge about other things, maybe he could find out what they were looking for me for.
	He actually advised me not to go back to court but to run away but then he said he won't help me with a place to hide because he once helped me, he once helped me to hide.  And checking the conditions were not good so I decided to leave at that time.  He said that because I did not stay where he hid me before, he won't do it again.  
	Other people did the same thing, so he said I must now look for a place on my own and then as soon as I find a place I must tell him and he will bring the money to me, I mustn't come back to Ulundi.  I then went to Mr Djamile and I indicated to him that I'm in such a problem and he said: "That's not a problem".  He took me to Nkosi Kaula at Mzumbe and he talked to Nkosi and then he agreed that I stay there for a year.  That is '88.  In the beginning of '89 I went to Nkosi and I camped.

MR STEWART: This place, Mzumbe, is that on the South Coast somewhere not far from Port Shepstone?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, it is.

MR STEWART: Now you say you left there and you returned to the camp, that's some time earlier in 1989, is that Matekulu Camp?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: No, it is at Mkuzi.

MR STEWART: Mkuzi Camp?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes.

MR STEWART: And what was the purpose of going there?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: I had been doing a course at amaTikulu and I was removed from there.  I was told that the police had information that I was there, so my going to Mkuzi was to continue hiding.

MR STEWART: Now Mr Khumalo, you explained that at some point you went to Sasol and you were employed at Sasol and you did work, recruiting for the so-called Trade Union, UWUSA, will you explain that period briefly?  It's not important to go into a lot of detail but will you explain briefly to the Committee that period and what your objectives were.

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: We went to Secunda because the projects relating to Caprivi was about to close down, there were not longer sufficient funds to sustain it and therefore Mashubane said he will take us to Sasol but we were not going to work as employees of Sasol but continue working for the IFP.
	There were four or five groups and in each group there was a leader whose responsibility was to gather information.  There was a Chemical Workers Union which was affiliated to COSATU and therefore our responsibilities would include fighting or opposing this Union, intimidate their leaders and terrorise them as well as identifying people who could join UWUSA.  That was our job.

MR STEWART: And did you do that job?