Amnesty Hearings — Hammarsdale — 1998-08-11

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: We were divided into four platoons, platoon 1 up to 4.  I was in platoon 4 and my instructor was Mashlamega who was a white man.  We started with basic training for about six weeks.
	During that time we were being trained to use G3 rifles and we were taught drilling, physical training as well as the maintenance of the camp.  In the evenings we would attend political education lectures.
	After six weeks we started advanced training.  This went on for about three months.  This is where we were taught how to use AK47 rifles, RPD's, RPK's and light machine guns, Bazuka's, explosives.  We were also taught rural guerrilla warfare, urban guerrilla warfare.
	After the advanced training we were divided into four groups.  There was Contra-Mobilisation Group, the VIP Protection Group, Defensive Group and Offensive Group.

MR STEWART: Mr Khumalo, before you get into the training that those different groups received, up until then, what was the purpose of that training that you've told us about?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: The objective of our training, although different from what we had thought of before, we were no being told that we were trained because IFP members were being killed by the UDF in collaboration with the ANC and the communists.
	When we returned to our communities we were supposed to fight and eliminate the UDF and the ANC because if we do not do this and they defeat us, South Africa would be in danger of being governed by communists.
	We would be taught in political lectures what a communist was and we therefore realised that it would not be in the interest of the country for the AND to rule.

MR STEWART: Mr Khumalo, you told us about those objectives, did you come to support those objectives?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, I supported them.

MR STEWART: Did you then come to realise that you would no longer be working as a policeman, or would you being doing both, work as a policeman and in support of those objectives?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: At that time I regarded myself as a soldier who had nothing to do with police work.  I was an IFP soldier whose work would be to fight for the IFP.  I realised that there would be no police work involved there.

MR STEWART: Mr Khumalo, do you know who M Z Khumalo
is?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, I do.

MR STEWART: Did you meet him at Caprivi at any stage?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, he did come to Caprivi.

MR STEWART: What was his purpose of coming there?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: He would come to pay our wages and sometimes would come to convey messages from the Prime Minister then, Mr M J Buthelezi.

MR STEWART: What was Mr Khumalo's position at that time, to your knowledge?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: He was the assistant to the IFP President.

MR STEWART: Mr Khumalo, do you know of the person, Brigadier Marte?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, I do.

MR STEWART: Did you come to meet him in the Caprivi at any time?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, he once came to the camp.

MR STEWART: What was his purpose in coming to the camp?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: He was part of the delegation which came with M Z Khumalo.  There was another white person, a Swart, who was with them.

MR STEWART: What was Brigadier Marte's position at that time?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: He was the Deputy Commissioner of the KwaZulu Police.

MR STEWART: Now you've told us that the whole platoon or whole group was split into four different groups and you've told us what they were, into which of those groups were you assigned?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: I was in the Defensive Group. It was sometimes called the Intelligence Group.

MR STEWART: And what was the purpose of that group?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Say for instance a certain area was to be attacked, this group would be sent to check what the area looked like, what the situation was like in the area, or if someone was going to be attacked, they would convey the surveillance on this person.
	If they were going to attack a house, they would find out where the house is so that a mistake could not be made.

MR STEWART: Mr Khumalo, what training did you receive in the Defensive or Counter-Intelligence Group?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: We were taught how to gather information about your enemy.  We were also taught on to recruit informers or sources.  We were also trained in secret writing and we were also trained in unarmed combat.  I think that's just about all that we were trained in.

MR STEWART: Who were your instructors?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: It was JP.

CHAIRPERSON: JP?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, JP.

MR STEWART: Who was he Mr Khumalo?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Opperman, his surname is Opperman.

MR STEWART: And do you know where he was from or for whom he worked?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: At that time I did not know where he came from, I only learnt of it later.  I learnt that he had been working for the SADF.

CHAIRPERSON: Sorry Mr Khumalo, sorry Mr Stewart.
	What year was it that you went to Caprivi and received this training?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: 1986.

MR STEWART: Now Mr Khumalo, I've received a request for you to speak louder if you can so that more people can hear you, not everyone has these headsets.
	Now Mr Khumalo, during that time you obviously in learning to use these various firearms you've mentioned, you also learnt how to shoot them and you presumably shot at some targets, is that right?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, we were trained.

MR STEWART: Were you told anything particular about how to visualise those targets at which you were shooting?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Yes, sometimes our targets would be given names like people in the ANC leadership, people like Chris Hani, Oliver Tambo and Sesulu.

MR STEWART: Mr Khumalo, about how long in total were you in the Caprivi?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: About six months.

MR STEWART: What happened at the completion of your training?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: After we completed our training there was a passing out parade where Doctor Buthelezi was supposed to attend.  He did not turn up eventually but Mr Khumalo arrived as well as Brigadier Marte, as well as Swart.  There were other instructors present as well.
	After the passing out parade we handed over all the materials from the camp, we got on the plane and we flew back.  We landed at Louis Botha Airport and on arrival furniture trucks were already waiting for us.  We took these trucks and we were transported to Hlongwane Camp.

MR STEWART: What transpired at Hlongwane Camp?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: We spent a day or two at Hlongwane Camp, thereafter we were told that Doctor Buthelezi would arrive to welcome us.  He did arrive, he was with Mr Khumalo as well as the Youth Brigade, IFP Youth Brigade.  A car was noted for us by Doctor Buthelezi in welcoming us back ...[intervention]

MR STEWART: Mr Khumalo, before you carry on, you say that Doctor Buthelezi was accompanied, and in the translation it was the IFP Youth Brigade, was it a particular person from the Youth Brigade or people?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: There was Nchema Fule as well as Sebanda, as well as Joseph Mabaso.

MR STEWART: And were you and the other trainees addressed at this function?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: Doctor Buthelezi addressed us.  He was welcoming us and thankful that we had arrived back safely and he appreciated that we had gone for the training.

MR STEWART: After that function, how were you then deployed?

BHEKISISA ALEX KHUMALO: After this function we were instructed to return home and we were supposed to report back at camp after two weeks.  There was a truck that I got onto and it dropped me off at Pietermaritzburg.
	After two weeks I returned to the Hlongwane Camp and I found other people there, people whom I had trained with at Caprivi.

MR STEWART: Did you then receive instructions?