Amnesty Hearings — Durban — 1998-04-17

MR WILLS: Now as I recall the evidence of Mr Luthuli was to the effect that these hit squad type operations didn't only exist in one area, for example the area you were involved in as the eSikhawini area but in other areas as well.  Now I want you to assist the Committee by going through this list and telling me the members of this - I mean those persons who are mentioned in this list who are not from the eSikhawini area and possibly if you can help the Committee to tell us what area they were operative in and I think that we know for example the hierarchy that you've indicated and that is Prince Gideon Zulu, M.Z. Khumalo, Mr Luthli, Mr Msemela the Secretary were the hierarchy so you don't have to include those people.  I'm really interested in the other persons whose names haven't been so frequently bandied about.

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Let me start with Captain Shlengwa, he used to work with Captain Kanile at the B.S.I.  There were people who were operating under them and these people operated in various areas, places like eSikhawini, Clermont, Mauritzberg and Johannesburg and Ermelo.  I mention here Leslie Unkulizi and Peter Nsani who were also Caprivians.  They were working together with Z.G. Dlamini, Jerry Ndanda, Cyril Ngema and Ntongo Swanepoel and his name is Mandla Israel Nkunu.  They worked in various areas.  I cannot remember their operations in some of these areas but the one that I remember is the one at eSikhawini, the 1991 incident, where Mr Gideon Mjeje died and together with Mr Vilani.

SISI KHAMPEPE: Mr Mbambo, you mentioned Mr Mjeje and who else I didn't get the other name.

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Mr Vilani.

MR WILLS: Just for clarity Mr Mbambo, this person you cite as Peter Nsani is he the same Peter Nsani that was the first accused in that what was called the Magnus Malan trial in Durban?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes, that is correct.

MR WILLS: Do you want to continue or are you finished with answering that question?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: There were others who were also working under him, I have forgotten their names.  He was working under Major Nsama and Lieutenant Ntunu who ended up working at eSikhawini as a Major Ntunu.

MR WILLS: And you indicate here in the affidavit - sorry you mention Major Nsama, is this the Major Nsama who was from Zundumbili Police Station in fact for a long time during this period he was the Station Commander of Zundumbili Police Station, that's Major Owen Zama.

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes that is correct he is the one.

MR WILLS: Do you know where this person is stationed now?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: I do not know where he is stationed at the moment but I know that he is a member of a police union called NOPOSO.

MR WILLS: Just to carry on with analysing this list a little bit.  It strikes me that a fair percentage of the persons that you've listed here had at that time capacities within the KwaZulu Police, is that correct?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes that is correct.

MR WILLS: Now it seems to me that there was a close relationship between the people who were involved in these operations and the KwaZulu Police, is that correct?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes that is correct because if you look clearly here many of them were members of the police force in KwaZulu for example Z.G. Dlamini was a member of the Umkhonto weSizwe
but he defected to join the KwaZulu Police and others who were trained at Caprivi are now members of the KwaZulu Police.

MR WILLS: I want you to turn now to paragraph 21 of your affidavit, page 11 of the record and just describe what - I want you to describe this incident because my investigations when I was preparing to perform this work at this Committee showed me that this incident which took place in February 1992 in eSikhawini was a very significant incident for the community of eSikhawini.  Could you describe the significance of that to the Members of the Committee?