Human Rights Violation Hearings — Pietermaritzburg — UNKNOWN

WITNESS:   Thank you.  And when there were those things people were shot at.  The IFP people provoked the residents.  Then in 1990 something happened in South Africa when the then ANC leader, Nelson Mandela, was released from prison.  And in Natal we decided that Nelson Mandela should come and visit our region, and there was a really which was organised, which was a great success due to the number of people who were present at the rally.  Thereafter members of the IFP wanted to compete.  They also wanted to show people how many followers they had in the Natal region.  They also organised their own rally.  On that day in the morning - that was the 25th of February 1990 - a large group of buses went past our place, and when these buses passed our place shots were fired at people, at bystanders, at everyone.  People - I remember that some people were going to churches, children were playing along the street, and they were all shot at at random.  And the police were there accompanying the buses.  Say in between four buses there would be two police cars, Casspirs along the route.  Despite that fact there's nothing that was done by the police in order to quell the violence.  Even when we showed them that a certain bus was attacking people they did absolutely nothing.  In that way the people were quite scared.  The community lost trust in the police and they didn't know as to what to do at that moment.  Luckily the people never came back to the Edendale Road, but we were told that they took a turn at a certain hospital.  On the following day - that was on the 26th ... (intervention)

MR SINGH:  You earlier said the 25th of February 1990.

WITNESS:   25th.

MR SINGH:  Sorry, of March, or are you talking about February?

WITNESS:   Now I am - okay, it is the 25th of February when they had the rally, and then a week after ... (intervention)

MR SINGH:  No, I think - sorry, if I may interrupt, it's the 25th of March that the rally was held on.  If I may just ... (intervention)

WITNESS:   Okay.  I am sorry, I am confusing things.

MR SINGH:  Thank you.

WITNESS:   Okay.  On the 26th, that was on a Monday, I was preparing myself to go to work.  I was not even able to finish taking my bath because I just heard some gunfire outside, and when I went out to investigate what was going on I saw some buses from the KwaZulu Government.  They were from Xaluza Road, Umphumuza and Sweetwater.  And there was a group of people approaching from the hill, and there was an outbreak of shooting.  They shot at people who were proceeding to work, as well as schools.  I remember that the schools as well as work were disturbed on that particular day.  We contacted newspaper reporters, as well as other people who used to help us in such situations, for instance the MPs at that time, members of the Democratic Party.  I remember that two of those MPs came and we went along to where the impi was approaching, or the group was approaching.  But we could not get near the group, because just as we were approaching we were welcomed with some more gunfires.  After quite some time Edendale was surrounded by the very same Inkatha group.  They were fully armed.  They had traditional weapons as well as guns.  And the police who were present at that time were doing absolutely nothing to help out the situation, but they went around searching the homes of people who were not present there.  They were arresting people and looting places, and they always found a reason why one should be arrested.  And they actually prompted some other people to go out and see what was going on outside, and many people were arrested.  The police did not arrest the perpetrators, but they were arresting the victims.  They assaulted people and they put them in Casspirs, and they would go and dump the people off at an Inkatha stronghold.  I remember that some of those people never returned.  And as the violence went on we discovered that there were certain members of the Inkatha, as well as leaders, who were travelling with police and they were doing some pointings out.  And at times it would happen that the Inkatha member would hit first, or assault you, and when you tried to protect yourself the police would come flocking at you and they would also arrest you later on.  And as a result the community lost hope in the police, and it was apparent that people had to protect themselves.  They used stones against people who were fully armed and accompanied by police.  And at that time we knew that there was something going on between the Inkatha and the police, because even today, what happened in 1990 there hasn't been a single person who got arrested, but those who have given their testimony before was that more than 1 000 houses, as well as more than 100 people were killed.  But we do not know who the perpetrators are.  But the police were present, they were given enough information to act upon.  It's very difficult for me to give a complete picture of what took place and the aftermath of the violence, but just to give a brief background.  Even that I feel is not sufficient to give a clear picture.  There are certain people who've decided that the boers were better off, rather than our own people being used against us.  They knew how to approach us in large numbers because they knew the intricacies of the community.  I would just like to remind this honourable Commission that I am not here to paint a black picture about a certain political organisation, but I want to put a true picture of what took place.  And I would like to request this honourable Commission, especially with regard to Moscow, that it should help us investigate with regard to certain people who were tortured, killed and maimed.  Some of them are no longer staying at Moscow any more, but we know what happened to them and we can be of help to the Commission.  Even the businesses that were being conducted in those areas, as well as halls, were now turned into targets.  They were being repeatedly attacked.  There were certain cars that were foreign which were driven by the police, and they had no numberplates on.  They went around conducting some drive-by shootings.  They were also abducting people.  At times they would ... (incomplete - end of Side A, Tape 3) ... today.  We see some in 'Maritzburg.  They are destitute.  We also see a lot of shacks that are being erected and are mushrooming all around 'Maritzburg, and people think that those people are making the place filthy, but these are the people who are destitute, who ran away and are seeking refuge because they had no places to stay.  I think that's where my testimony ends.  We are prepared to help this Commission to investigate with regard to certain incidents that took place.  I stayed for about two years.  I was chased by the KwaZulu Government because I was helping certain youths who were destitute.  We were looking for places as well as schools for them to attend, and I was chased out by the KwaZulu Government.  I thank you.

KHOZA MGOJO: Because we are within the Truth and Reconciliation Commission we are going to ask you a few questions.  Let me start by asking you with regard to your statement.  You said when there was a boycott, a Sarmcol strike, the police as well as your employers said you were preventing people from going to work.  Was that correct, or is that correct?  When you gave us the background of your testimony you said when you formed a union as dismissed workers, or because there were certain workers who were dismissed, some were related to you, then you decided to conduct a boycott, and the police, as well as your employers, accused you of preventing people from going to work by conducting a boycott or a strike, as well as the consumer boycott.  Is that true?