Human Rights Violation Hearings — King William's Town — 1997-05-12

SIMON NDINDI FUNDA: I request that the Commission calls Soni so that I can ask myself what happened.   Secondly,  if the Commission could build my house because I am unable to.

MS MAYA: Thank you.  I will hand you over to the Chairperson.  The other members of the panel may ask you more questions.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Sandi.

ADV SANDI: Thank you Mr Chairman.  I am going to ask Mr Maguga a question, if he could come closer to the mike.  Mr Maguga, you mentioned two names whilst you were talking.  Mpondo Sandile and Chief Sandile.  Is it the same person?

MNCEDI MAGUGA: First of all, Mr Chairman, there is Makobo Macoleza who is the Chief of Magagale.  He had a house in the village.  The second person is his younger brother who stays with Ms Nolizwe.  He was a soldier under the Gqozo regime, Mpondo Sandile.

ADV SANDI: You were saying that there was conflict between the residents of the village and the Sandile household.  Were you talking specifically about Mpondo Sandile or about both Mpondo and Chief Sandile?

MNCEDI MAGUGA: The problems and chaos that led to us being before the Truth Commission today is Mpondo who was taken by Brigadier Gqozo to be, to our village.  It is Mpondo Sandile that I am about here today.

ADV SANDI: Therefore Chief Sandile is not involved in this incident as such?

MNCEDI MAGUGA: Chief Sandile had no say in the battles of the village.  I just want to clarify that at the time we started having rallies and marches at the Victoria ground he would be called as the Chief of the Magagabes.  He would not come, because he did not
want to go against the Government of the day.  Therefore he had no contribution to his brothers oppressive ways.  However, Mr Chairperson, we had no problems with Chief Sandile as such.  It is his brother that we had a problem with.

ADV SANDI: Thank you Mr Maguga.  Thank you Mr Chairperson.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Maguga, you mentioned a Peace Force when you gave your evidence.  What contribution did the Peace Force have to the community?

MNCEDI MAGUGA: When we tried to investigate what the Peace Force was about and its origins we discovered that the Peace Force was comprised of youth members of our community that had been called where jobs had been advertised.  Youngsters that stayed in farms in the area went and joined.  They were told that they would employed, they would be trained, they would protect people, shops and shop-keepers.  They would be more or less like watchmen, but this concept of the Peace Force got twisted along the way.  It was used to protect people who worked for Gqozo especially members of  the ADM.  However,  Mr Chairperson, people were deployed to Ndakana to work there as members of this Peace Force and people from Ndakana were taken to other areas.

CHAIRPERSON: We got evidence from one of the hearings in the Commission that aligned the Peace Force with Chief Sandile.  According to your knowledge, is the Peace Force aligned with Chief Sandile?

MNCEDI MAGUGA: Yes, I did mention that the base of the Peace Force was at Sandile's place.  I think that, Mr Chairperson, that as we did not see who controlled the Peace Force we realised later that it is Mpondo Sandile who actually was the leader of the Peace Force.

CHAIRPERSON: Therefore the base of the Peace Force was at Mpondo Sandile's place?  Therefore it was not Chief, at the Chief's place?

MNCEDI MAGUGA: No, it was under Nolizwe's son who was taken by Brigadier Gqozo and employed by him in the village to help the ADM.  Was the Peace Force trained by Mpondo Sandile or was it trained already when it got there?

MNCEDI MAGUGA: The Peace Force was already trained.  They would come with their guns.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Sangotsha, Zokoza, Maguga and Mr Funda, we thank you for the evidence that you brought before the Commission.  You are reminding us of a time that was very painful in  the Ciskei.  Again you are reminding us the price people had to pay for  liberation in this country.  We thank you for the evidence that you put before us.  As for your requests, we are going to document these requests and take them before the Government.  We are thankful that amongst you there are people who played a major role in the liberation of this country.  Thank you. You may step down.