Amnesty Hearings — East London — 1999-06-15

NSIKILELO RICHMOND NKWENKWE: That is your own opinion Ma'am, because today I have voted the second time in democratic South Africa, so that was political.  What we were doing was political because Gqozo had resigned from his position and we were looking forward to serving the present government and being loyal to this present government, not Gqozo's government.  The people who are crying today saying that they were pointed with firearms, they are crying because we had overthrown Brig Gqozo, but before we could reach Brig Gqozo we had to deal with them before we could reach him, even Gen Nqoya himself.  That is why I am saying today that I'm asking for forgiveness to do all these to them because they were an obstacle for us, before we could reach Brig Gqozo.  So I'm asking for forgiveness for all those things that happened.  I'm asking them to forgive us.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MS COLLETT

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.  Any questions Mr Mapoma?

MR MAPOMA: Thank you Chairperson, no questions.

CHAIRPERSON: The panel, anything?

ADV BOSMAN: Mr Nkwenkwe, I just want clarity on one matter.  Who was the leader of the junior officers that day?

NSIKILELO RICHMOND NKWENKWE: There was no one we can say was the leader on that particular day but it depended on people or on individuals for example I told myself that I would die on that day, even when I went to Brig Gqozo, I had my R5 with me, but I left it in the car because I had told myself if he was resisting, because we knew that he was a person who did not have respect, he did not care about any other person, I had told myself that I was going to shoot at him.  I had a side arm with me, there was nobody who searched us when we went in there.  If we wanted to kill him we would have killed him.  So what I am trying to say is that we had no leader there but all the people who took part there were doing that voluntarily.

ADV BOSMAN: The reason why I am asking this is Mr Mfene yesterday testified that he was the unofficial leader, but it would appear from your evidence that you didn't consult with him when you gave these orders.  You said you gave the orders to people to fetch the officers.

NSIKILELO RICHMOND NKWENKWE: Because things happened fast, I cannot dispute that Mr Mfene on his side was leader or he was controlling inside the hall because when, for example we had spoken about Capt Sawuti, maybe his name was mentioned in this maladministration of money, I would then address a few men and tell them that they must go out and find this man.  If maybe Mfene, it was not his turn to address the people, maybe the microphone was with me, Mfene would talk to a certain group of people and tell them to go and take a certain person.  I was regarding myself as a leader in my group.  Even when we told the soldiers that they had to join us, I can't say that there was someone who was a leader, but we were doing the same thing, trying to achieve the same goal.

ADV BOSMAN: Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Any questions?

MR NOMPOZOLO: Nothing thank you Mr Chairman.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Nkwenkwe, you're excused.
WITNESS EXCUSED

CHAIRPERSON: We'll adjourn for 10 minutes.
COMMITTEE ADJOURNS