Human Rights Violation Hearings — Sebokeng — 1996-08-06

ALBERT AMANDLA NANGALEMBE: Yes, the very painful one is Zwakala's matter. It was on a Sunday morning, we were from a Civit(?) meeting.  I still remember very well we were talking about protecting the community, especially Zone 7, and as we were
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going out of the meeting we saw about three Fords, as the cars were getting into Zone 7 they got out of the car and they displayed their T-shirts and they walked slowly as if boasting and I think at Sebe Street, at the corner of Zwakala's place that is where they got Zwakala's mother and they pointed at her and they said we are coming back.  Zwakala was a threat to Ketisi because he could actually challenge them single-handedly.  I think he was an MK cadre, but he was not afraid to challenge them.  It was broad daylight on a Saturday when this took place.  When Zwakala chased them wanting to shoot them, there is another policeman by the name Sasa(?), I don't know what his proper name is, as Ketisi was turning, running away from Zwakala proceeding upwards the street we saw police approaching from the opposite direction in the van.  When they were supposed to stop the car that had been shooting people they stopped Zwakala.  Maybe if they stopped him and gave him a warning they shot him at pointblank and I saw it with my own eyes.  This Ford escaped but Zwakala was shot.  It's because the police know this Ford and they had seen the people.  Why is it that the police had to shoot one person who was retaliating against a gang of people?  Now as you are asking me Mr Chairman to relate this I am talking about something that I witnessed personally.  It was on a Sunday at 10 o'clock broad daylight.  That is what I saw with my own eyes.  That is what I can say that I know personally.  What's happened at night I could count quite a number of incidences when people were shot at my place I was now living like an animal.  I could not sleep at home because I was hunted.  By then I had taken my mother out of the house.  I was staying with my wife because I realised that their
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 safety could not be guaranteed.  At that time nobody knew what was happening and what was going to happen.  There are many incidents that I can count, and I can count them until cows come home but as many people have come forward, some are even coming to give evidence as to what was happening at that time.

DR RANDERA: Amandla I don't want to keep you any longer but I do want to say that I think you have spoken very nobly and very honestly and the wise words in your appeal to the mothers of Sebokeng must be heeded very carefully and clearly, and I commend you for that.  Thank you very much.

RUSSELL ALLY: Amandla we have had you here for a long time so I don't want to keep you for very much longer but I would just like to get some clarity on a few matters please.  The first is about the Sebokeng Crime Prevention Unit, you say that your late brother Christopher was actively involved in this unit?

ALBERT AMANDLA NANGALEMBE: That is correct.

RUSSELL ALLY: Can you just tell us a little bit about this Crime Prevention Unit and when it was formed and why it was formed?

ALBERT AMANDLA NANGALEMBE: I cannot delve deeply into this matter because I think the people who gave submissions there might probably be people who know more about this because I was not a member and I did not know anything about this, but I did know that there was a Crime Prevention Unit.  But what I can point out is that the community realised that they were being harassed and probably the community came together in trying to solve these matters that were arising within the community without having to shed blood.  Unfortunately Dr Ally I don't have more information.  Maybe there are
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certain people who know more about the structure who could give testimony with regard to that.

RUSSELL ALLY: Thank you. And just do you know anything about the - when Victor Ketisi, when he was asked to appear before the Street Committee towards the end of 1990, it was in December 1990, do you know anything about that event of what actually happened there?

ALBERT AMANDLA NANGALEMBE: I have no knowledge as to what had happened.  There was a meeting of the Street Committee, it was not the Street Committee in actual fact because if it was the Street Committee Saul Sotetsi was not staying at Zone 7, and the meeting was not at Zone 7.  This meeting failed because Beulah Gubeka intervened.  They were supposed to have met at a mutual venue because they were scared that people might be disturbed in the meeting.  So the Street Committee meeting I have absolutely no knowledge of, I only knew about where Chris was involved.  That led to his death.

RUSSELL ALLY: Thank you Amandla.

ALBERT AMANDLA NANGALEMBE: I think I have forgotten something.  Maybe I did not tell you that the case of the night vigil massacre proceeded to court. I was going to come to that one when I had just finished saying what I want to say.