Amnesty Hearings — Durban — 1998-04-21

MR MBAMBO: Yes, I do.

MR NGUBANE: Did you know a gentleman by the name of Syela Stele?

MR MBAMBO: Yes, I know him very well.

MR NGUBANE: Was he present during the destruction and attack on the ANC people prior to the rally and after the rally?

MR MBAMBO: He was such a coward, he was only present spiritually.

MR NGUBANE: What was Syela Stele's status, was he a member of the IFP, was he a member of the KwaZulu Police or was he a member of the hit squad?

MR MBAMBO: He was not a member of the hit squad but he knew about the hit squad and we would seek and discuss several things with him.  He was a police reservist at the KwaZulu Police and he was also Chairman of the IFP Youth at eSikhawini and he was very close to Mrs Mbuaze and Bebe Biela and Brigadier Umzumela because Brigadier Umzumela was his induna.

MR NGUBANE: Syela Stele participate in the planning of any attacks by the hit squad members?

MR MBAMBO: No, he only came now and then complaining to Mrs Mbuaze and ourselves that his place Port Dunford is not taken care of because the ANC is attacking them frequently and that is why he brought these boys so that I could train them and the boys went back to Port Dunford to fight.

MR NGUBANE: Now turning to Daliwe's matter once again, you mentioned that 7.65 pistol was used in shooting him and that pistol had been issued to Mrs Mbuaze, is that correct?

MR MBAMBO: That is correct.

MR NGUBANE: If you say it was issued to Mrs Mbuaze, are you suggesting that it was a licensed firearm or it was one of those firearms that were issued without the holder having a valid license thereof?

MR MBAMBO: It was issued by the KwaZulu Police and it was signed for at Ulundi.

MR NGUBANE: Now as far as I understand the position, if a person was given a firearm license at that time, he had to apply to the Commissioner in Pretoria, is that correct?

MR MBAMBO: That is correct.

MR NGUBANE: Now are you suggesting that there was this irregular procedure in the KwaZulu Police where certain people were issued with firearms by the KwaZulu Police in Ulundi, is that right?

MR MBAMBO: Yes, many leaders of the IFP were issued with guns.  Chiefs and Indunas were given G3 rifles and shotguns.

MR NGUBANE: Did that occur according to your knowledge -  you might not know it or you may know it, did that occur as a result of a sanction by the Minister of the KwaZulu Police at that time?

MR MBAMBO: Yes, that is correct.

MR NGUBANE: And who was the Minister of the KwaZulu Police at that time?

MR MBAMBO: Doctor M G Buthelezi.

MR NGUBANE: I see.  If the Committee can just bear with me.
	Let's come to the incident of Nagtal Nxumalo, there is some clarification we would like to have there.  Do you know anything about Vusi Myene?

MR MBAMBO: Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: Sorry, Mr Ngubane, what was that name again?

MR NGUBANE: The incident is the murder of Nagtal Nxumalo and the person is Vusi Myene.
	Did he have any role to play in the murder of Mr Nagtal Nxumalo?

MR MBAMBO: No, not at all.

MR NGUBANE: Did he at any stage participate in the activities of the hit squad?

MR MBAMBO: Not at all.

MR NGUBANE: Thank you very much.  You mentioned about an attack on Gabela who resided at J1716, did you?

MR MBAMBO: Yes.

MR NGUBANE: Can you get into that matter in greater detail -just to guide you, how it was planned, with whom it was planned, who participated, how it was covered up if it was ever covered up?

MR MBAMBO: Gabela's house was attacked by the IFP Youth, Nglagane Mpumatengua, Lucky Mbuaze, Bernard Mlambo, Siabonga Mbuaze and Constable Mkwanazi.  They had been instructed by Mr Mbuaze with his wife, Mrs Mbuaze.  We did not know about that imminent attack and we did not even know a thing about the Gabela family.  The Mbuazes and Gabelas were neighbours.
I also know that at the time when these boys attacked the Gabela household Mr Mbuaze was wearing a uniform, the KwaZulu Police uniform and he was moving up and down the street as the attack was being carried out.  
	I learnt about this the following day when Mr Mbuaze and the boys came bringing the firearms back to me so that I could clean them because two of them, those were the G3's that came from the eSikhawini Police Station, they requested that I try and clean the guns so that in the event of the guns being sent to Pretoria for forensic tests, the forensic laboratory should fail to associate these guns with the Gabela incident.  They then explained to me everything that happened the previous day and they also gave me the reason for the attack.

MR NGUBANE: I see.  What was the reason for the attack?

MR MBAMBO: There is a hostel that is very close to J2, it is closer to the Gabela household and separated by a main road.  I referred to this hostel yesterday as the Railway Hostel and that is the ANC ...[end of tape]
	...[inaudible] who had a boyfriend who resided in the Railway Hostel.  She was seen frequenting the hostel and they concluded that the girl was also a comrade and apparently there was also a quarrel between Mrs Mbuaze and the parents to the girl over the very same issue of the girl rubbing shoulders with ANC members.  It looks like the girls parents were not prepared to tell the girl to stop frequenting the railway hostel.  That is the reason I know for the attack.

MR NGUBANE: Now on a point of clarification, did you say that Mr or did you say Mrs Mbuaze had a quarrel with the parents of the Gabela family?

MR MBAMBO: Mrs Mbuaze.

MR NGUBANE: Thank you.  And you said that during the attack Mr Mbuaze was wearing a KwaZulu Police uniform?

MR MBAMBO: That is correct.

MR NGUBANE: Was he a policeman, Mr Mbuaze?

MR MBAMBO: No, he was not, he was a police reservist.

MR NGUBANE: Was it the habit of the KwaZulu Police officers to make a police reservist wear a police uniform or was it a strategy of the hit squad people and those other people who were not the hit squad members but who were attacking ANC to clad the attackers in the KwaZulu Police uniform?

MR MBAMBO: He had the police uniform on that night to cover the boys during the attack but his police reservist position was necessarily the IFP strategy at eSikhawini because all the councillors who were IFP members, leaders of the IFP at eSikhawini had the opportunity to become police reservists.

MR NGUBANE: Yesterday you testified about the incident where Mlege was killed and one, I think it's Vilane, was injured, can you sketch to us the background leading to the killing of Mr Mlege?

MR MBAMBO: I would not be in the position to explain to this Commission the background to the killing of Mr Mlege because I only learnt about this whole thing after he was killed and that was at the time when we were discussing that and things that transpired after Mlege was killed.

MR NGUBANE: When you discussed about his murder, were you furnished with reasons why he was killed, except that he was ANC?

MR MBAMBO: No other reason was furnished except that he was an ANC member.

MR NGUBANE: Do you recall the incident when the Gumede family at Gobandlovo was attacked on the 11th of September 1992?

MR MBAMBO: I still remember there was a house that was attacked Gobandlovo but I have no idea as to the surname and people died, about three or four of them or even more than that.

MR NGUBANE: Yes, in fact I understand that there were six people that were killed there.  Did you participate in that incident?

MR MBAMBO: No, I did not but I know the people who were present.

MR NGUBANE: Can you assist us with their names?

MR MBAMBO: Nglagane Mpumatengua is one of them, Lucky Mbuaze, Bernard Mlambo, Constable Mkwanazi and a certain police who came from the reaction unit of eSikhawini, he ended up committing suicide but I have forgotten his surname.   I don't know whether I can request my co-applicants to assist me, if that is permissable.