Amnesty Hearings — Johannesburg — 1998-10-13

JERRY CHIMANJANA MOTAHUNG: I went to exile and joined the ANC.  When I arrived in exile, I obtained military training.  After they came back after the suspension of the armed struggle, we were not doing anything in the military camps.  We were informed that we were going to be incorporated in the South African Defence Force.
	When I left Eringa I went to Dagau. It is one of the ANC camps.  After I left Dagau, we left in a group.  We left to Mazimbo.  The reason for me to leave Mazimbo is that I wanted to attend school so that I would keep myself busy until I filled the form to be repatriated, that was in 1991.
	I returned to South Africa, that was on the 17th of December 1991.  The situation was not stable when I arrived in South Africa, or when I arrived at home.  Immediately when we arrived, we found that our area was covered with violence.
	In that violence there was a conflict between ANC members and IFP members.  During that violence, I consulted with some of my friends and they were also members of the ANC.
	I asked them about the situation as to whether what is the cause of the conflict.  I observed that the situation was not normal, that I am not satisfied with the situation about the conflict between ANC and IFP.
	IFP was launching attacks in the township, but they were using surprise attacks.  It happened that day that I was having a conversation with my friend, who is Joseph Mofekeng and Vusi and Jabo, that is Gyza.  We were discussing about the possible solutions, particularly to build, to formulate Self Defence Units so that we could protect the community because people were killed in numbers.
	They were killed by Inkatha members.  Vusi told me that he has an AK47 with him.  At that time, I was receiving money from SACR, that was about R800-00 or at times they would give me R1 200-00.
	Because of my observations about the situation, I met with a certain Mozambican, then I bought a gun from that Mozambican person.  The gun I bought is a Toceroff.  He wanted R800-00 for that gun.  I gave him that R800-00.
	We kept on discussing with some members of the Youth League.  They were saying the guns we have, are not enough.  Let us try to make a fundraising so that we should buy another AK, so that we would have three AK's, so that when we were attacked, we would be able to mobilise.  
	I made an initiative that we should consult with the business people, so that we should explain to them about the situation and about violence and the conflict about ANC and IFP and that the IFP is attacking in the township.
	We were able to raise some money.  We bought other two AK47's.  There were three with the one which was brought by Vusi.  After some days, IFP was continuing with the attacks in the township.
	On the 16th of April 1994, we were coming from Basotho with some of my friends, we had a certain mission to do.  We were on the ...(indistinct) street.  At the end of the ...(indistinct) street, there is a T-junction.  When we arrived at the T-junction, when we saw Patricia Mtshwene and Gladness Mfelasi.  They were coming from a shoemaker, that is next to a saloon, that is at ...(indistinct) street.  They boarded the taxi.  I am the one who saw them.
	I had my Toceroff which I bought from the person from Mozambique.  We pulled them off from the taxi.  After that, we started kicking them.  We hit them with stones.
	We hit them with stones.   When I looked round, I saw people looking.   I wanted to shoot Gladness Mfelasi.  A certain man appeared just on the street of ...(indistinct) and Dibisu Street.
	That person was a local driver.  He was driving a private car.  From there I saw people coming closer.  I informed my friends who are members of the Youth League, that they should leave, you see that people are looking at us.
	I said to Gyza and Jabo that they should go to Basotho.  I myself and ...(indistinct) would go up to Jakothu, which is the next street next to Pankyi Drive.  There was a certain house of Jakothu Street where we used to put our guns there.
	I said to them we would meet in the evening.   Left together with Pankyi.   We went to Jakothu Street where were used to put our guns.
	When I arrived there, I took an AK47.  Pankyi had a gun on his person.  We followed Gladness Mfelasi and Patricia Mtshwene, we saw them from the opposite street.  We were looking at them when we approached through Jakothu Street.
	I arrived there, then I told Pankyi to stay at the gate, then I entered and pulled an AK47.  I pulled off the magazine, then I closed the safety pin.  I put the cassette on me.  Because they were running on the ...(indistinct) Drive, when they were running, they came to a four way stop, they were following Denella where they were staying.
	Patricia Mtshwene was staying at Denella and Mfelasi was staying at the Mazulung Section.
	When we arrived at the four way stop, that area was crowded by people.  I crossed the street, I saw them but they were not able to see me.  When they wanted to cross ...(indistinct) Street, I advanced and I crossed ...(indistinct) Drive, then I followed them.  I was together with Pankyi.  
	I shot Patricia Mtshwene, I shot her with three bullets.  She fell on the ground.  I shot Gladness Mfelasi with three bullets.  She fell on the ground.  I informed Pankyi that he should look for people who wanted to see what was happening.  If a person appears, try to scare him off by shooting in the air, so that people would not be able to identify us.  I had a cap.
	After shooting those two people, I pulled the gun, the after that the bullet went off, then I returned the magazine, then from there, we jumped the fence, we went to the main road, which was facing the road, that is M.C. Botha Street.
	We went to ...(indistinct) street, then we went to Basotho Section, then we stayed in a certain house.  That is where we met with another two guys, who I told them to go to Basotho Section.  That is all about my testimony.

MR MHLABA: Mr Motahung, can you explain to the Committee the reasons why you attacked Gladness and Patricia?

JERRY CHIMANJANA MOTAHUNG: In 1991, when I returned from exile, up to 1995, there was a conflict in Vosloorus.  Inkatha was attacking the people in the township.
	They were using surprise attacks because they would come and shoot, and leave.  Gladness Mfelasi together with Patricia Mtshwene were members of the people whom we were fighting with, that is members of the IFP and their uncle, who is Gugu Mtshwene.
	The other person who seems to be the brother to Patricia Mtshwene, was a member of Inkatha.   Patricia and Gladness were members.  On that particular day when we saw them, because we were fighting with Inkatha, because we discussed with members of the Youth League that we should shoot all members of Inkatha who are in the township, because they give the people, Inkatha members who are in the hostels, about the information.
	We decided that if we could kill those who were staying in the township, therefore we would be able to see the people who are attacking the community in the township.  We killed those people.
	After killing those people, attacks decreased.  The situation was not like before after we killed Patricia and Gladness Mfelasi.  They were members of the IFP.  I think it was at the funeral of Patricia Mtshwene where we were able to identify them and then we confirmed that these people are members of the IFP because we investigated this matter before, but we were not clear about the information we had received.
	When we saw them at the funeral of Moses, that is Moses Mtshwene, that is where we believed and confirmed that they were members of IFP because they wore IFP T-shirts and then they had guns.

MR MHLABA: Is it your case Mr Motahung, that you killed Patricia Mtshwene and attempted to kill Gladness Mfelasi because they were members of the IFP and that was because, and that the ANC was at war with the IFP?