Amnesty Hearings — Johannesburg — 1998-10-13

BONGANI CHRISTOPHER KHUMALO: As I have already explained, that when we got to South Africa, we discovered that people were constantly being harassed and killed.
	We decided to open up some Self Defence Unit, the community itself was pressurising us to come up with a solution, which we decided was the establishment of Self Defence Units.
	We also had certain duties that were assigned to us.  It so happened that on this particular day when we were on duty, the Protea police station, or the police stationed to the Protea police station, had come to attack us.  We had an operation clean up that we had instituted locally.
	It so happened that on the 2nd of October during the year 1992, I assigned some guys from the Self Defence Unit, as the Commander of the Self Defence Unit, to go patrol around the residential area.
	After having issued this instruction to go and patrol, there was a specific request that the community should switch off the streetlights, because they were going to disturb us in the duty, all the work that we had assigned ourselves to do.
	The community permitted us to switch off the lights.  One of the Self Defence Unit members came to me, to report that I was being sought at a certain house and I had to go there personally to that particular house.  I went into that house because I knew the people who resided there and as I got inside the house, I requested to see the owner of the house, which was a woman.  I came across the woman, I spoke to her, I greeted her and further pointed out that we request as the community, for her to switch off the front light.
	She asked me the reason why and I explained to her the reason.  I even explained and identified myself, and explained that I was from the Self Defence Unit and that I was carrying a certain duty.  I was attacked by everybody in that house.
	There is a person with whom we didn't see eye to eye and his name is Vugani.  I was accosted, manhandled.  I was kept hostage and I had a hand grenade in my possession.  They tried to take away the hand grenade.
	Whilst, within the same breath, I was trying to explain that I was not attacking them, or fighting them, but I had come to explain to them as to why they had to switch off the front light.  They were quite adamant, they didn't want to listen to me, they just kept on attacking me and the comrades with whom I operated, were outside the house.
	They heard some screams and struggle from the house.  They wanted to take the hand grenade which was in my hand, somebody stabbed me with a fork on the right hand, so that I could release the hand grenade.
	As they were stabbing me with the fork, the safety pin of the hand grenade was mistakenly released.  I told them that the safety pin had been released, and they had to give me a chance to put it back so that it could not explode.  I kept on trying to explain to them, that they had called me to come and explain and what I had gone there for, was to explain as to why they had to switch off the lights.
	During the struggle, the comrades kicked the door open, that is how I got a chance to escape.  My right hand was bleeding.  It happened that I was injured and I got angry at that time, especially because I had not gone there to fight or attack.  I told myself that I am not going to compromise, let me just give them the present that they wanted because they were obstacles standing in our way, and we did not want people who were going to disturb us, especially with regard to our duty to protect the community.
	So they had to accept the present that I was giving to them.  I would like to say how much I regret the incident.  That is Joseph Mazibuko, because that was not my intention to kill Joseph Mazibuko.  I am truly sorry.

MR MHLABA: And is this the same incident where D.P. Mazibuko was injured?

BONGANI CHRISTOPHER KHUMALO: That is correct.

MR MHLABA: Do you know anything about an incident involving Colin Skiro Zuma, which occurred on the 3rd of October 1992?

BONGANI CHRISTOPHER KHUMALO: Yes, I know everything that happened in Zola 3.  I have extensive knowledge with regard to the death of Skiro.  Skiro was a thug who had absolutely no direction.

MR MHLABA: Did you do anything to Colin Skiro Zuma on the 3rd of October, and if so, I want you to explain fully the role you had played there?

BONGANI CHRISTOPHER KHUMALO: Yes, there is a role that I played.  On the 2nd of October, it was on the afternoon of that day, I stay just at close proximity to the school, a lower primary school and there were security guards at the school, or there is a watchman who kept watch over the school, Mr Tshabalala.
	He came to me with a report that the school had been broken into and certain articles stolen.  As people who protected the community, he wanted to enlist my help with regard to the recovery of the articles that were stolen at that particular school.
	Mshengo told me that Skiro was there at the school to try and disrupt the school.  I promised Mshengo that we were going to look for Skiro, hunt him down and bring him to Mshengo so that he could answer to the allegations that were levelled against him by Mr Tshabalala.
	I came across Skiro and told him that we were actually looking for him, and asked him as to why they broke into the lower primary and took certain articles and sold them at a later stage.
	Skiro was very arrogant, very aggressive when I approached him.  I did not touch him, I did not do anything to him, but this security approached, and I apprehended Skiro, taking him to Mshengo.
	At that time the police from the Protea police station approached, they arrested me.

MR MHLABA: Let me take the incident where you have thrown the hand grenade to the police officers who were pointing firearms at you.  You said that was at Kanyile's home, is that correct?

BONGANI CHRISTOPHER KHUMALO: Yes, according to my knowledge, that is correct.

MR MHLABA: The information I have to my disposal, is that Mkadyani Samson Dube, Irish Kanyile and Mhanha Godfrey Ncobo were injured at that incident.  Are you aware of that?

BONGANI CHRISTOPHER KHUMALO: Yes, I heard that after the incident, that there were people who got injured.

MR MHLABA: Were you aware of the details of such people?

BONGANI CHRISTOPHER KHUMALO: No, I did not know them.

MR MHLABA: Thank you Chairperson, that concludes the evidence in chief.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MR MHLABA

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you Mr Mhlaba.  Adv Steenkamp, any questions?

ADV STEENKAMP: Mr Chairman, just a few questions.  Sir, maybe we can start with the last section of your evidence.
	The assault of Colin Zuma, can you describe to the Committee, what was your political motive for assaulting Mr Zuma?

BONGANI CHRISTOPHER KHUMALO: I did not assault Zuma.  Zuma was held or arrested, we were effecting a civilian arrest, so that he could be taken to the security guard at the primary school.  My political motive is that I was approached as a member of the local community and a member of the Self Defence Unit, to try and protect the community, because these people were a problem in the community.
	The elderly people were scared of these thugs.  I felt that it was my responsibility to apprehend Skiro and bring him to the security guard, so that he could answer the allegations because we believed that education should go on.

ADV STEENKAMP: So, can you explain to me why were you then convicted for the assault on Mr Colin Zuma?

BONGANI CHRISTOPHER KHUMALO: I have got absolutely no knowledge, because I explained even in court, that I had nothing to do with the assault and I pleaded not guilty.  I do not know how I got convicted.

ADV STEENKAMP: I take it that you are also denying that you threatened Mr Colin Zuma with a hand grenade?

BONGANI CHRISTOPHER KHUMALO: I was not in possession of any firearm or ammunition when I apprehended Mr Zuma.  Even when I was arrested by the police, I had nothing in my possession.