Amnesty Hearings — East London — 1997-03-17

NSITSIKELO DON JOHNSON: The meeting that was on the 12th of February was the meeting when the tripartite alliance met, the ANC, South African Communist Party and Cosatu.   This is where we reached EAST LONDON HEARING	AMNESTY/E CAPE
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a conclusion that Mrs Hanabe should be eliminated and how.

SISI KHAMPEPE: Now the meeting that you have just alluded to now on which date was that meeting convened, the one that you have just referred to us now?   When Jonikaya Lucas convened as Chairperson of the ANC.

NSITSIKELO DON JOHNSON: It was on the same day, the 12 February.  After that mass meeting we went to meet as the Executive on the side.  We were planning how Mrs Hanabe should be eliminated.

MR BLOEM: Now Mr Johnson as a result of that decision which was taken at the meeting on the 12th of February 1991 you then with two other people went to Uitenhage where you committed these offences on the 14th, two days after this meeting in Uitenhage.  Is that correct?

NSITSIKELO DON JOHNSON: Yes Sir that is correct.

JUDGE WILSON: Who were these two other people?

NSITSIKELO DON JOHNSON: Comrade Jonkikaya Lucas and comrade Simpiwa Saki from Klipplaat.

JUDGE WILSON: Sipiwa Jonikaya Lucas, is that the man you said was Chairman of the ANC Youth League?

NSITSIKELO DON JOHNSON: Yes that is the one, Sir.

JUDGE WILSON: What about Simpiwa Saki?
...(tape ends)

NSITSIKELO DON JOHNSON: Yes we went together.

JUDGE WILSON: Carry on.

MR BLOEM: Thank you.  The incident occurred approximately 7
o'clock that evening.  Will you please take us through the events of that evening at or near the church in Uitenhage.

NSITSIKELO DON JOHNSON: On the 14th of February 1991 we took our arms and we set out for Mrs Hanabe at the Congregational Church in Uitenhage, Aona Street.   We did not see her car because we went to check, I remember.   When we got there we did not see her car.  EAST LONDON HEARING	AMNESTY/E CAPE
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We waited for about 30 minutes.  We then saw her car coming towards the church.   She parked next to a tree.   She got out of the car, walked to the church.   We waited another few minutes then we walked into the church.  This was about 8 o'clock.  We waited for her under the tree, because we knew that after church she would walk to her car.  We were sure that she was not going to see us, because it was dark under the tree.   
	At about five past eight the church service was over.  She got to the car, as she opened the door, I was the one who shot at her.   I shot her and then we left.

MR BLOEM: Mr Johnson how far were you from Mrs Hanabe when you fired the shots at her?

NSITSIKELO DON JOHNSON: The distance was approximately from the place I was sitting up to the stage, where your table is.

HASSAN MALL: Three paces?

NSITSIKELO DON JOHNSON: Perhaps I can get up and demonstrate, is that alright?

HASSAN MALL: What do you say?   About three paces Mr Brink or less?

MR BRINK: I think more.

JUDGE WILSON: Demonstrate.

HASSAN MALL: Show us how far, how many steps.

NSITSIKELO DON JOHNSON: It is the distance from the table to the stage.

MR BLOEM: Mr Johnson how many shots did you fire at Mrs
Hanabe?

NSITSIKELO DON JOHNSON: Five shots.

MR BLOEM: What was your aim?   What was your intention?

NSITSIKELO DON JOHNSON: I wanted to kill her so that she is totally eliminated from our community, because the problem within the community erupted from her.

MR BLOEM: Now we all know that fortunately Mrs Hanabe did not EAST LONDON HEARING	AMNESTY/E CAPE
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die but she was severely injured.  Is that correct to say?

NSITSIKELO DON JOHNSON: Yes Sir.

MR BLOEM: In fact she gave evidence against you at your subsequent trial.

NSITSIKELO DON JOHNSON: Yes it is so.

MR BLOEM: Can you give an indication of what happened to her as a result of the shots?  What is her condition?

NSITSIKELO DON JOHNSON: I do not know exactly as I am in jail, but after we shot her she was taken to Tygerberg Hospital.

MR BLOEM: What I want to know Mr Johnson is at the time when she gave evidence at your trial what was her condition like?

NSITSIKELO DON JOHNSON: When she went to give evidence against me I could see that she was not very well but she was walking on her legs.

MR BLOEM: She was not in a wheelchair was she?

NSITSIKELO DON JOHNSON: No.

MR BLOEM: There is just one aspect I want to cover with you in your evidence.  Do you know a group by the name of AmaAfrica?

HASSAN MALL: I did not hear that name?

MR BLOEM: AmaAfrica, Mr Chairman.

NSITSIKELO DON JOHNSON: It's not AmaAfrica.   There were gangsters called AmaAfrica in Uitenhage.  I know some of the people who belonged
to that group.   These people would kill members of the African National Congress.   
	When we discovered that they went to Klipplaat, organised by Mrs Nomsa Hanabe, there is one of their members whose name is Zola Sikiwe.  He told us that as members of AmaAfrica they were given a list by Nomsa Hanabe concerning people from the ANC who should be eliminated.   I was one of the people that were on the list.

MR BLOEM: If Mrs Hanabe was here today what would you have said to her?
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NSITSIKELO DON JOHNSON: If Mrs Hanabe was here today, as we are all aware that we are trying to reconcile within our country.  What I would say to her is I ask for forgiveness for what I have done to you.

MR BLOEM: Have you made any attempts to relay that message across to her?

NSITSIKELO DON JOHNSON: I have never got a chance before to give her this message, because I was proud of what I had done, because I was doing it for my community.   But in retrospect, I realise that now in 1997 things have changed.  	What we were struggling for we have accomplished.   My wish now is to apologise and ask for forgiveness personally to Mrs Hanabe.  This is why I am before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission today.  I trust that Mrs Hanabe will get my message although she is not present here
today.

MR BLOEM: Thank you Mr Chairman.   That is the evidence of the applicant.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MR BLOEM

HASSAN MALL: Any questions, Mr Brink?

MR BRINK: Yes please Sir.

MR BRINK: Mr Johnson you were the only person who was convicted of this crime were you?

NSITSIKELO DON JOHNSON: Yes it is me alone.

MR BRINK: Now I just want to clear one or two points.   You remember you submitted an application form in manuscript.  I think that was received in January last year, then it was sent back to you and finally came back to the Committee on the 15 May.  Do you remember that? Your manuscript, the one you wrote out. Would you like to look at it, or a copy of it?

NSITSIKELO DON JOHNSON: Yes I would like to look at it please.

MR BRINK: Would you have a look particularly at page 4 of that application and that relating to paragraph 10(B).  I want to read EAST LONDON HEARING	AMNESTY/E CAPE
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it to you and you must tell me whether it is correct.
"Typical of all our people who served in government- created structures Mrs Nomsa Hanabe saw herself as being accountable to the local authorities and not to the Klipplaat community."
Do you remember that?

NSITSIKELO DON JOHNSON: Yes I do remember.

MR BRINK: And you carried on
"Attempts to reason with her and her Councillors were made by the community but all in vain."
Do you remember that?

NSITSIKELO DON JOHNSON: Yes I do remember.

MR BRINK: Then you continued
"It was after her house was burned down and after she fled to Uitenhage that her Councillors resigned."

NSITSIKELO DON JOHNSON: It is so.

MR BRINK: I just want to ask you at this stage.  Were you responsible or any one that you knew responsible for the burning down of her house?

NSITSIKELO DON JOHNSON: I was not responsible for burning down her house.  I do know a number of comrades who were responsible for this.