Amnesty Hearings — Vanderbijlpark — 1998-08-11

VINCENT KUSAHUSA KHANYILE: Bongani Mbatha was arrested in Boipatong location and I was with him at the time.  If I'm not mistaken I think we were about 10 in number, a group of 10, that is.  We were at a tavern by the name of, I believe it's Checkers or Trekkers Tavern ...[intervention]

INTERPRETER: The speaker is not too sure.

VINCENT KUSAHUSA KHANYILE: When we were still there in that jubilant mood we heard that noise outside and we got outside to see and we realised that the situation had changed and we tried to go back to the place, or to our home.
	As it was still the situation we realised that there was an attack going on.  We saw a police van and we enlisted some help from them, in a sense that we wanted a lift with the police in their van and they refused us a lift and they said we should follow them instead, walk behind the van until they had escorted us outside the location but it did not happen like that.
	As people were grouping and gathering the police also left us alone.  They threw stones at us, and that was the beginning of the attack.  Fortunately Mr Mbatha got hold of a stick on the ground.  As the person who had something one like a jacket I advised him to put that stick right inside his jacket, to hide it so to speak and pretend as if he is drawing out a gun from his jacket.
	We tried to walk upwards towards the taxi rank and the people were following us, throwing stones at us, back and forth that is.  When I realised that we were seriously being attacked and that in no time they would get hold of us and we will be captured, I pretended as if I'm drawing something from my jacket, like a gun and they made way or they gave way to us.  We were able now to run away, to escape from them.
	They never gave up, they still ran after us.  I consistently pretend as if I'm drawing a gun out of my jacket.  Unfortunately as we were about to gain exit, Mr Mbatha was hit and he fell on the ground instantly.  We took off, we left him because we could not help him in any way.  He was stabbed by stakes or the garden equipment.  He was injured.
	One thing that pains me is that he was hit just before we were saved because we were just about to escape completely from the group.  He was assaulted severely and they tried to pour paraffine on his body and the police emerged immediately and they helped him or they took him with.  That is how far I know inasfar as Mbatha's case is concerned.

MR STRYDOM: This Mr Mbatha, was he a member of the IFP?

VINCENT KUSAHUSA KHANYILE: Yes, it is true.

MR STRYDOM: At that stage was he a resident of the kwaMadala Hostel?

VINCENT KUSAHUSA KHANYILE: Yes, that's correct.

MR STRYDOM: Approximately how long before the 17th of June 1992, when this attack took place, did this incident take place?

VINCENT KUSAHUSA KHANYILE: It didn't take long, although I have no clear recollection inasfar as that or estimation is concerned.

MR STRYDOM: In front of me I have a newspaper clipping, that is Exhibit K.  I want to read certain portions ...[intervention]

CHAIRPERSON: Where is Mr Mbatha now?

VINCENT KUSAHUSA KHANYILE: Mr Mbatha died.

CHAIRPERSON: Do you know what the cause of his death was?

VINCENT KUSAHUSA KHANYILE: He died in that attack.

MR STRYDOM: I want to refer you to Exhibit K, that is an extract of the Sunday Star dated the 28th of June 1992 and I want your personal comments about what is stated here
"On June the 13th/14th, the weekend before the massacre, at least three people were murdered in Boipatong.  The first was a woman named Nomvula, accused of consorting with her Inkatha boyfriend and dispatched in the small hours of Saturday"
Do you have any personal knowledge about this?

VINCENT KUSAHUSA KHANYILE: Yes, I do.

MR STRYDOM: Can you tell the Committee more about this incident?

VINCENT KUSAHUSA KHANYILE: What I know or it's what I heard was the attack or her attack when she got killed was because she had an Inkatha boyfriend but I did not know her personally.

MR STRYDOM: I carry on quoting
"The second was David Mbele, a 37 year old Boipatong resident and school teacher ...
...[intervention]

MR BERGER: Chairperson, might I object at this stage, I know this is not a court of law but my learned friend is just leading the witness, reading out the evidence and asking the witness to confirm.  I submit that it would have more value if the witness was asked a direct question and gave his evidence in that fashion.

MR STRYDOM: Mr Chairperson, I can just refer the Committee to page 104 of his affidavit where he already stated this under oath and he mentioned the names of Mr Mbele and Nomvula in his affidavit which is already before the Committee.

CHAIRPERSON: Is there any issue about the contents of this report?

MR BERGER: Yes, there are certain facts which I will put to the witness.  I'm sorry Chairperson, I don't know what the question is.

CHAIRPERSON: What I want to find out, because I don't know where it's going to take us to get into side issues without getting into the real reason why we are here.  What I want to find out is, are the contents of Exhibit K in issue, is there any dispute about that report?

MR BERGER: There is no dispute about the fact that people were killed, what is in dispute is the reason for the killings.

CHAIRPERSON: For the sake of progress, would you just ask the witness whether he knows these persons?

MR STRYDOM: I will do so.
	Mr Khanyile, did you know or did you know a certain person with the name of David Mbele?

VINCENT KUSAHUSA KHANYILE: I knew him from hearing about him, not in person.

MR STRYDOM: Before the attack on Boipatong, what did you hear about him?

VINCENT KUSAHUSA KHANYILE: I heard that he was attacked by a group.  he was attacked by a group of people which was estimated to 400 in number that is.  The reason we got to hear was that he was attacked simply by being a Zulu and observing the Zulu rituals.

MR STRYDOM: During that period did you know a certain person by the name of B L Khumalo?

VINCENT KUSAHUSA KHANYILE: I knew that person personally.

MR STRYDOM: Was he a member of the Inkatha Freedom Party?

VINCENT KUSAHUSA KHANYILE: Yes, that is correct.

MR STRYDOM: Before the attack on Boipatong, did you hear what happened to him?

VINCENT KUSAHUSA KHANYILE: He was attacked in Boipatong and was set alight from morning until midday and died on the spot.

MR STRYDOM: In your own mind, during that period, who was responsible for killing these people with Zulu or Inkatha connections?

VINCENT KUSAHUSA KHANYILE: They were killed by the youth of ANC in the location.

MR STRYDOM: I want to refer you again to page 96 of your application.  In the middle of the page it reads
"'n Verdere politieke oogmerk was om aan die ANC te toon dat die IFP nie sou toelaat dat ANC lede IFP lede se lewens reguleer en ons bewegings vryheid beperk nie"
Can you just explain to the Committee what you mean by that?

VINCENT KUSAHUSA KHANYILE: This means the fact that I was trying to explain was the ANC couldn't have done anything at liberty, we were also expected or supposed to show them that we are people as well and we are capable of doing what they were doing, the acts of violence as well.

MR STRYDOM: What was the general feeling amongst the residents of the kwaMadala Hostel prior to the attack, in relation to the killings that were ongoing?

VINCENT KUSAHUSA KHANYILE: As a person, I will filled with revenge, wanted to avenge.

MR STRYDOM: And I continue on page 96
"'n Waarskuwing is ook uitgestuur na die ANC ondersteuners om nie die 'Self-defence Units' te ondersteun nie.  Die gedagte was om die inwoners van Boipatong te intimideer soos hulle ons geintimideer het"
Do you have any comment to make at this stage?

VINCENT KUSAHUSA KHANYILE: I did not quite understand this part.

MR STRYDOM: According to you, at that stage who was supporting the Self-defence Units?

VINCENT KUSAHUSA KHANYILE: The community at large in the Vaal triangle.