Amnesty Hearings — East London — 1999-06-15

CHAIRPERSON: Today is Tuesday 15 June 1999.  We are continuing with the amnesty applications of N R Nkwenkwe and 16 others.
Yes, Mr Obose, you were going to call Mr Nkwenkwe.

MR OBOSE: That is correct, Mr Chairman.  He is here.

CHAIRPERSON: Are you full names Nsikilelo Richmond Nkwenkwe?

NSIKILELO RICHMOND NKWENKWE: That is correct.

NSIKILELO RICHMOND NKWENKWE: (sworn states)

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Obose.

MR OBOSE: Mr Nkwenkwe, can you state your rank and your employment please.

NSIKILELO RICHMOND NKWENKWE: I am a sergeant.

MR OBOSE: Where?

NSIKILELO RICHMOND NKWENKWE: I am working at the fingerprints office in King William's Town.

MR OBOSE: You are attached to the South African police services, correct?

NSIKILELO RICHMOND NKWENKWE: Yes, that is correct.

MR OBOSE: Since when have you been a policeman?

NSIKILELO RICHMOND NKWENKWE: From the 25th June 1987.

MR OBOSE: Now, you are familiar with the incident in March 22nd and the 23rd of March 1994, is that correct?

NSIKILELO RICHMOND NKWENKWE: Yes, that is correct.

MR OBOSE: Will you just tell the Commission as to what occurred during those days or days immediately prior to 22nd March 1994.

NSIKILELO RICHMOND NKWENKWE: When I started there just before the 22nd of March, there used to be a call where they used to say they want the warrant officers to gather at Bisho in the college. That never affected us, but on that particular day on the 22nd, the radio control called people at about 11 a.m., they were telling us that everyone is supposed to be at Bisho in the college but we did not know who was actually summoning the police but we were just told that all the policemen are supposed to be at the college.  When I arrived at the hall, the college hall, the hall was full already.

MR OBOSE: When you received this call or message, where were you?

NSIKILELO RICHMOND NKWENKWE: I was driving a car.  I was at work doing the cases in a car that belongs to the fingerprints office.  I went via the office to collect the other police and I told them that all of them are supposed to be there.
	When we arrived there we realised that there were police that were being saluted and those that were not being saluted.  Those that were being saluted were at the podium and in front of those senior police, that is senior policemen were at the podium and there was a table in front of them.  I remember Inspector Mfene was also there and when I came inside the hall he was the one who was addressing the meeting.  I arrived there at about half past 11.

MR OBOSE: In the morning?

NSIKILELO RICHMOND NKWENKWE: Half past 11 in the morning.
	There were so many issues that were being discussed there.  Among other things they were discussing about the fright that the police had during the elections because at that time there was a conflict between the ADM and the community organisations like ANC.  The people were singing freedom songs and church songs and I used to love music.  When I came in I was sitting with the crowd but I decided later on to go up and stood in front of the microphone and I started singing there.  As a person who grew up in Port Elizabeth I used to know those freedom songs.
	It came to a stage whereby we were told, because the hall was becoming full and we were told the reason for us to be there in that hall.  Inspector Mfene told us.  He told us that each and everyone who was there was called by General Nqoya, Commissioner Nqoya.  He said he just went to Brig Gqozo's office, he would be back.  He asked for some minutes and then he would be back.
	We waited there singing.  There were also other transport problems.  The other police from Umtanzani did not have transport but those problems were later solved because a bus from the riot unit was sent there to fetch them and even the police from Whittlesea were also on their way to the meeting because we were told that Gen Nqoya was calling us.  In the afternoon, still waiting for this general, there were also other issues that came about and the police would ask questions like pensions, what was going to happen in terms of pensions as we were going to be affiliated in the greater South Africa.  We were also told that Gen Nqoya would come and answer to those questions.  
	Some members were elected or appointed at about 4, those members who were going to be sent to look for Gen Nqoya in his office, in the commissioner's office.  I was among those members who were appointed to go and look for the General, but this was not the first appointment.  Some people were appointed to go and look for him.  They would come back bare handed.  As I was working there at the fingerprints office I was coming from the riot unit so I had a licence, a driver's licence for a big police Caspir.  I drove this police Caspir to the commissioner's office looking for Gen Nqoya.  There were also other policemen who were in the open bakkies, who were also following us.

MR OBOSE: Why did you have to go with a Hippo to check Comm Nqoya?

NSIKILELO RICHMOND NKWENKWE: I forgot to mention that just before 4 o'clock some soldiers came in the hall, about 6 soldiers, they came, they said they were sent to inspect, to see what is it that we were doing there.  Insp Mfene told them that we were doing nothing there, but we were just waiting for Gen Nqoya to listen to the grievances of the police or to listen to the problems of the police.  Those soldiers left and we had a fright that those soldiers might come back again.  That is when we decided that the policemen should be armed because the Ciskeian soldiers were an obstacle if we wanted to see Brig Gqozo.
	We started looking for the keys for the armoury but there was some confusion.  I cannot remember whether it was Brig Wuso or Capt Mondo or Superintendent Mema who had the keys but at the end he gave up the keys of the armoury, that is where the police arms were kept.  The police were armed with firearms, but I did not go there because I had a firearm at the time, a firearm R5 that I took from the office, fingerprints office.

MR OBOSE: So to the meeting you went armed with an R5 rifle, or at what stage did you get to be in possession of same?

NSIKILELO RICHMOND NKWENKWE: For example, I used to have this firearm wherever I go but at this particular moment when the police were armed and we were about to get into the Caspir, I took out this R5 as I was driving a Monza, I took out this R5 because we anticipated that on the way to look for Gen Nqoya we could meet with these soldiers and shoot at us, because they'd been to the hall to check what was it that we were doing in the hall.

MR OBOSE: Were all the policemen armed, those in the delegation that went to look for Comm Nqoya, you yourselves in the Hippo and the others in the open bakkie?

NSIKILELO RICHMOND NKWENKWE: Yes, each and everyone who was in that delegation was armed.

MR OBOSE: With assault rifles, R4's, R5's etc?

NSIKILELO RICHMOND NKWENKWE: Yes.  We were armed and others had the 9mm firearms, and R5's because this other one, the smaller one, is always kept in the waist.  We arrived at the commissioner's office and we got inside.  We realised that the police who were supposed to be guarding the premises were not there.  I just thought that they were already in the college.
We got into the offices looking for Gen Nqoya, we couldn't find him.  We used another gate that led us to the parliament and still we couldn't see him there and we went back to the college and we made a report back.

MR OBOSE: Did you get any report as to where he was from anybody in his office?