Amnesty Hearings — East London — 1998-04-15

MR MTEMBU: Were you personally part of a regiment or detachment within APLA?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: Are you referring to the attack sir?

MR MTEMBU: In general?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: Yes.  I was part of the regiment in APLA.

MR MTEMBU: So you were part of a regiment, do I understand you correctly?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: That is correct.

MR MTEMBU: Now, this operation Yellowwood Hotel ...

CHAIRPERSON: Before you go on, can you tell us what regiment?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: I was part of the regiment that was assigned for special assignments.

MR MTEMBU: Did it have a name or not?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: Yes, it had a name, it was Phokela.

MR MTEMBU: Could you spell Phokela for the convenience of the Committee members?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: Phokela.

MR MTEMBU: Now, the Yellowwoods attack, was it executed by the Phokela regiment or was it by some other unit within APLA, can you explain to the Committee?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: These members were selected from a regiment called Phokela, they went out on a special operation.  I am referring to the Yellowwood attack.
	I don't know whether I answered your question.

MR MTEMBU: Now, when your Commander informed you that he had received orders for this mission, did he tell you he had also received orders regarding the black staff that could be working at that hotel or civilians that could have been at the hotel at the time, what would happen to them, did he tell you anything about that?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: No sir.  I do not believe or rather I do not remember him telling us about orders, including black people.  The orders that he got was that the hotel is situated outside Fort Beaufort, and members of the Security Forces go out there for entertainment especially on Friday and Saturday.
	And he said whether we like it or not, we should hit the hotel on a Friday or Saturday evening.

MR MTEMBU: Now, could you please tell the Committee about your role in this Yellowwood Hotel attack?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: The attack itself or the preparations?

MR MTEMBU: The Committee is aware of the planning, etc, now I want you to tell them specifically what did you do with regard to this attack?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: The part I played in this attack, I had an R4 rifle because I already told you that.   I had this 3.8 revolver.  When we arrived at the Hotel, I shot through the window that was on the left side of the door, that is the door that was used by the Commander when he shot.
	We shot towards the direction of the people, until I took out my 3.8 and I shot in the air to give a signal to my fellow colleagues that we can now retreat from this place of attack, which was the hotel.  I think I explained sir.

CHAIRPERSON: Did your Commander go into the hotel, I think you said he shot through the door?  Did he enter the hotel?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: He went into the hotel My Lord, and I was on the left side of the door he entered with.

ADV SANDI: From where you were standing, were you able to see who you were shooting at?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: Sir, I saw that there were people inside the bar, and the people that I shot at, were the Boers.

MR MTEMBU: Can I proceed Mr Chairman, thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Sorry before you go on for a minute, do you have the photographs there, page 21?  Do you see the lower photograph, there's a window to the left of the door, is that the window you shot through?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: Can I have a question, is this the main entrance to the bar?  Is this a picture of the hotel?

CHAIRPERSON: Yes, if you look at the top picture, you will see it appears to be a picture of the hotel.  You have been there, I haven't, and I am just seeking guidance.
	There are two apparently - I think that is windows.

MR LAX: Perhaps, if you look on page 20 you will see there is another picture of probably a different side of the hotel.  Which side were you on?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: If this is the door to the bar, I am referring to page 21, if this is the door to the bar, yes, this is the window I used.  I hope I answered your question.

CHAIRPERSON: Perhaps if you look at the photographs we are showing you now, they are proper coloured photographs, you might be able to see more clearly there.
	If you look at photograph number 8, I have been told that is in fact the entrance to the bar.

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: If this is the main door to the bar, I used the window that is next to that door, yes.
	The window is marked (d) in the photo.

CHAIRPERSON: Yes.  Do you think that is the window, so that is a window that comes down fairly low, you can see through it fairly clearly.

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: That is correct.  When I was outside, I could see inside.

MR PRIOR: Mr Chairman, may I be of assistance, the photostatted copies, at page 20, I think it is photograph 1 of the original, master bundle.  You have a view from the car park, towards the hotel.  You see there is an awning Mr Chairman, that is the entrance to the bar.

CHAIRPERSON: That is the one in photo 8, isn't it?

MR LAX: Would photo 8 be a close up version, because there is also an awning if you look at photo 8.  You can see there are a whole lot of business cards on the inside of that door as you walk in?

MR PRIOR: Mr Chairman, that is correct, that is a close up of the bar entrance and then the window to the left hand side with the bullet marks in the wall.

MR LAX: Correct.  So in fact what the witness indicated is that is probably the window that he shot through if that is the entrance.

CHAIRPERSON: Well, if you look - I am afraid I am the only one who can at the moment, look at photo 8, it would appear that there are at least two bullet holes through the glass of a window.

MR LAX: That is at page 23 of the bundle.

CHAIRPERSON: The one you can see, the other is not clear on that, but if you look - thank you, carry on.

MR MTEMBU: Thank you Mr Chairman.

ADV GCABASHE: Could I just ask, was there anybody  in the car park when you drove in?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: There were no people, we did not see people.

ADV GCABASHE: Who drove your car?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: It was Nqeba.

MR MTEMBU: Mr Diaho-Monaheng, do you confirm that you told Mr Mashalaba when you took his vehicle, that you were going to kill whites.  Do you confirm that statement or not?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: Please elaborate sir, who is Mr Mashalaba because we did not just use one car.

MR MTEMBU: Mr Mashalaba is a Reverend, this is a person from whom you removed the Nissan Langley.

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: We told Mr Mashalaba who we were and what our duties were.  We assured him that he will get his car back.  He will get it still in good condition, just after the attack, we will take it back, because we are fighting for the oppressed.

MR MTEMBU: Were you not perhaps scared that by blowing your cover that could affect your mission in that Mr Mashalaba when reporting his vehicle, could only tell the Police that it was actually APLA cadres that removed his vehicle?

MR DIAHO-MONAHENG: Mr Mashalaba is an African and I believe he was also oppressed during that time of oppression.
	We strongly believed that by telling him the details, he would understand that we were not taking his car for our individual benefits, his car was taken for the benefit of the oppressed masses.
	We explained to him, we asked him to cooperate with us so that he can contribute something to the struggle for freedom.  That is why we made it a point that we explained the situation to every African we took the car from so that they don't get afraid as to whether will they see their cars again or not.
	When an African had a telephone at home, we would take the telephone numbers so that after completing our task, we would call him and let him know where the car is, so that he can go and get it.  We did that to cut short the process of finding the car.