Amnesty Hearings — East London — 1998-10-09

THEMBA DAVID MARAMBANA: I can say that the relationship between the family of the deceased and myself was not bad because if it was the children from that family would not go to the shop if I sent them and I would not greet his mother and she would not respond to me when I talk to her.

MS COLLETT: Did you ever explain to them why you killed the deceased?

THEMBA DAVID MARAMBANA: I don't want to lie, I never spoke about this killing with them.  The reason for me not to tell me was that what I did was a terrible thing and I was trying to be friendly with them to show that what I did to their family I was not happy about what I did but I was trying to be friendly and to be closer to them because I regretted what I did.

MS COLLETT: Is there anything that you would like to convey to the family of the deceased now?

THEMBA DAVID MARAMBANA: There are a lot of things that I could say to the family of the deceased now.

MS COLLETT: Yes?

THEMBA DAVID MARAMBANA: To the family of the deceased I ask forgiveness for what I did because what I did, those were not my intentions but I was frightened, I was scared. ...[intervention]

CHAIRPERSON: What did you think was going to happen when you shot him them 10 times?  What did you think was going to happen, if you didn't mean to kill him?

THEMBA DAVID MARAMBANA: I expected that the family of the deceased would not be friendly to me because of the way that I killed him but it was something that was inside me that was disturbing me.  I was not happy at that time.  I knew what I did I did it - it was not my intention to do what I did but I was frightened or I was scared and after all that, I wanted to be on friendly terms with his family.

MS COLLETT: Yes, continue with what you wanted to say to the family.

THEMBA DAVID MARAMBANA: To the family members of the deceased, I'm very sorry what I did and I ask for forgiveness.  I ask for forgiveness from the family members of the deceased and I would like them to forgive me.  I cannot say a lot of words here but if they can forgive me I would show them when I'm released from prison or when I'm at home I will show them that I'm very sorry about what I did.

MS COLLETT: How would you intend doing that?

THEMBA DAVID MARAMBANA: When I'm at home ...[intervention]

CHAIRPERSON: Miss Collett, is that an issue?

MS COLLETT: Mr Chairman, what I'm trying to establish from him is in what fashion would he try and make reparation to the family if given an opportunity to do so.

CHAIRPERSON: That's not a requirement of the Act in order to grant amnesty or not.

MS COLLETT: No, I know that but it's merely for the family's information.

CHAIRPERSON: I'm asking if it isn't a matter of privacy?  But if ...[inaudible] arrangements are intended and are able to be effected, can't that be done in private?

MS COLLETT: I take your point.
	Is there anything further that you would like to tell the Committee with regard to this incident?

THEMBA DAVID MARAMBANA: There is nothing that I want to say, but I want to stress to the authorities of the TRC that what
I did, shooting the deceased, I'm very sad about what I did because all that happened because of the apartheid of the previous government because we had to support their ideas, the past government's ideas.  That led me to do what I did, shooting a person.  I never thought I would do that in my life.

CHAIRPERSON: You worked in the army.

THEMBA DAVID MARAMBANA: Yes, that is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: You didn't think you'd be in a position to shoot anybody, being a member of the army?  What were you going to do in the army then if you didn't want to shoot anybody?

THEMBA DAVID MARAMBANA: I know that in the army I was there to defend or protect people and we had a relationship with people, especially after the release of the President, Nelson Mandela when he was taken by the helicopter from the parliament in the parade ground and the people or the civilians wanted to go in to greet the President and that didn't happen before.  We were in close relations with people and this conflict came afterwards, the conflict between the soldiers and the people.

MS COLLETT: Thank you, that is the evidence.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MS COLLETT

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Mapoma, have you got any questions?

MR MAPOMA: Yes, Chairperson, just a few.
	Mr Marambana, in your evidence you say the civilians were against the Ciskei Defence Force members and you witnessed that conflict happening in King William's Town, do you remember that?

THEMBA DAVID MARAMBANA: Yes, I do remember that.

MR MAPOMA: And you heard about it in Mdantsane, do you still remember that?

THEMBA DAVID MARAMBANA: Yes, I do remember.

MR MAPOMA: Did you hear about it in Feni Location?

THEMBA DAVID MARAMBANA: Please repeat your question Sir.

MR MAPOMA: Did you hear about it in Feni Location?

THEMBA DAVID MARAMBANA: I didn't hear about this conflict at Feni Location.  This happened in places next to King Williams Town, that were next to King William's Town.

MR MAPOMA: And apart from yourself there were other members of the Ciskei Defence Force in your area, is it not so?

THEMBA DAVID MARAMBANA: Yes, that is correct.

MR MAPOMA: Did you ever hear that the deceased ever participated in attacking the Ciskei Defence Force members?

THEMBA DAVID MARAMBANA: No, I didn't hear that he took part in attacking other members that were staying in that area.

MR MAPOMA: And you didn't know that he ever did that, is it so?

THEMBA DAVID MARAMBANA: That is correct.

MR MAPOMA: Now you said, when the window broke you told your girlfriend that the people are attacking you, do you remember that?

THEMBA DAVID MARAMBANA: Yes, I did say that.

MR MAPOMA: Which people were you referring to?

THEMBA DAVID MARAMBANA: I realised that there was a smell of petrol and it was not usual that a person would be attacked by one person.  I thought that there are a lot of people outside but when I went outside I saw that it was one person because I saw only one person.

MR MAPOMA: And you agree that it was very strange for one person to do that?

THEMBA DAVID MARAMBANA: Yes, it is very strange but I would like to ask the TRC to know that a person can volunteer, especially a neighbour he can volunteer from his organisation that: "I would to be given a duty to do this job on a particular area".  That's what I'd like the Truth Commission to realise.  That a person can be sent alone to do a certain job.  For example in the army there is a special force that I was a part of, where a person would be sent alone to go and pull a mission somewhere.

ADV DE JAGER: But we know that and we acknowledge that but you don't know whether this person was sent or whether he volunteered?

THEMBA DAVID MARAMBANA: Yes, that is correct, I don't know whether he was sent there or he just volunteered but what I know is that he was the only one who was there to attack me.  That gives me - for that reason I think that he was sent there alone or he volunteered.

MR MAPOMA: Thank you Sir.
	In your evidence you said there was no bad blood between the deceased's family and yourself, isn't that so?

THEMBA DAVID MARAMBANA: Yes, I did say so.  The reason for me to say so was because I was able to send children in the shop to buy me drinks and the mother of the deceased when she was going to work I would meet with her and talk and chat with her on the way.  That showed that there was no conflict between myself and the family.

MR MAPOMA: Yes, and there was no bad blood between yourself and the deceased, isn't it so?

THEMBA DAVID MARAMBANA: I wouldn't say there was conflict between myself and the deceased or not.  What I know is that we grew up together and we were in good relations when we were growing up.  What surprised me was when he went to my home and attacked me and I then realised that maybe there was bad blood or conflict between myself and the deceased.