Human Rights Violation Hearings — Kimberley — 1996-06-11

MR MBAQA: Well he then took it away together with the bag, then we proceeded with the march and I forgot about it.  We then got to the Bop Consulate, in front of the Bop Consulate and then people came there and then the memoranda's were handed over.  
But then I was standing at the back because I was also doubling up maintain some kind of order there.  So I was at the back - so in the process of me walking around there then this chap came up to me - you know Smiles Walters  then came up to me.  He then opened his jacket like this but then I saw what I thought was a grenade.  I won't say it was a grenade but I think it was from what I - I saw.
But then I didn't take him seriously, I just left him there I was disgusted and I - I left him there because  I thought what he was doing you know  rather stupid and that type of thing.   So I just left him alone and I joined  the other guys who were also standing there at the back.  It  was Mafu Davids and another - another comrade I knew him only as Quire and a few other comrades, we were about six or seven - we were standing together there observing the proceedings from the back.
But then at some point just after the memoranda's were handed over - when the people were about to leave the place - at that point I was now walking to the front - I was walking to  John Block - there Chairperson of the Youth League, because I was - I was going to collect the memoranda's that had been signed.

ADV NTSEBEZA: Who was going to be given these memoranda?

MR MBAQA: Is the Bop Consulate.

ADV NTSEBEZA: And was Mangope there, as well.

MR MBAQA: He was obviously not there - his Consul was there.

ADV NTSEBEZA: Only the Consul.

MR MBAQA: Yes.

ADV NTSEBEZA: All right.

MR MBAQA: And after they had handed over those  three or four memoranda's,  just when the people were about to move so I was walking towards John Block when I - you know I just saw what I thought was something like you  know tear gas smoke and everybody just running  away.  I didn't know what was going on there at that stage,  but I did see something like thick smoke what I thought was thick smoke and everyone running.
Well  I thought at that stage that it was tear gas so I also ran away.  But I - I just ran a short distance and what possibly happened you know  it just occurred to me,  at that point as to what possibly happened.  So I then went back you know and - but when I went back I could not hear you know what - what people were saying, my eyes - my ears I beg your pardon, were sort of you know that sensation you have if you had been swimming - that sensation - so I could not properly what people were saying it was just like you know - and I saw people lying there - I saw some of our own people were there. Some comrades I cannot recall who they were, but they were there - and others were saying,  call the ambulance and so on and  I ran again to the ANC office.
And then I found Mafu Davids and the others they were there and some other people who had been slightly injured,  who had managed to - because the ANC office was not far from that scene.  So some people who were slightly injured they were already there and I found that they had already of course  called the ambulance and so on and  you know it was just sirens -  police sirens and everything.
We then  took some of these people to  the hospital with Mafu Davids and I don't recall who  else - and we came to the hospital, there at the hospital I met Lawrence, because when that happened I thought the grenade that was with me - so has been used here, so I - that's what I thought at that point, because I [intervention]

ADV NTSEBEZA: At that stage did you think of the grenade that you had been shown under the jacket?

MR MBAQA: I was thinking about it exactly I  in fact after the blast I said I ran away, I stopped you know when I could - as soon as I recovered - it occurred to me what possibly could have happened, because I did see that guy with that thing.   So I went back too - just to confirm you know what I was already suspecting and I could -  I found that no, this was actually a kind of explosion.

ADV NTSEBEZA: Who did you go and confirm with, with Mbatha or the person who had shown you [intervention]