Amnesty Hearings — Durban — 1999-08-16

INTERPRETER: The applicant said the area was rural in nature and it could have been Dengezi or ...(indistinct).  We then found this man with his girlfriend and we talked to him and he then believed our story, because Taylor had given me a hand-grenade to use in our discussion, so I removed this grenade, I showed it to him and asked him if he had given that boy something similar and he said no it wasn't and he explained how that weapon looked like and I therefore concluded that it was indeed a limpet mine.  I returned that grenade to my pocket and we discussed that we should arrange for a later meeting and he should stay put at home, we will return for him.  We then left and reported that we had fulfilled our mission.  We had found the person and he had believed our story that we were MK guerrillas and later on we returned to his house but could not find him, but we found a certain woman and we were not sure whether he had suspected something and became afraid, decided to run away.  We then discussed with Stanley and decided to leave a note telling him to meet us at the Pinetown post office.  Col Taylor's aim was that we should take him out of his home on the very same day, but unfortunately we did not find him, therefore we left that note.  We had left a note telling him of the date of when we would meet.  We then went for that appointment.  We arrived there 13 minutes prior the appointment time and he arrived on the scheduled time and I asked him how safe he was and he said we should not worry about that.  We then thought that maybe he is being escorted by someone or some persons.  We had arranged that we would take him to a pre-arranged spot where he would be arrested.  Stanley then bought two cooldrinks.  He bought three, one for each of us and then we just went around talking and we went down the road and as we approached a certain vehicle, Myeza and others, Mr Myeza and Vusondala ...(intervention)

CHAIRPERSON: Yes, spell that.

BERNARD MWELASE: V-U-S-O-N-D-A-L-A.  They jumped out of that vehicle and they pointed their firearms at us.  Mr Myeza showed us his appointment card, identifying himself as a policeman and we were all taken into this vehicle.  It was a VW bakkie.  Whilst we were inside, we explained to this young man that we should tell the truth, in fact he should tell the truth and he was disappointed that we had betrayed him.  He was searched and they did not find anything on him.  I do not know whether Myeza had pre-arranged with Col Taylor to meet him somewhere, but we drove to a certain spot where we met Col Taylor.  It was somewhere along the South Coast near Umgababa.  I do not know the specific area in which we were but as we arrived there we all got out of the vehicle.  I do not remember whether Mr Taylor and other while people rode in the same vehicle as we did.  I remember a Sgt Larry Hattingh who was present, he was from Pretoria and there were a couple of beers that we drank and at that particular point this person was being assaulted.  We had fulfilled our mission to hand him over to them and he was being interrogated on who had trained him on the use of this device.  At that time we were busy drinking our beer and then the three of us left that scene and we left him with those white officers and we returned to Verulam.
	After a few days we returned to Pretoria.  When we returned on another day, I inquired from the Colonel and the people who worked in Durban as to how that incident had gone and they informed me that yes, he agreed to become an askari and he was sent to Swaziland and I did not question this.

CHAIRPERSON: Who was it that told you this?  You said some time later when you came back from Pretoria you inquired about this man.  From who did you inquire?

BERNARD MWELASE: Col Taylor was very free in responding to our questions so I asked him as well as Mr Myeza and I did not question what he told me because even I who had been trained to fight the same government, I had agreed because of various reasons, had ultimately agreed to becoming an askari, so I thought that there was no reason for him to refuse.  Thereafter I did not make any other inquiries about him.  I worked in Pretoria until I requested him a transfer to Durban because of the assaults I suffered under Mr de Kock.

MR RORICH: Mr Mwelase, at the time of the abduction, who was your Commanding Officer?

BERNARD MWELASE: It was Mr de Kock.  I was coming from Pretoria.

MR RORICH: And why do you think the abduction of Blessing Ninela was arranged?

CHAIRPERSON: Did he know that that man was Blessing Ninela?

MR RORICH: Mr Chairperson, at that stage no.

BERNARD MWELASE: We as askaris had to protect ourselves against MK who were intent on getting us because of our betrayal but I was following an order that I should go and abduct that person, but I did not know that he was going to be ultimately killed and when this person arrived at the car, Mr Myeza said, "Yes, this is the day that I finally get you, because I've been telling you for a long time that I'm going to catch you."

CHAIRPERSON: By what name did you know this man when you went to see him the first time at that house and you spoke to him?

BERNARD MWELASE: I did not know his name.  I had never ever seen him before.

CHAIRPERSON: Had you not asked him his name?

BERNARD MWELASE: We were informed on who to ask for when we arrived there, but I cannot recall that now because there are too many names that I came across, but yes, we were informed on who to approach at that house, but it wasn't a thing that I kept in my mind, there was no need to do that.

MR LAX: Mr Mwelase, the person that you abducted, do you now know him as Blessing Ninela?

BERNARD MWELASE: Yes, I do.  I got that information from the TRC.  Yes, as we are speaking about him now, I do remember the name.

MR LAX: During your time of working as an askari, how did you survive financially?

BERNARD MWELASE: After about 3 months, I received a police appointment card and I received a salary.  I would receive a monthly salary.

CHAIRPERSON: This as an askari?

BERNARD MWELASE: Yes, because I had already begun serving.  Some askaris had become sergeants by the time I arrived and those received a better salary than we did.

CHAIRPERSON: No, my question to you was, what did you as an askari receive?  What salary did you get as an askari?

BERNARD MWELASE: I received about R1 200 after deductions and we would also receive an allowance for travelling.  For instance if we leave Pretoria for Durban, we will receive about R500 and my salary for that month would be more.

MR RORICH: Mr Mwelase did you receive any reward for the abduction of Mr Ninela?

BERNARD MWELASE: No.  After you've been appointed as an askari you do not receive any other money except for your salary and allowances.  I did not receive any reward except for those few cans of beer that we had, that was the only thing that we received, but if I were to, if I did buy alcohol for myself, I was beaten up.

MR RORICH: Mr Mwelase, is it correct that you apply for amnesty for any criminal prosecution that may lead from this abduction or any delictual action?