Amnesty Hearings — Durban — 1998-04-17

MR WILLS: We just must be absolutely clear here - at that meeting did they tell you as you state in paragraph 13 of your affidavit that they had formed a hit squad with the purpose of eliminating leaders of opposing political groups like the ANC and their allies?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes they expressed it clearly that they were tired of the ANC because they could see that they were failing in this province so what they were doing, they were realising that the IFP was stronger in rural areas and the ANC had adopted a strategy to enter into these areas and kill Amakosi and Isinduna because they knew that Amakosi and Isinduna will the people who forced people to join the IFP.  So they said they were tired, they would no longer allow communists to kill their Chiefs and Indunas.

MR WILLS: So at that meeting you knew clearly that your work was actually going to be involved in killing people?

MR WILLS: Yes I know that.

MR WILLS: So again, why didn't you go to the police and report this, you've heard the way Mr Khumalo, the deceased's younger brother was questioning Mr Mkhize yesterday.  You were a policeman, you were trained to protect lives - why didn't you go and report this to someone?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes I was a policeman but I also had a background of an IFP member so I think that was the reason why it was easy to me to accept this and for me to feel honoured about this.

MR WILLS: You didn't give me the answer that I wanted to an earlier question.  You refer to feeling honoured, is it usual for someone so junior in rank like you were constable in those days, to meet with such high officials?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Such things would not happen, it was not usual for a constable to meet with such authorities within the KwaZulu Government.  That on it's own made me feel important within the IFP and the KwaZulu Government.

MR WILLS: Now you refer in the second last sentence in paragraph 5, you say and again referring to the same meeting that "they informed me that what we are to do was not only for us or for the Chief Minister but for the nation."  Now which nation do you mean when you refer to the nation?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: They were talking about generally all AmaZulu.

MR WILLS: So the Zulu nation in other words?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: That is correct.

MR WILLS: You indicate in paragraph 15 that during this discussion it was emphasised by these people that specific people were to be targeted but you were to take care not to kill or injure innocent people, is that correct?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: That is correct.

MR WILLS: Now you also mention that you were instructed not to write anything down and tear up photographs that had been provided by the B.S.I.  Did you at times get photographs from the B.S.I. regarding certain people?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes we did receive certain photos - members of the ANC.

MR WILLS: So if you can just explain, it's an area that Mr Mkhize didn't really cover in detail.  What was the relationship or what role did the B.S.I. play in this general operation and again just for the record the B.S.I. is the Bureau for State Intelligence, is that correct?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: That is correct.

SISI KHAMPEPE: Is it not investigation Mr Wills?

MR WILLS: Thank you Ms Committee Member, that is indeed so.

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: The B.S.I. was a wing within the KwaZulu Police and their duty was not necessarily to arrest people - they were working with the Inkatha leaders and we knew fully well that all the structures or areas of residence, their were Indunas and Chiefs and those Indunas would not be appointed if they were not members of the IFP and we also knew fully well that the Chief there were members of the IFP.  Those who were not IFP members would have to be killed and the ones who were present were Chiefs and strong IFP members and we also had the townships where the community knew that their was a Mayor and Councillors.
	Townships that were under the KwaZulu Government and the Mayors were appointed on condition that they were members of the IFP.  For example, the existence of the B.S.I. suggested that these Councillors, Indunas and everybody else knew people who resided in their areas.  B.S.I. therefore had files of people who were members of the ANC in those areas which were under these Councillors and Indunas.  
	If a person under a certain Councillor was a member of the ANC, the B.S.I. would weekly, for example there would be a police or a member of the B.S.I. would be assigned to handle particular files for example Bogani Nsomi's file, monitor that person, monitor every movement that he makes and he would do this by keeping in contact with the Councillor at the place where Bongani was residing and he would also keep in touch with the Mayor where Bongani was residing at the end of the day he would prepare a report so this file would then be handed over to Brigadier Mate in Ulundi.  On looking at the file if he realises that Bongani Nsomi is doing things that could be a threat to the IFP, he would then take this file further to discuss it with Khumalo and Msemela and everybody who was within the high structure within the hit squad and also a decision would be made to refer that the person is dangerous and therefore should be killed.  
	Once such a decision was taken an instruction would be issued down to us that Bongani Nsomi is operating as follows and they would want to know if we know him.  If we didn't, they would instruct that we locate him and instructions would be that we kill him.
	The B.S.I. therefore included Councillors, Mayors, Indunas and Chiefs also church ministers in some areas and school principals at certain areas.

MR WILLS: Mr Mbambo, basically, as I understand you basically what you're saying is that one of the purposes that you were aware of that the B.S.I. - one of the things that it did was to collect information on political opponents of Inkatha and to supply that into the hit squad hierarchy, is that correct?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: That is correct.

MR WILLS: Now you said that certain of the local leadership were also members of the B.S.I.  Do you not mean that they would also feed information to the B.S.I. obviously they were not members, uniformed members of the B.S.I.?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: That is correct.

MR WILLS: You say and here I refer you to paragraph 17 at page 9 of the record that the B.S.I. of the KwaZulu Police as well as the IFP leadership in that specific area would identify the ANC leaders and the names of those identified would be given to M.Z. Khumalo, Brigadier Mate and so on?  Who is Brigadier Mate, I think we haven't really had his name mentioned extensively?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Brigadier Mate was once a Deputy Commissioner, that is a position second from the top within the then KwaZulu Police and as time went on he became a Commissioner for a while and then B.S.I. reported to him directly.  There were Branch Commanders of the B.S.I. but the person who was the last man within the hierarchy was Brigadier Mate and from that level came the structure of the politicians.  He is the one who liaised between the B.S.I. and the IFP leaders in the KwaZulu parliament.

MR WILLS: Okay, just for clarity - possibly you can help us, I think we've mentioned two brigadiers, there's Brigadier Msemela whose been mentioned extensively by Mr Mkhize and Brigadier Mate.  Of those two who was the most senior?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: It was Brigadier Mate.

MR WILLS: So we've hear that at the time of your operations Brigadier Msemela was the District Commandant I think of the eSikhawini jurisdiction, is that correct?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes.  That is correct.

MR WILLS: So he was in charge of the five police stations which fell within that jurisdiction is that correct.

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes that is correct.

MR WILLS: And then his next person up the ladder would be Brigadier Mate, is that correct?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes. That is correct.