Special Hearings — Mandela United Football Club Hearings — UNKNOWN

MS CHILI: Because he wanted to find out was it really that I said a message arrived at my place before and that there was this death sentence imposed on my son and he wanted to find out am I positive about those allegations.  I said yes because the person came to my house and reported and immediately after that there were people surrounding my house ready to attack.

MR UNTERHALTER: You say there was a report that there were people going to attack your house, what was that report?

MS CHILI: It was a report that was brought in by Todo who said that we must warn Sibusiso to be careful because a decision has already been taken that they should be killed.

MR UNTERHALTER: Has your house been repaired since ...(intervention)

MS CHILI: It was never repaired, I had to save some funds for myself and try to make it bearable.

MR UNTERHALTER: Yes.  Chairperson those are my questions for Dudu Chili, but perhaps I should go through all the witnesses.

CHAIRPERSON: I would have thought so.

MR UNTERHALTER: Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.  Sibusiso Chili can I ask you some questions next if I may.
 Could you tell us of whether there were efforts made to have you join the Mandela Football Club?  Did people come and try and make you join the Mandela Football Club?

MR S CHILI: Yes.

MR UNTERHALTER: Who were those people?

MR S CHILI: It was a Football Club, I did not know the people.

MR UNTERHALTER: Did you want to join the Club?

MR S CHILI: No I did not want to join the Club.

MR UNTERHALTER: Why not?

MR S CHILI: I couldn't join a club that I did not know its origin.

MR UNTERHALTER: Did you ask your mother about whether you should join the Club?

MR S CHILI: Please repeat your question?

MR UNTERHALTER: Did you ask your mother whether you should join the Club?

MR S CHILI: No I did not ask her.

MR UNTERHALTER: Now I want to take you to February of 1989, did your mother tell you that a man called Todo had come to warn you that members of the Football Club wanted to come and kill you?

MR S CHILI: Yes that is correct.

MR UNTERHALTER: And what did you do in response to that?

MR S CHILI: I went to my mother to tell her that they wanted to kill me and I did not know what to do.  My mother said see how to escape this and if they kill you this Mandela Football Club I will bury you.

MR UNTERHALTER: Why did they want to kill you, did you have any idea?

MR S CHILI: You may ask or direct the question to Winnie she can tell you they are all the Football Club members.

MR UNTERHALTER: Now could you tell us what happened on the 13th of February 1989?

MR S CHILI: Yes. I used to work at Mhlongo, I was a driver delivering liquor.  My mother called Mhlongo because she had already heard that I was supposed to be killed, or I would be killed.  When I got Mhlongo I got that message that my mother called and there is this message.  When I got home she told me that and she also further said that if I die she will bury me.
 I went back to Mhlongo, I don't remember what I had gone there to do, but when I was approaching my house I was coming from the passage I met three boys, I did not know their names, I did not know even themselves but there is one that I knew, it was Killer.  Madonda and Katiza did not know them.  I just heard them grabbing and I saw them grabbing me, they said you are Spotch and let's go to Mama.  I asked as to which mother are you referring to because my mother is at home.  And Katiza - and I took a gun from Madondo and gave it to Boli. There was another boy called Boli.  I took the gun from Maxwell Madondo and I gave it to Boli.  I don't know where he went to and Katiza and Killer fled.  I was left with Madondo there.  
 We forward up until we got to my house. I wanted him to explain to my mother as to why and the reasons, and furnish my mother with the reasons why I would be killed and he did not want to do that.  He jumped the fence. No that's when we started fighting around the fence, right next to the fence and I grabbed him, and some other boys came and we started assaulting and I hurled a big stone to him and he died with that.  I did not intend to kill him.  I only wanted him to go and talk to my mother and explain my mother as to why they wanted to kill me.
 After I pelted the stone at him we removed his body and we put it on the other side of the street and I left the scene.  As I was approaching from the passage, coming from the Ikaneng's area I saw a red car, I don't remember if it was a Mercedes but it was red in colour.  Winnie was standing there outside with two bodyguards looking at the corpse.  From there I turned back, they did not see me.  I don't know what eventually happened after that.

MR UNTERHALTER: Now you were arrested for the murder of Maxwell Madondo and you were tried in a court of law, is that correct?

MR S CHILI: Yes.  I was arrested for the murder of Maxwell Madondo.

MR UNTERHALTER: You were sentenced to six years imprisonment four of which were suspended, is that correct?

MR S CHILI: That is correct.

MR UNTERHALTER: I just want to read you a (...indistinct) record of that case because right at the end of your case, your counsel, who happens to be Mr Kades who is sitting here today, said the following
"My Lord I am pleased to inform Your Lordship about the admission...."
that was an admission made by the State,
"....My Lord, that the State will make is that the deceased, Maxwell  Madondo was a member of the Mandela Football Club that a decision was made by Mrs Winnie Mandela and the Football Club to kill accused 1 and accused 6..."
that's Lerothodi Ikaneng and yourself,
"...that the witness My Lord, whose name I shall not now mention, together with Killer and the deceased all were instructed and went to carry out the decision to accused 1 and 6 on that day My Lord".
It was the 13th of February 1989.  And is it correct that the Judge took that into account in giving you the sentence that he did of the murder of Mr Madondo, is that correct?

MR S CHILI: That is true.

MR UNTERHALTER: Do you recall at the trial that there was evidence of a hit list that had been found at Mrs Mandela's house by the police, do you recall that?

MR S CHILI: Yes I do.

MR UNTERHALTER: Do you recall whose names were on that list?

MR S CHILI: My name was there as well as my other friends with whom I was arrested. Sipo's name was there also, I think Lerothodi Ikaneng's name was listed as well.

MR UNTERHALTER: And was there an Elliot Sisuli, also known as Khumalo on that list?

MR S CHILI: Sipho Khumalo, yes.

MR UNTERHALTER: Those are my questions for this witness.  If I could then ask just a few questions of Barbara please.

CHAIRPERSON: Yes please do.

MR UNTERHALTER: I want to take you straight to the attack on the house in which you were living.  Could you tell the Commission what happened on that day please?