Amnesty Hearings — Johannesburg — 1998-06-09

SIMON MORRIS: Yes we were taken to a house.  Personally I was taken from one car when we entered the yard at the backyard, I was taken from one boot of the car to another boot of the car.

MR AMEEN: How long were you at this house in the boot of the car at this house?

SIMON MORRIS: They took some time, about fifteen to twenty minutes.

MR AMEEN: Were you the only person in the boot?

SIMON MORRIS: I remember Vuyani was called to go into the house, inside and then when I was in the second they put - because we came out of the boot of the first car and then I don't know what happened to Sekano, but Vuyani was instructed to go into the house and I was instructed to get into another boot of the car.

MR AMEEN: Right, so of the two cars, how many cars were there at that point?

SIMON MORRIS: Probably there were two cars.

MR AMEEN: Right.  And you got into the boot of the second car, you were there in the boot for some time?

SIMON MORRIS: Yes.

MR AMEEN: And then what happened?  You were alone in the boot at that stage?

SIMON MORRIS: I was alone and the music was also playing very high at that stage and Vuyani came back, he was bleeding.  He could not talk, his was swelling, his face was swelling.

MR AMEEN: And was he also put into the boot of the same car with you?

SIMON MORRIS: Yes.

MR AMEEN: Which car was it?

SIMON MORRIS: I don't know the model of the car because remember we were told to get out of the car, not to face on the sides and get into another boot of a car.

MR AMEEN: You were then in the boot with Vuyani?

SIMON MORRIS: Yes.

MR AMEEN: For a while and then you were drive away from there?

SIMON MORRIS: Yes.

MR AMEEN: When were you removed from the boot or when did you get out of the boot?

SIMON MORRIS: When we reached a, I think it looks like a open veld.  We were told to come out of the boot and again not to look on the sides.

MR AMEEN: Alright.  Both of you were taken out of the boot?

SIMON MORRIS: Yes.

MR AMEEN: Was Vuyani able to get out himself or did you help him or how did he get out?

SIMON MORRIS: He struggled because when he came out of the house, as I said his was swelling, his face was swelling.  I tried to ask him what were they saying to you these people.  He could not talk.

MR AMEEN: Okay.

CHAIRPERSON: We will adjourn until half past eleven.

MR AMEEN: Thank you Mr Chairman.
COMMITTEE ADJOURNS
ON RESUMPTION

SIMON MORRIS: (s.u.o.)

MR AMEEN: (cont)
	Mr Morris at the break or just before the break we were at the point where you were now being taken to the scene of the murders.  Tell us which of the victims was in you car with you and tell us how ... (inaudible - end of tape).

MR TLOUBATLA: ... (inaudible) not something serious, I was just concerned whether the witness is still under oath.

CHAIRPERSON: You are still under oath isn't it Mr Morris, you understand that?  Thank you.  Mr Ameen.

MR AMEEN: Right.  We were at the point when you now reached the scene of the murders, you had been taken out of the car.  Can you continue from that point?

SIMON MORRIS: The car stopped at a certain point and when we got out I saw that it was a veld.  When the boot was opened we were told to come out but look down but Vuyani was struggling because he seemed to have had injuries, maybe in the back or maybe the hands because ... (intervention)

MR AMEEN: Which other victims was with you?

SIMON MORRIS: I was with Vuyani Nkomo inside the boot and I think Sekano was just inside the car parked in the back seat.  We got out, we were told to run towards a wall.

MR AMEEN: There were three of you?

SIMON MORRIS: Yes.  They said to us, do you see that wall?  We looked up and we saw a wall.  They said I want to run from here and if you try to run away we will shoot you.  With barefoot because the veld I think it was not used for some time, we ran towards the wall.  As we reached the wall they picked up spots on the wall, just like if Vuyani is going to be here, myself in the middle and Sekano on the right hand side and we were told to lie down and face them.

MR AMEEN: You use the term lie down.  What you actually mean to say is that you were ordered to sit?

SIMON MORRIS: We were ordered to sit down?

MR AMEEN: In what position?

SIMON MORRIS: Is it possible to demonstrate to you?  Can I take of my jacket because it's going to disturb me, I know it's not correct.
	They were asked to sit down with their backs to the wall with their faces down.

CHAIRPERSON: It seems to me we are beginning to have problems with the sound system again, it seems as if only one mike at a time is able to operate from the audience.

MR AMEEN: After the three of you were seated in the manner you've just demonstrated, what happened then?

SIMON MORRIS: The three of us, there were also three men one on each and Hlasa, Mphoreng were also there with the other person, I don't know the other person.  The first shot came out of the gun of I think Hlasa, he shot Sekano.

MR AMEEN: Continue.

SIMON MORRIS: They then went to the left hand side because I was in the middle where they shot Edwin Vuyani Nkomo.  They then came to me.  At that point it was a matter of life and death.

MR AMEEN: For you?

SIMON MORRIS: Yes, because I could hear the shots and also the scream.  Hlasa them came to me at point blank because they were shooting at point blank.  He shot me once in the leg, on the right knee just near the joint.  I felt nothing because the bullet went in through the left hand side of the knee went out through the right hand side of the knee.  I thought I was not shot because I could feel nothing.  Mphoreng then said ... (inaudible) - this dog is not dead.  He tried to shoot but the shots missed me, I don't know how, there were four shots because the gun was pointing at me and I was not shot.  I tried to move because they said:   "Can you see this person is moving, give me that gun", because the gun which was used I think it jammed, it could not go on shooting so they changed the gun and also the magazine, if it is the magazine because I don't know whether those are magazines or not, I only saw it on TV.  The other shot then went through my left hand - I don't know if it is possible that I can show it to the committee?  At that point I tried to block the bullet with this hand and it went in here, it went out this side.

CHAIRPERSON: It went through your left wrist?

SIMON MORRIS: Yes.

MR AMEEN: Just above the left wrist.

CHAIRPERSON: Just above the wrist.

SIMON MORRIS: Yes and then it went out here.  They seemed to be worried because I was continuously moving because I felt my hand was so weak now.  Unfortunately when I tried to turn my head because I was facing this side, I tried to move to see if they were still there.  That was when I was shot on my right cheek.  The bullet went in here.

MR MALAN: That's your left cheek?

SIMON MORRIS: Yes, the left cheek.  It went in and stayed just next to the ear here because it stayed there I think for about seven days.  At that point I could not see anything because the face was swelling.  Fortunately the left eye was still operating because even if the face was swelling, I tried to fight this death.  The only thing that I saw was stars.  It's terrible that I have to come to this commission and tell about the truth when the victims or the people who committed this cannot say the truth.

MR AMEEN: Mr Morris the other three victims, do you know how they were killed?

SIMON MORRIS: Is it in the other group?

MR AMEEN: In the other group.