Amnesty Hearings — Durban — 1998-04-17

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes I know - they went with Mkhize the one who is now late.

MR WILLS: Yes, now the people from Kwadlangezwa - Herbert Sitole and Adeli Cele, Gift and you said the Khumalo boys - did they return to their are?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes that is so.

MR WILLS: And do you know if they were operative in any way?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes they did so.

MR WILLS: Now this Andeli Cele - is he the same person who accompanied you on the night of the kidnapping of Mr Nati Gumede?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes that is correct.

MR WILLS: Now the people from Insingwene were Siphiso Gwenze, Siphiso Khumalo and a person you've named as Bongani?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes that is so.

MR WILLS: Did those people return to their are?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes.

MR WILLS: And do you know if they conducted operations?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes they did.

MR WILLS: Now you've indicated in your affidavit that these are the names that you can remember but there were in fact more people than this, is that correct?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes these are just a few that I can remember.

MR WILLS: Now I want to return to paragraph 30 of your affidavit.  You say that these men were sent to you and I'm near the bottom of page 15, Members of the Committee.  These men were sent to you by Mr Super Buthelezi.  Can you describe who he is?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Mr Super Buthelezi is the IFP leader from Ingwene, he's also a business man, he owns a number of shops in the Insingwene area.  He was a member of parliament in the KwaZulu government.  He was very close to Chief Nzoza from Insingwene.

MR WILLS: You also mention that the people from Langlezwa were sent to you by Chief Makwanasi?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes  - Chief Makwanasi from Langlezwa.

MR WILLS: Was he the chief of that area?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes he was the chief in that area.

MR WILLS: And you were obviously also instrumental as was Mkhize in the training of the boys from eSikhawini and those we refer to as Lucky Umbiasi, Bernard Mlambo and Inkanele Pamatenja?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes that is so.

MR WILLS: Right I want to now concentrate on paragraph 32 the bottom of page 16.  You entitle this section "Appointed as a Detective to cover up operations"  Are you with me?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes.

MR WILLS: Can you describe how that came about?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: As I explained before that they were police who were on the hit list, we mentioned Captain Manzini, Captain Masinga, Sergeant Dlamini and Sergeant Khumalo.
	I will concentrate on Captain Masinga and Captain Manzini.  Captain Masinga was head of the reaction unit and Captain Manzini was D.C.I.O. which means he was in charge of all detectives in eSikhawini, in Zundubile and Dambanane and Simsani and from Bongolani.  Therefore every detective was under Captain Manzini.  Because the IFP believed in that all KwaZulu Police were their uncle, they could kill ANC members in broad daylight without any fear and the reaction unit under Captain Masinga would arrest them and their cases would be investigated by detectives under Captain Manzini.  In that way there was dissatisfaction amongst IFP members that IFP youth is arrested when they fight the ANC.  They went to complain to Brigadier Msemela.  Mrs Umbiasi and B.B. Biela the Mayor were the people who went and they had a discussion with Brigadier Msemela.  From there Mrs Umbiasi requested to see me at her house in the evening.  I went there - at the time I was in the prevention of crime unit, I wore a uniform on duty. 
	Mrs Umbiasi explained that in the meeting Brigadier Mia had made a suggestion to the effect that the reaction unit and the detectives unit should infiltrate, that is hit squad members should be able to infiltrate these units so that IFP members would not be arrested or they would bar the arrest of IFP members.  Fortunately, Dina Mkhize was already in the reaction unit but we didn't have a hit squad member within the Detective Unit.  It was then suggested that I make an application, take it to the Station Commander and indicate that I want to join the Detective Unit.  I would then work in this unit and I would then look or prevent all other investigations that related to cases against IFP members.
	I made the application.  My branch commander, Warrant Officer Khumalo refused me or declined that I join the Detective Unit.  I reported this to Brigadier Msemela and he said I should make another application and take it to him directly.  I did so and I took it to Brigadier Msemela himself and he approved it.  Then I joined the Detective Unit.
	The way in which we were supposed to work was that Maklagami Pumatenja, Bernard Mlambo, Sebe Umbiasi, Lucky Umbiasi and other people who worked under them...[intervention]

MR WILLS: Sorry I just wanted to mention - these persons you mentioned are the persons that Mkhize mentioned who attacked Vicky Intuli's house?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes.

MR WILLS: Okay you can continue.

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: It was then decided that they would have to attack ANC members when Dina's unit, that is the reaction unit, was on duty.  I would be on standby.  That meant that all cases that would be reported at the police station will come directly to me.  I would be the first one to investigate those cases.  That is a very important stage in all cases because if the investigation doesn't go right from the beginning, that means the entire case has been messed up.
	Therefore, Mandwengo and them would attack.  After that their relatives or the families of the victims would report to the police station and the reaction unit, as was their duty, would go to the scene.  Dina would be amongst them and I will also go there as a detective to take statements and to collect any other evidence at the crime scene.  On arrival, Dina will destroy evidence there and I would also do the same.  	After taking the statements from the witness or from the complainant and from other witnesses.  If a person for example said "I had seen Mandwengo" I would write in my report that the suspect was unknown and I will construct the docket in such a manner that when I took it to another detective, the detective will not be able to proceed with the case because there wouldn't be enough information.

MR WILLS: Yes, now obviously - I think it's common knowledge at least amongst the community of eSikhawini that's here today that these guys you mention - Matenja, Umbiasi and Mlambo were  very active during this period, is that correct?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Very much so.

MR WILLS: Now did they pay you in any way or did they influence you in any way to do this, to cover up for them?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: No, these was per instruction from the leadership on how we were supposed to work to protect the IFP because if Mandwengo had been arrested, that would have brought harm to the IFP.  If they could expose our operation that would harm the entire leadership of eSikhawini.

MR WILLS: Just to be thorough, you indicate in your affidavit at page 33 that you had made two previous application to join the detective section of the police but these had both been unsuccessful?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes that is correct.

MR WILLS: Do you have to do a special course to be a detective?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes.

MR WILLS: Did you do this special course?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes I did at Matikulu.

MR WILLS: Was this after your application?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes after I applied and the application had been approved.

MR WILLS: You confirm the contents of paragraph 34, I think you already have in your evidence that the KwaZulu Police authorities knew about your operations and "as a result I was never questioned as to my whereabouts"?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes that is correct.