Special Hearings — Mandela United Football Club Hearings — UNKNOWN

MS B CHILI: During 1989 February - (the speaker's mike is not on) - during February 1989 we were at Dudu's house, myself, Matanda as well as Finky.  As we were still sitting there - (the speaker's mike is not on) - I heard the gate opening, I went outside to find out, I stood at the step and saw the gate was opened and I called on to the dog Sizwe, and Sizwe came from the street into the yard and I closed the gate and went back into the house.
 I spoke to Matanda as well as Finky and told them that they should go to sleep because it was quite late and they had to go to school the following morning.  They protested and said they were watching the TV.  After a few moments I could hear the gate opening once more and I went out.  I called onto the dog Sizwe and the gate was open at the time and I could detect some noise from the dustbin as if there is somebody who had got into the dustbin.  I went towards the postbox and I thought the dog had got into the dustbin to seek some food.  Then I walked quite a distance and when I turned around I saw a tall man whose face wasn't visible and I saw another one with a gun and he fired. I ran into the house and closed the door after me.  We ran into Dudu's bedroom and Finky, the one who passed away, ran into the wardrobe and I stood next to the window together with Matanda and I tried to phone Abigail.  I told her that I had been shot at and Abigail said I must just stay put she is still trying to struggle with Mbuso.  I phoned my cousin who stays in Orlando East, Harold Chili and told him to phone the Orlando Police because there were people shooting at us.  I also phoned my boyfriend from Meadowlands Zone 7 and said Mkhonzo please phone the police to come and assist us because we were being attacked.  And at that moment the phone was cut off I believe from outside and I saw a round object that hit me on the thighs and at that time I caught fire and I was on fire when I saw - after having thrown the petrol bomb they threw a 25 litre of petrol and it burst.  At that moment I saw Finky coming from the corner and fell right before my feet.  I tried to pull hr out into the passage to rescue her and at the time I was in flames.  I left Finky all by herself.  I went into the kitchen, I went to the sink, I tried to put the flames out using the water from the sink.  When I went back I could see the fire, the flames burning the carpet in the dining room and I asked Matanda as to whether she was injured.  She just screamed and said we should run outside and I said we can't go outside at this juncture.  It was dark now in the house.  I pulled Barbara out, we were already suffocating at that stage because there was a very strong smell of petrol.  I hit the window thinking that the window would break only to find that it doesn't break and I went back inside.  Now the house was very dark engulfed in flames as well as smoke.  After quite some time I said Matanda I had been burnt.  We were scared to go out because we didn't know where the attackers were and she told me that she heard Matanda's mother swearing, asking her as to why they were killing us and why were they attacking Dudu's house.  I told Matanda that the people were there and they opened the door at a later stage.   I went into the chicken shed.  I don't know where Matanda went.  I remained in the chicken shed at that time.
I at a later stage jumped the fence into the opposite house where I related the story to Tsili that I had been burnt.  We had been attacked, my thighs were burnt. Tsili brought a bottle of fish oil, he took off my dress and poured fish oil over my wounds.  Tsili's mother came over and said Barbara I have come to fetch you, the police are here already, and I was scared to go.  I didn't know where the attackers were but I ultimately went out.  
 We got to my place and there were a lot of people there.  Finky had died already and they were trying to remove her body out of the house.  I told them that I had been burnt and I was in tremendous pain.  Abigail sent her boy Mtatu to fetch the car so that they could take me to the hospital.

MR UNTERHALTER: ....as far as Finky is concerned was she shot?

MS B CHILI: I don't know because I saw her flying from the other side of the wardrobe and fell right next to me.  I don't know whether she got shot or what.  I was also in a confused state.  From there they came with Abigail's car and I told them that I got burned on my thighs and I am in tremendous pain and the ambulance came and they said Barbara get out from this other car into the ambulance, and I left Abigail's car and got into the ambulance and we were ferried to Baragwanath Hospital.

MR UNTERHALTER: Could I just ask you, before the attack were you aware of the house being under observation?

MS B CHILI: I knew because there were boys that had disguised and had scarves on and had (...indistinct) on and had sunglasses during the day and even at night we were so scared to death to even going inside and outside the house.

MR UNTERHALTER: Were you aware of a kombi that was parked outside of the house from which people were looking at your house?

MS B CHILI: I did not see the kombi, I was in a state of confusion at the time.

MR UNTERHALTER: Did you hear of a kombi from your aunt that had been outside the house?

MS B CHILI: Which aunt are you referring to?

MR UNTERHALTER: The mother of Finkie Msomi.

MS B CHILI: I heard but I did not see it.

MR UNTERHALTER: Thank you Chairperson.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you very much.  Piers.

MR PIGOU: Thank you Chair.  This is a question for Dudu Chili.  We have heard in the in camera hearing with Mrs Madikizela-Mandela that she has distanced herself from the activities of the youths that were staying at her house.  She has basically put forward the proposition that they respected her privacy and she respected theirs therefore she didn't know what they were up to and therefore would have no responsibility.  What is your reaction to that?

MS D CHILI: That Sibusiso was supposed to be killed, according to the informant that brought the decision he said it came from Winnie's office or house where a group of the Football Club were gathered and it was not for the first time I should point out to you, but it was the second time that Sibusiso, the Football Club wanted to kill Sibusiso, so I connected this incident and that incident that it could be possible merely they are after him after all.

MR PIGOU: In your statement and I believe you have been saying it here again today you confronted Mrs Mandela with this issue about the boys wanting to - the Football Club people wanting to recruit or whatever the right word may be, your son or sons, and you go in your statement to say that you made attempts through your own family connections to get to family connections of Mrs Mandela.  Did that actually happen and what was the result of your efforts to resolve this issue?

MS D CHILI: It did happen and it sort of lulled until it happened for the second time when Madondo was killed.

MR PIGOU: Did you ever raise these specific problems with regards to your sons with Mrs Albertina Sisulu?

MS D CHILI: I worked closely with Mrs Sisulu so in most cases I reported everything to her.

MR PIGOU: And are you aware whether Mrs Sisulu made any efforts to contact as a leader in the community, to contact and communicate and perhaps resolve the problems with Mrs Mandela?

MS D CHILI: Not that I remember offhand.

MR PIGOU: Staying on Mrs Sisulu for the moment you worked closely with her, did you at any time get requests from Mrs Sisulu to assist her with problems which may have emanated from around the Football Club with youths coming from the Football Club?