Amnesty Hearings — Johannesburg — 1999-02-17

SIPHO ALBERT MKHONTO: No.  I do not know, because I never used muti or traditional medicine before.  Ndamase was the one who was using the muti.  He is the one who knew what should happen to a person, who it is not very easy to shoot him.  He knew that he is supposed to be hacked or stabbed before one can manage to shoot that particular person.

MR SIBANYONI: Thank you Mr Chairperson, that is the only question.

ADV GCABASHE: Thank you Chair.  Mr Mkhonto, you did say that the reason that Mzambia prepared the firearm for you, was because you couldn't use it.  What did you say about why did he prepare the firearm for you?

SIPHO ALBERT MKHONTO: I was not able to bridge the firearm.

ADV GCABASHE: Not that you weren't able to use it, it is just the bridging that you couldn't do?

SIPHO ALBERT MKHONTO: Yes, I was able to use the firearm.

ADV GCABASHE: Now tell me, had you not come across these two friends of yours, how were you going to use this firearm that you couldn't bridge?  Where were you going to with this firearm that you couldn't bridge?

SIPHO ALBERT MKHONTO: I knew that if I am walking through those short cuts, I was sure that I would find someone, or else I was going to go to the base and find some other gentlemen there who would help me to go and kill Mr Shozi, to help and bridge the firearm for me.

ADV GCABASHE: Right, one final question.  You shot at Mr Shozi the first time and you couldn't hit him, well, you were unsuccessful.  What was Mr Shozi doing at that time, you were shooting at him, you could see that your bullets were not doing anything to him, what was he doing?
	I would have run away, what did he do?

SIPHO ALBERT MKHONTO: When I was shooting at him, he was coming to me.  He was coming to me to take this AK47.  As I was shooting, I was reversing, I was going back, but he was approaching me, he was coming to me to get the firearm.

ADV GCABASHE: He didn't have anything in his hands, he wasn't armed?

SIPHO ALBERT MKHONTO: No, he was unarmed.

ADV GCABASHE: So really in a sense you were rescued by the people who came out and started attacking him and hacking him, because the man was approaching you and you were busy reversing?

SIPHO ALBERT MKHONTO: I can say so.  I can say I was rescued by those people who came and hacked him and stabbed him.

ADV GCABASHE: Thank you Mr Mkhonto, thank you Chair.

CHAIRPERSON: Yes, thank you, you are excused.
WITNESS EXCUSED

MR SIBEKO: Mr Chairman, at this stage I would like to withdraw the application of Sebati Mante Sofi, which appears on page 204, application number AM5473/97.

CHAIRPERSON: It is so withdrawn.
APPLICATION OF S M SOFI AM 5473/97 WITHDRAWN

MR SIBEKO: At this moment, may I be excused Mr Chairman?

CHAIRPERSON: Are you done?

MR SIBEKO: There is only one application which is left, I cannot see the applicant, he is not here, he hasn't arrived.

CHAIRPERSON: What do we do about that?

MR SIBEKO: Mr Chairman?

CHAIRPERSON: What are we going to do about that?

MR SIBEKO: I spoke to him yesterday, he said he would be here today.  I beg leave that we stand it down.  If he doesn't arrive, then I will leave it in the hands of the Committee.

CHAIRPERSON: Just don't leave now, I just want to find out something from Mr Steenkamp.  What have we got left Mr Steenkamp?

ADV STEENKAMP: Mr Chairman, Mr Sanje Makanjee is ready to take the chair with your permission, to start immediately, is ready and correct and he is ready to proceed after Mr Sibeko, that is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: Let's carry on like that.