Amnesty Hearings — Nelspruit — 1997-06-11

STATEMENT OF MR SKOSANA HANDED IN AS EXHIBIT A: "I, the undersigned Derick (indistinct) Skosana, hereby make an oath and state I was born in Witbank on the 24th of September, 1970 and have lived there all my life.
			I am presently 26 years old.  I joined the African National Congress in 1985.  I have been an active member since.  Then I was instrumental in the formation of the Witbank Youth Congress.
		At the Witbank Youth Congress I was acting as an Assistant Secretary.  The Witbank Youth Congress, however, was later incorporated into the South African Youth Congress in which I acted as an additional member on a Branch level.
		In 1990, I and some comrades from the South African Youth Congress decided to skip the country and join the MK of the ANC because we were not sure of the future of the country and that any way the country was not liberated.
		Our skipping of the country was facilitated by a certain Joe Nkuna who lived in Nelspruit township of Kayamazana.  We cross into Mozambique via (indistinct) through the help and directions given to us by some ANC contact people that we met at (indistinct).  We stayed at Nomashe police station for three weeks before being moved to Maputo where we stayed for three months.
		After three months in Maputo, we then were transferred to Tanzania and our destination there was at Dacau.  After two or three months in Dacau, we were moved to (indistinct) Province, where we got military training.
		However, in 1991 our military training was suspended and we were told that this was due to the fact that new negotiations were taking place in South Africa and that the armed struggle was suspended.
		Several leaders of MK including the present Minister of Defence, informed us that those who wanted to pursue a career in the military, would be allowed to remain in Tanzania and train with the army of Tanzanian Defence Force.
		While those who wanted to pursue other careers, would be repatriated to South Africa.  I chose to be repatriated to South Africa and this was done in 1992.  When I arrived in the country, I joined the ANC Youth League and have been a member of the League since.
		Late in 1992, one of our fellow comrades was alleged to be involved in a murder that was committed in Ogies area and police were looking for him.  I am however not certain whether he was indeed involved in that murder case or not.  The name of that comrade was Soli Morapi.
		While Soli was on the run, he contacted me and some other comrades and we decided that it would be better if Soli could skip the country to evade arrest.
		At that stage we only thought of Mr Nkuna as he was the man who had helped me skip the country two years before.  He was at the time according to our knowledge, one of the Commanders of the MK and advance structures as well as being the ANC Transvaal Regional Secretary.
		The matter was a sensitive issue and we needed someone who was very trustworthy and Joe Nkuna fitted our kind of person to confide in.  On our arrival at Joe's house, we found out that Joe already knew of our dilemma and  we thus did not have a lot of explanation to do.
		Joe Nkuna promised to assist us and we also informed him that we came to Nelspruit to see to it that Soli skips the country and not for any other thing.  We agreed that during the day when Joe has gone to work, we will stay indoors so as not to arouse the suspicions of neighbours.
		What we did not know is that Joe had been suspended by the organisation.  Each time he left, he appeared to be going to work and we accepted that he was going about the affairs of the African National Congress.
		We had absolute trust in Joe whom we knew and trusted as our Commander in the MK.  For some days when Joe came back in the evening, he always told us he was busy making arrangements making for Soli to skip the country.
		Late one evening Joe came in and told us that he had received from MK Head Quarters and from the late MK Commander Chris Hani that there were some enemy agents within the organisation and that we had to get rid of them so as to clean up the organisation before the organisation.
		As our Commander and a most trusted person, we believed him and also we did not have any other comrades outside as we were laying low and our only contact was Mr Nkuna.
		After a couple of days, Joe told us that the late Chris Hani had phoned him and enquired about progress on the elimination of the enemy agents.  According to Joe the Head Quarters wanted progress and he had to do something very quickly.
		The following day Joe informed us that arrangements for Soli to skip the country, were all set and Soli could leave at any time, but in the mean time we were supposed to carry out some tasks.
		The task was to eliminate the enemy agents in the organisation and it was then that Joe showed as a list comprising of three names.  The three names on the list were Joshua Bangu, Jackson Tembo and Jacks Modipani. 
		Joe Nkuna told us that these were the people to be eliminated as they were enemy agents and we were supposed to carry out that task.
		This was conveyed to us as an instruction from an MK Commander and it was from the ANC Head Quarters and there was no way in which an MK soldier could defy it.  It had to be carried out for the benefit of the organisation and because it is one of the duties of a soldier, to carry out orders.
		As we understood it, the whole operation was to be  carried out in the furtherance of the objectives of the ANC and we were going to do it as members and soldiers of the MK which is the military wing of the ANC.
		The operation was discussed for some time and on the 11th of November, 1992 it was decided that it should be carried out.  Four of us were going to carry out the operation, it was Conrad Nkuna, Joe Nkuna, Soli Morapi and myself.
		The weapons to be used were two fully loaded AK47's and two F1 handgrenades.  I carried one of the AK47's.  We started at Jack Modipani's place, but realised that he was not there.  We proceeded on to Joshua Bangu's place.  At Joshua Bangu's place, we though that our intended victim was there.
		We took our strategy positions around the house and when we were all ready, Soli threw the two grenades through the bedroom of Mr Shabangu.  After the explosions, we all went back to Joe Nkuna's house.
		After some time the telephone rang and after talking on the line, Joe informed us it was Dr Mamoyepa who had phoned to inform him that there had been an attack on Mr Johannes Shabangu's house.
		Joe Nkuna later left with Dr Mamoyepa - after some time he came back and told us that there had been six people in the house when we attacked it, but only one person was injured.
		The following day we went to Swalalha which is where Joe's sister lives.  It was organised that we should go there to lie low a bit and Joe would always come and inform us of the latest news of the operation.
		Only Soli and I went so Swalalha and when we did, Joe gave us an F1 hand grenade and an AK47 that was fully loaded.  We were transported by Joe Nkuna.  
		The following (indistinct) Joe came to his sister's to take his sister to attend a certain funeral and he promised to come and check us that evening.  He did not come back and I have no information as to what happened to him.
		The following Monday the police arrived at the house and arrested all the occupants of the house including myself.  Soli was gunned down by the police.  The AK47 and the hand grenade were found in our possession.  I was charged with the attempted murders of the six occupants of the house and the illegal possession of firearms.
		I pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years for each of the attempted murders, and effective four years for illegal possession of arms and ammunition.
		The attempted murder sentences are to run concurrently.  I have recounted this incidents not merely to remind people of the grief that they had to undergo, but to tell the Committee all that had happened on the night of the 11th of November 1992.
		I regret the pain and suffering that the victims and the members of their families had to go through.  I ask the Committee to grant me amnesty for the acts that I was involved in on the 11th of November 1992 and for which I am now serving a term of imprisonment.
		At all material times I was a soldier acting in terms of an order of an MK Commander which order I genuinely believed came from a higher rank of MK.  I took part in the operation because it was my genuine belief that the victims and intended victims were enemy agents that had to be eliminated for the benefits of the organisation of which I am a member.
		I had no grudge against any of the victims personally and would not have been involved in the incident, if I had not genuinely believed that it was in furtherance of the aims of my organisation and in the execution of an order given to me as an MK member.
		To the families of the victims, I express my greatest sympathies and my sincere apologies.  I know that what I did was wrong, but I was at the time under the impression that it was the right thing to do for our liberation movement.  I am really sorry for what I did."