Amnesty Hearings — Hammarsdale — 1998-08-11

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, I did, I was actually told that I must tell them about the structure of the house.  I was actually supposed to draw that on the soil. I then did that with the soil, then I just left it on that sand.  Thereafter the Offensive Group actually took out their AK47s and practised shooting.  The targets were actually placed there and they were shooting.
	Thereafter we actually gathered all the cartridges and then JP told me that I will leave with the Offensive Group and show them Victor Ntuli's house as kwaMakutha.  I remained and then I boarded the kombi with the Offensive Group, JP remained and then he said we will meet him at a certain place next to a place.  He just directed us to a certain spot at nearby Louis Botha Airport, where we will actually get the weapons.
	We then boarded that kombi, Peter Msane was the one driving that kombi.  The Offensive Group, we took off and then we went to Durban.  I can't quite remember whether we started at Amatukuli or whether we went straight to Durban.
	We went and then we arrived in Durban at about 2 a.m. on the spot that he had actually told us we would meet.  When we arrived there they called the Offensive Group and they were called aside by Kevin.

MR STEWART: Mr Khumalo, just before you go on, when you went there in that kombi, do you remember who was with you?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, I do.  People who were there was Peter Msani, Big Boy Ndlovu, Sxlen Ndlovu, Prince Mkhize, Botsotso, Makaseti, Mbuazi and Ntjale.  I can't quite remember Ntjale's name.  I can't remember the others, but those are the few that I remember.

MR STEWART: You mention in your statements also the name of Isaac Shobede and Martin Khanyile, do you remember now whether they were with you?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, I do remember them now.

MR STEWART: And who did you meet at that place near Louis Botha Airport at about 2 o'clock in the morning?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: In this area we met JP Opperman and Kevin.

MR STEWART: And what transpired at that meeting?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Here I saw rifles, Ak47s were taken out and the torches were put there and it was given to the Offensive Group and I actually saw them holding balaclavas.
	JP gave me some papers that when we were at Ulundi, Xholani drew those papers, they were written: "Ijuva Disco tonight - 7.30p.m.", and the contact number was written, so we actually had to paste those on the sides of our kombi and then that was covered like that.
	Thereafter ...[intervention]

MR STEWART: Just before you carry on, what was the purpose of placing those papers on the side of your kombi?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: These were supposed to be seen by people, that is people who would see this kombi would actually think that this is just a kombi owned by the night-club people and not actually realise that these are the people who are going to strike or attack.

MR STEWART: And you say that the Offensive Group were given AK47s and torches, were you yourself armed?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: No, I wasn't given anything because my job was to point.

MR STEWART: What transpired from there, from that meeting?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Thereafter, after pasting these stickers and this Offensive Group, and then the Offensive Group left with those AK47s and torches.  We then left but finally just before we left I heard one instructor saying that: "You hear, you must know that nobody should remain in this area".
	JP said again that if we encounter some problems or where the policemen try to stop us, we must actually take these policemen and direct them to the spot where they are.  They are the ones who will actually talk to those police and explain to them what the situation was.  Thereafter we left heading for kwaMakutha.
	We left until we arrived at Victor Ntuli's house.  When we arrived ...[intervention]

MR STEWART: Mr Khumalo, sorry to interrupt you, just before you get to that, at that time when you were now leaving, what was your understanding of what the objective was of going to Victor Ntuli's house?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: What I knew was that we were just going to destroy everything and attack everything that is there.

MR STEWART: If you return to where you were, you say that you went to Victor Ntuli's house, then what happened?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: When we arrived, in the front seat it was Victor Msani, in the middle myself and then there was Xelo and the other people at the back.  When we arrived on that gate the car parked and the others left quickly and then in the car Peter and myself remained.  We then left and we made a U-turn.
	During that time when we went to make a U-turn we heard all the shooting happening there and then we came back, we returned.  When stopped, parking at the gate, this group was already finished because they did that promptly and then we, they boarded the car and then we left and we went back to the spot where JP and Kevin were.
	During that time when the car was still parked while we were waiting for this group to go inside, on the neighbourhood there was somebody who came out and actually wearing anything above and checking what's happening.  Peter at that time had that Tokarev pistol and actually shot in the air and this person actually ran away.  I don't know what happened to that person thereafter.  This group then came in and then we left.

MR STEWART: Are you aware of what that group actually did in attacking the house, if they killed people and what happened, are you aware of that?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, I did know that.

MR STEWART: And what happened, were people killed?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, people died because when on our way with the people in the car, when we were on our way to away the AK47, somebody was relating in the car that a lot of people and mothers and children were killed there.  I can't quite remember who was actually relating this story.  Then the other one actually indicated that he lit the torch and realised that it was a child and then he was afraid and didn't shoot.  On the following day I heard over the radio and also in the papers that people died there.

MR STEWART: When you left in the kombi, where did you go to?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: We left by that kombi and then we went where we left JP and Kevin, nearby Louis Botha and then they jumped off and JP asked what happened and they said: "Everything went off fine".  They gave Kevin the guns and they actually gave the report-back.  I wasn't nearby so I'm not sure what was said because I was busy taking off the stickers that were placed on the sides of the kombi and also the number plate, we actually had to change the number plate because it was the new one now, so we took back the old number plate.
	Thereafter the rifles and the balaclavas were left there with JP and them.  We left and we drove slowly until we arrived at Matikulu Camp and then we slept.

MR STEWART: And was that the end of that incident for you, so far as your involvement was concerned?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: That wasn't the end because, I can't quite remember because whether it was in that afternoon or the following day the very same kombi came and actually took the Offensive Group that went to kwaMakutha with me.  We went to the Mashubane shop at kwaMahlati at Ulundi and it was now at night.
	When we arrived there there was a goat.  Mashubane then said: "Men, I slaughtered this goat so that I can wash you because there the children died and the females, so I actually wash you by slaughtering this goat".  
	He actually slaughtered this goat and took some medicine and it was like Ntelezi and we're actually supposed to vomit and then we ate this goat.  Thereafter we actually went to Matekulu and that was the end of it.