Amnesty Hearings — Vanderbijlpark — 1999-05-11

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: As they were in the veld, they were walking along and it was dark in the veld, but on the other side, there was light as well as in the township, therefore they were following the casspirs, those vehicles, because they provided light for them.  They went towards the footbridge, there is a furrow there.

CHAIRPERSON: Did the "koyoco", the two "koyoco's" that were travelling along Umzimvubu, did they remain travelling along Umzimvubu?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: They went along the tar road, it was closed but they used that same road towards the robots.

MR BERGER: Mr Baloyi,  you mentioned Trek and it wasn't interpreted, are you talking about the garage?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: Okay, but were they still in Umzimvubu when they reached ...

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: The street is Umzimvubu from the township until you come to the robots.

CHAIRPERSON: Yes, very well, okay.

MR SIBANYONI: What your legal representative wanted to know from you was, where were their (indistinct) cars, on Umzimvubu Road in relation to the "koyoco's", were they in front of the "koyoco's", on the side or at the back?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: The "koyoco's" were not travelling very fast, they were driving slowly.  After crossing the furrow, the "koyoco's" then left.

MR BERGER: Mr Baloyi, you spoke about the street that runs out of the township passed the Trek garage to the robot?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: The street from the township does not go passed the garage, it actually meets or intersects with this other street, at the robots.  I am saying this tarred road from the township is Umzimvubu and it only ends at the robots, but that road is now closed, a school has since been built there.

CHAIRPERSON: Are these robots near the Trek garage?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: Yes.

MR BERGER: Isn't that street Noble Boulevard?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: Noble Boulevard is the other one that proceeds towards Cape Gate and that Noble Boulevard meets with Bakoena Street near Slovo Park.

MR BERGER: Mr Baloyi, I am going to ask you to explain to the Committee why you came to the conclusion that the Police vehicles were escorting the attackers.

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: It was obvious to me that the Police were accompanying these people because they were not arresting them.  They had just killed people and they were not arresting them, instead they were walking along with them.

MR BERGER: And then did you witness them, or what did you witness after that?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: As I was watching, they moved on, along the footpath, and they walked and moved shall I say, behind the nursery firms.   Others moved in front of the nursery firms and they were being followed by these "koyoco's" as they were proceeding towards the compound.  People had come out and they were watching.  Even though people do not want to come and testify, but they were watching.  We had been staying awake and guard till late, we would go to sleep at round about one o'clock.

MR BERGER: Besides the vehicles that you saw, the Police vehicles, were you able to identify any of the occupants of those vehicles?  Did you see the occupants of any of those vehicles?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: No, no.  I did not see them.

MR BERGER: And then they left and returned to kwaMadala, is that correct?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: That is correct.

MR BERGER: Is there anything else about the attack that you feel you have left out, that you haven't spoken about?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: There are several things that I have forgotten.

MR BERGER: Do you mean you can't remember now?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: I do remember, but I am saying with your permission yes, I can continue.

MR BERGER: Please continue.

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: As these vehicles were proceeding, entering the compound, a "koyoco" came back and when it came back, we were now trying to get into cars, people who had been injured from the Buwa household and this "koyoco" drove passed us as we were busy and it stopped at Hlubi.  One white Police and one black Police came out and they took a corpse and put it in the "koyoco" and we were trying to get some of these injured people into the cars and they on the other hand, were putting into the "koyoco", a corpse.

MR BERGER: Did the ambulances arrive after that?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: An ambulance came and we took members of the Buwa family into this ambulance.

MR BERGER: Can you remember roughly what time that was?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: I think it was about twenty passed ten and after that, one did not have time to look at the watch because we were concentrating on what was happening.  The ambulance came after some time.

MR BERGER: So the twenty passed ten is a time that you put for the start of the attack?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: No, no.

MR BERGER: Sorry?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: That is when they came to my household, because I was watching television.

MR BERGER: You say that is when the attackers reached you?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: That is when they started attacking Victor as well as Buwa's households.

MR BERGER: Before the attack and earlier in the day, or in the evening, did you see anything strange in the township?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: Yes, I did see something.

MR BERGER: What was that?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: Two "koyoco's" came  moving along the road on the side of the firms, there were two ambulances that were following the "koyoco's" and these vehicles took the direction of Cape Gate.

MR BERGER: This was before the attack?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: Yes.

MR BERGER: Do you know what happened to those vehicles and ambulances?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: I did not hear anything, but I later on heard that there were sirens wailing around Slovo, but we don't know what was happening there.

MR BERGER: Thank you Mr Baloyi, I have no further questions.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MR BERGER

CHAIRPERSON: Yes, Mr Strydom?

MR STRYDOM: Thank you Chair.   Mr Baloyi, how old are you now?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: I was born in 1920, the 7th of February.

MR STRYDOM: So you are 79 years old, is that right?  Have you ever stayed in Senqu Street in Boipatong or not?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: Senqu?  I don't know that name.  What street is it intersecting with?

MR STRYDOM: Maybe I can ask you just like that, it may be easier, how long have you been staying at 732 Bafokeng Street?

CHAIRPERSON: Will you just spell the name of the street that you have just mentioned?

MR STRYDOM: Senqu.  It intersects with Bapedi Street.

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: That street intersects with Bakoena, further down, at Slovo.  I reside on the other side, this side before Slovo.

MR STRYDOM: Yes, how long have you been staying at 732 Bafokeng Street?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: I came into the township in 1955.

MR STRYDOM: And have you been staying in the same house ever since?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: I used to stay at Majola Street at number 216.

MR STRYDOM: Do you know another person by the name of Wilson Baloyi that stays in Boipatong?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: Which street?

MR STRYDOM: In Senqu Street.

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: I know all the Baloyi's in Boipatong.

MR STRYDOM: You see, I want to put to you that ...

CHAIRPERSON: What is the answer?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: No.

CHAIRPERSON: Senqu Street?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: No.  There isn't such a name, such a street in Boipatong, I know the whole of Boipatong.

CHAIRPERSON: Isn't there a street called Senqu Street?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: Senqu?

CHAIRPERSON: Yes Senqu Street?

MACHIHLILE WILSON BALOYI: Yes, there is Senqu.

CHAIRPERSON: Now what you are being asked is, do you know of any Wilson Baloyi who stays in Boipatong, particularly in Senqu Street?