Amnesty Hearings — Bloemfontein — 1997-09-02

MPHITHIZELI NELSON NGO: It is your way to Botshabelo, there is a place just after you've left Bloemfontein on your way to Botshabelo.
	In general the work of the Eagles Club was to destruct and to disorganise COSAS and SRC's in schools or at meetings which were held in schools in regard to politics.  And members who were active, who belonged to SRC and COSAS, were victimised by the Eagles Club and the cooperation they received from that particular school.
	Those members of the SRC were supposed to be dismissed or be suspended because of their political activity and the members of the Eagles Club would receive protection from the police and to be armed by them to proceed with the work in schools and to disrupt the meetings.
	The people I know who were recruited to continue with that objective who were members of the Eagles Club was Papie Mokalake, Butie Sentso and the other one I know him only as Sello and Search Kotoane and all these members were informers of the Security Branch who received monies from us at the Headquarters in Bloemfontein.
	The other group which we were able to establish, was Anti-comrade which was formed by members of the Security Branch together with Morgan Phehlane who was a Councillor in Brandfort.
	In this group we used people who were criminals.  They were recruited from prison.  They were recruited by a certain Sergeant, called Sergeant Mokalake who was working with this Anti-comrade gang so that they should join this gangster.  He was the senior person in that Anti-comrade group together with the Security Branch.
	The work of this gangster as it was formulated by the Security Branch, was to deal with political organisations like United Democratic Front and Civic Organisations which were in that area.  And these people were supposed to confront these people in their recreational facilities and in shebeens and in disco places where many members of political organisations were drinking.
	If there is a fight, members of the Security Branch would find a chance to take part in that fight so that they would find an opportunity, people who were regarded as the enemy, and that they would do the cover up for those cases by using members of the Anti-comrades so that they should be given arms and knives and plant them on the bodies of those people, so that they were able to cover up those murders.
	Other incidents which I am able to remember, done by the Anti-comrade group was the murder of Papie Steyn, who was killed by Sergeant Mokalake and his son who is Papie Mokalake.  That I would call a joint attack, which was done by members of the Anti-comrades and members of the Eagles Club.
	After they had killed Papie Steyn, members of the Security Branch covered up the case.  Because Warrant Officer Ramoseu instructed the Investigating Officer who was handling the case, that he should try that this case should not succeed so that it would put Sergeant Mokalake in danger.
	They paid the legal cost, so that they should help Sergeant Mokalake in court.  Because of that plan which they have done, Sergeant Mokalake received a suspended sentence on that murder.

ADV MEMANI: Before you proceed.  You said that Warrant Officer told the Investigating Officer to derail the investigation of the case.  Now, for what purpose did you say he did that?

MPHITHIZELI NELSON NGO: They see that if the investigation went well, that would make Sergeant Mokalake to go to prison, but if he doesn't get the correct evidence, therefore Sergeant Mokalake would not be convicted.

ADV MEMANI: You may proceed.

MPHITHIZELI NELSON NGO: The members of Anti-comrades whom I know who partake were as follows:  Sergeant Mokalake, Papie Mokalake, Jack Menera and Disco Mothege.  That group were established, it was of criminology.  That group was operating on a part time basis.
	That gangster, it was operating on part time from Brandfort, they were operating on part time basis from Brandfort.  It was called by Sergeant Mokalake so that the members of the Security Branch when there was a need for reinforcement in that structure which was established, they originated from Kroonstad.
	Another thing that happened, it was the coordinating meetings which were held in Brandfort police station where the leaders of the gangsters were gathered together with the members of the Security Branch to discuss the strategies, to attack with the members of the Security Branch and to have money, tobacco and alcohol from Security Branch.

ADV DE JAGER: You mentioned the name of Jack Menera as being a members of the Anti-comrades gang.

MPHITHIZELI NELSON NGO: That is true.

ADV DE JAGER: Do you know whether this Mr Menera was involved in the killing of Susan Phehlane?

MPHITHIZELI NELSON NGO: That is the one Sir.

ADV DE JAGER: And Susan Phehlane was a member of the local council?

MPHITHIZELI NELSON NGO: Susan Phehlane?

ADV DE JAGER: Yes?

MPHITHIZELI NELSON NGO: I know nothing about Susan Phehlane, I used to know Mr Morgan Phehlane.  I don't know Susan Phehlane, but I didn't meet her before.

ADV DE JAGER: I want to put it to you that Mr Menera applied for amnesty and he alleges that he was a comrade and in fact he was the leader of the SDU in Brandfort?

ADV MEMANI: If I may be of assistance to the Committee.  The Honourable Member of the Committee will recall that his evidence was that prior to him being a comrade with the Youth structures of Brandfort, he had been associated with a group of people who had been dubbed Anti-comrade.  Later on he joined the Youth structures of Brandfort and it was during that time then, that he participated in the killing of Mrs Phehlane.

MPHITHIZELI NELSON NGO: On my copy his name was scratched out.  I notice though that you do mention him, but it seems at some stage, you wrote his name down, then scratched it out and then today you are bringing it up again.  Why was his name initially scratched out?

MPHITHIZELI NELSON NGO: I didn't know how to spell his surname, I was supposed to write it aside, that is why I scratched the name.

MPHITHIZELI NELSON NGO: Well Jack is there, it is visible there, it is clear that you have not misspelt it.

MPHITHIZELI NELSON NGO: I didn't know the spelling of his surname.  I was going to erase that surname.  Instead of writing Jack Menera, I was thinking Jack Monene instead of Jack Menera.

MPHITHIZELI NELSON NGO: Why didn't you write it in later?

MPHITHIZELI NELSON NGO: I forgot to do that.

CHAIRPERSON: There are a number of other surnames in this document of yours, that you seemed to have misspelt.  You didn't scratch them out, did you?

MPHITHIZELI NELSON NGO: Like which one, Sir?

CHAIRPERSON: Cronje.

MPHITHIZELI NELSON NGO: That is the way I understood it, I thought I have written it correctly.

CHAIRPERSON: Koka and others.  Carry on, carry on.

ADV MEMANI: Mr Ngo, if you could go back to page 41.    Can you tell the Committee about the incidents recorded on that page?

MPHITHIZELI NELSON NGO: What is the heading?

ADV MEMANI: It is page 19 of your papers.

MPHITHIZELI NELSON NGO: According to my document, there are no labels.  Where am I supposed to start?

ADV MEMANI: Yes, now look at page 19.  During 1985, Warrant Officer Ramoseu ...

MPHITHIZELI NELSON NGO: Should I continue from there?

ADV MEMANI: That is correct.

MPHITHIZELI NELSON NGO: In 1985, Warrant Officer Ramoseu, Warrant Officer Bester reported to Colonel Coetzee that a group of comrades were holding meetings at Winnie Mandela's house in Brandfort.  And again some of those comrades were sleeping there.  They are using the clinic.

ADV MEMANI: This is the incident involving the burning of Mrs Winnie Mandela's house, the clinic?

MPHITHIZELI NELSON NGO: That is true.

ADV MEMANI: Now, let's go back to the unlawful formation of gangsters.  When you participated in the activities of the gangsters, did you do so within the cause and scope of your employment as a policeman?