Amnesty Hearings — Boksburg — UNKNOWN

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Yes, we left all at the same time.

UNKNOWN: Where did you personally go to, after you had finished?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: We left as a group.   On the road, the commander said we should wait there.   He went with Comrade Sugar to a certain house, I think it was Buthelezi's house, then after that we heard gunshots.

UNKNOWN: Who exactly went into the shack which you thought was Buthelezi's?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: It's Ntebe Dondolo and Sugar Ramebele.

UNKNOWN: Were they armed?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Ntebe Dondolo had a shotgun, and Sugar Ramebele had a shotgun also.

UNKNOWN: And then what happened?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: When they returned, they ordered that we should go and search for others, whom we did not find.

UNKNOWN: Did you go?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Yes, we left.

UNKNOWN: Where to?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: We went to C block.

UNKNOWN: Did you find anything there?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: We found Mtabang Lukwene.   He was left because it was said that he's young.

UNKNOWN: You found him and left him where you found him?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: We took him so that he'll be able to identify others, where they were.

UNKNOWN: Did he show you others?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: No, we did not find any until we arrived at the shack where they used to stay, where they stayed as a gang.  When we arrived there, we did not find anybody.

UNKNOWN: Are there any other, did you see any items there, at those shacks where they used to live?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Yes, there were things there, things like hi-fi's, TV's, etcetera.

UNKNOWN: Then what did you do with Mtabang

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: He was told to leave, because we did not find others.

UNKNOWN: After you had released him, did you go anywhere else?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: No, that's where I left and went home to sleep.

UNKNOWN: Do you know the ANC Youth League?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Yes, I know ANC Youth League.

UNKNOWN: What was your view about them, as the SDU?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: I regarded ANC Youth League as part of us, because I was also a member of the ANC.

UNKNOWN: The people you captured, do you know to which organisation they belonged?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: I did not know which organisation they belonged.

UNKNOWN: The people that you killed, did you know what organisation they belonged to?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: I heard that they were members of the ANC Youth League, but I did not have facts about that, and especially in regard to activities they were engaged in.

UNKNOWN: What activities were they engaged in, the people you killed?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Like taking people and killing people, to hijack people's cars, to loot spaza shops, those are the things which made not to believe that they were not members of the ANC Youth League, that I did not understand that those things are part of the code of conduct of the ANC Youth League, that people should be killed and should be, people should be, their property should be looted.

UNKNOWN: Now, what did you hope to achieve by killing those people?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: By killing these people we were trying to achieve peace, so that the community should live in peace.

UNKNOWN: How would the community have peace by killing those people?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Because things which were happening then, that people were killed and people's property was stolen, did not happen after the killing.

UNKNOWN: When you killed these individuals, who did you think you were killing?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: I was thinking that we're killing the enemy of the community.

UNKNOWN: Why were they the enemy of the community?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: In regard to their activities in harassing the community.

UNKNOWN: Before the killing had you heard who was responsible for Bulelwa and Blanko's deaths?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: No sir, I did not hear.

UNKNOWN: Were you aware that they were dead?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: I only learnt when we captured those people that I was able to see that they were responsible for the killing.

UNKNOWN: When you captured them, did you interrogate them?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Yes, we interrogated them.

UNKNOWN: What did they say about the killings of Bulelwa and Blanko?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: They said it's Vips and Tusanang who did that, and they were present.

UNKNOWN: As far as you were aware at the time, did Inkatha, IFP, have any hand on the activities of the ANC Youth League?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Perhaps I would say that, because Inkatha was giving money and weapons by the boers.   If they are able to associate themselves with some members of the ANC Youth League who do not understand the constitution and the activities of the ANC Youth League, they would do the work of the IFP.

UNKNOWN: Did you think the Instability Unit had anything to do with the Youth League?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: I did not believe that they had a hand.

UNKNOWN: Were you aware what kind of weapons the Youth League used?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: They were using these long guns which were used by the police.

UNKNOWN: Did you therefore suspect that the, where did you think they obtained those firearms from?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: I don't know where they found those guns.

UNKNOWN: But they are guns that resembled those of the police?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Yes, they were similar to those used by the police.

UNKNOWN: As a result of your participation in the killings, did you benefit anything there personally?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: No, there was no benefit I gained.

UNKNOWN: Before you went to look for the people that you captured later on, were you told to do so?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: When we extinguished Comrade Blanko's shack, Madikezele, as a member of the committee, and Sugar, as a member of the executive committee present there, of the SDU, instructed us that we should go and capture those people who are responsible for these deeds.

UNKNOWN: I have no further questions.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY ADV MADASA

MR MAPOMA: Do you know why Motobane Mkgenwa was released from those captured?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: When a number of youth were held ...(intervention).

MR MAPOMA: No, what's the answer to the question?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Can you repeat your question, sir?

MR MAPOMA: Do you know why Motobane Mkgenwa was released from those who were captured?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: I already said that he was released because he was younger among them all when they were arrested, being two, they were released both of them, because they said they were younger among those who have been captured.

MR MAPOMA: Who ordered that they be released?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: I don't know, I was outside, I only saw them when they were released from the shack and they left, both of them, I don't know who instructed that they should be released.

MR MAPOMA: Then how did you know the reason why they were released?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: I asked others that why were those released?

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Mapoma, is it an issue that these young persons were released?

MR MAPOMA: No, not that one is not in issue, but there is an issue in eight, because there are allegations as to why they released those people.

CHAIRPERSON: But to the witness.

MR MAPOMA: There are allegations that you released those youths whom you released because they were not in the hit list, what do you say on that?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: I don't know about the hit list, I did not hear about the hit list within the SDU.

MR MAPOMA: Now after they were killed, you said there was an order that those who have axes must finish them off, is it so?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: That is correct, sir.

MR MAPOMA: Do you know of any other person amongst the applicants who participated in finishing them off?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Yes, there are those I know.

MR MAPOMA: Who are they?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Thobile Luphindo, Patrick Mokoena, Moses August and Shongwe, those are the ones I remember, I don't know as to whether there were others, but I remember these ones well.