Amnesty Hearings — Durban — UNKNOWN

NKANYISO WILFRED NDLOVU: We were five, walking together.  One of us was injured, also by being attacked by the ANC supporters.  I was also with him on that day when he was shot and got injured.  As he was limping, we walked faster than him and he was therefore left behind.  When we reached a place where there were bushes we decided to wait for them and as we were waiting there, we observed a car that was driven not on a used road, but on the disused one.  At that time, this disused road was only used by pedestrians.  This surprised me and I even commented about this to a person who was next to me.  It then stopped near the river, where three people alighted.  I thought these people were going to fetch water.  After about thirty minutes after we saw this car, shots were fired.  I could not make out whether these shots came from far or where.  When I looked to the direction where we were coming from, I saw a person carrying a firearm and shooting towards us.  I do not know what happened to the person who was with me.  I ran away.

MR ALBERTS: And one of your companions died during that attack, is that correct?

NKANYISO WILFRED NDLOVU: The person who died is not the one who was with me at that time.

MR ALBERTS: And when Mokeke told you that they want to avenge the attack of the children and you talked about the kombi, what did you say to him?

NKANYISO WILFRED NDLOVU: Makhekhe told me that he wanted that kombi to be attacked, because it was known as the kombi that carried people who were attacking us, the IFP supporters.

MR ALBERTS: And what was your response?

NKANYISO WILFRED NDLOVU: I felt bitter because this kombi was seen driving past when Shelembe was killed.  I also saw it the day we were attacked.  I was therefore easily influenced when Makhekhe told me that he wanted this kombi to be attacked and wanted me to be present so that I could be of assistance.

MR ALBERTS: And did you give Mokeke the information you gave us regarding the kombi?

NKANYISO WILFRED NDLOVU: I did not mention it because this was widely known by the IFP and the ANC supporters in Nkanyezini.  Everybody knew about these incidents.

MR ALBERTS: Regarding the kombi being involved in attacks, did you volunteer that information to Mokeke and Mr Dladla?

NKANYISO WILFRED NDLOVU: Yes.

MR ALBERTS: And did the planning of the attack and did the attack take place as Mr Dladla testified yesterday?

NKANYISO WILFRED NDLOVU: No.

MR ALBERTS: Is there anything that you feel you should add regarding how the attack happened as far as your involvement is concerned, to what Mr Dladla has already testified?

NKANYISO WILFRED NDLOVU: No, there is nothing I can say.

CHAIRPERSON: First of all, do you confirm how you came into possession of firearms on that occasion?

NKANYISO WILFRED NDLOVU: Yes, they were given to us by Makhekhe.

CHAIRPERSON: Yes.

MR ALBERTS: Anything you want to add regarding the attack as such?

NKANYISO WILFRED NDLOVU: After attacks on us, the kombi would then be driven to Lion Park, where the attackers would then hide.

MR ALBERTS: After this attack, what did you do?  Mr Dladla said that the firearms were left with you.  What did you do then?

NKANYISO WILFRED NDLOVU: The firearms were left with me.  I then hid them.

MR ALBERTS: Yes, and what did you do with the guns?

NKANYISO WILFRED NDLOVU: After crushing these people and the firearms were left with me, I took the AK 47 and the R1, and wrapped them in the overall I was wearing when attacked these people.  This is after the attack.  I took the shotgun with me to Ntombela's house where I was spending my nights because I had run away from home.  I am related to the Ntombelas.

MR ALBERTS: Yes, and what did you do with the firearms?

NKANYISO WILFRED NDLOVU: I hid the AK 47 and the R1 in the bushes nearby.  I concealed the shotgun in the room I was sleeping in.  Because this Ntombela house was also not a safe place, because it was once attacked, I knew...

CHAIRPERSON: I thought you were talking about what happened after the attack, isn't that what your question was?

MR ALBERTS: Yes, that's correct Mr Chairman.

NKANYISO WILFRED NDLOVU: Yes, I am telling you about what transpired after the attack.  I took the firearms that were left by my friends and I put the R1 rifle and the AK47 together, I wrapped them together and went to conceal them.  I then took the shotgun with me to where I spending my nights.

CHAIRPERSON: What did you do with the R1 and AK after wrapping them in overalls?

NKANYISO WILFRED NDLOVU: I hid them in the bushes near my house.

CHAIRPERSON: What guns did you keep?  Apart from the AK and the R1, what guns did you keep?

NKANYISO WILFRED NDLOVU: I only kept the shotgun that I took with me to Ntombela's house.

CHAIRPERSON: Yes, carry on.

MR ALBERTS: How did you think this attack on this mini bus was going to help the cause of the IFP in that area?

NKANYISO WILFRED NDLOVU: Our aim was to kill and threaten these people who were killed the IFP members.  We could not go and get instructions from our leaders before we did something because our leaders were also threatened when they visited our area.

CHAIRPERSON: How would you know that the people in that kombi would be the ones that killed the children?

NKANYISO WILFRED NDLOVU: These people live in our area and they were using the kombi.

CHAIRPERSON: But there were lots of other people in that area who used that kombi as well?

NKANYISO WILFRED NDLOVU: What I am saying is that chances were very slim that we could get people we did not want to attack.

CHAIRPERSON: Just let it be clear in your mind.  First of all you don't know who were the people that killed the children, you don't know who did it, you believed they were members of the ANC.  When you decided to attack the bus or the kombi you would not have known the people in the kombi were the same people that killed the children, is that correct?

NKANYISO WILFRED NDLOVU: Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: Will you please interpret to him properly?  You did not know the identity of the people that killed the children?

NKANYISO WILFRED NDLOVU: Yes, I did not.

CHAIRPERSON: How would you know then that the time you were going to attack this kombi it would have the people that killed the children?

NKANYISO WILFRED NDLOVU: I regard everything that happened in Nkanyezini, including the incident where children were killed, as the work of the ANC supporters.  It does not matter who, individual, has done it.  It is wholly done by the ANC.  We, the IFP were hurt when children were killed.  All of us who belonged to the IFP.  It then had to hurt the ANC leadership too, so that they could come and tell their supporters to stop doing this.  Furthermore, Mr Gwala, who was the leader then before he died, also encouraged ANC to kill us.  He would have felt something then, if his supporters were killed.

CHAIRPERSON: Yes, carry on.

MR ALBERTS: How did you believe that the killing of ANC people would help the cause of the IFP?

NKANYISO WILFRED NDLOVU: Firstly, I want to tell the Commission that the IFP members in the area were no longer as free as they used to be, before the ANC came into the area.  Secondly, there is another area known as Ndweba that is adjacent to iNkanyezini.  These areas are separated be the river.  The IFP supporters in Nkanyezini were killed extensively in such a way that one family, that was a very strong pro-IFP supporter was shot at and their houses burnt until they decided to leave the area.  I therefore want to make it clear that the IFP supporters in the area were no longer safe because whenever it is rumoured that one is the IFP member, one would be killed.  Our killing of the AnC supporters to realise that they were not the only people in the area.

CHAIRPERSON: Can I just interrupt you and say that from what you tell me, is it correct that, just as there were attacks by ANC people on IFP, there were numerous attacks by IFP people on the ANC?