Human Rights Violation Hearings — Pietermaritzburg — UNKNOWN

WITNESS:   We were quite a large group and we were next to the induna's house.  We were together with the impi.  There were a lot of cars, lorries as well as private cars.  We were loaded into the lorries as well as cars, ZG lorries which were coming from Eshowe.  We proceeded there and we were being led by the chief and his induna.  When we got to Mphumuze the chief as well as the induna's car went into the King's place.  Other cars proceeded to where the fight was breaking out.  When we got there we stopped next to Swartkop School.  We got off.  They gave a war cry that we were already there, and the ANC members ran to Ashdown.  And when they tried to cross over to Edendale the police would shoot at them so that they could go back to where the shootings were taking place.  We shot the ANC members up to such an extent that we burnt the houses which were close.  Thabani Ndlovu told us that the police had given them 30 minutes and told them that whenever 30 minutes had lapsed we would see a helicopter.  It is true the helicopter came and dropped tear gas canisters.  That's when we ran away from the scene.  We went back to my place.  And amongst us were also special constables as well as a certain policeman by the name of Masoga.  It was the second day since the fight had broken out.  We left the place as it was and this fight continued for seven days.

INTERPRETER:  Just to clarify where these vehicles came from.  You said they came from Eshowe.  That's not the Eshowe up the north coast.  If you could just explain to us ... (incomplete - end of Side A, Tape 6)

WITNESS:   (Incomplete) ... as well as a camp where the ZG Roads construction vehicles were being kept.  That is where the lorries were kept.  But on this particular day these lorries were ferrying the Amabutho to the scenes of the fights to help the Inkatha.

INTERPRETER:  So these lorries were KwaZulu Roads Department lorries, or were they other departments as well?

WITNESS:   That is correct.  These lorries were from the Road Department, or road construction department, because that is the road construction camp.

INTERPRETER:  We've heard evidence so far that there were more than 20, some people say up to 40, some people say 29.  Are there that many lorries kept at that place?

WITNESS:   I think if they say 20 I could say - I wouldn't deny that, but they were very many.  They were not two actually.

INTERPRETER:  Now, you yourself are presently in prison, is that correct?

WITNESS:   That is correct. You were convicted in 1991.   ---   That is correct.  I was convicted in 1992.

INTERPRETER:  What were you convicted for?

WITNESS:   I was convicted for murder which took place ... (intervention)

INTERPRETER:  Who else was convicted?

WITNESS:   I have other members, co-accused.  That is two white people, and we were three blacks, so all in all we were five amongst those who were convicted.

INTERPRETER:  (Inaudible) ... Constables Harrington, Erasmus, and then Justice Dlamini, Nthokozo Bhengu.

WITNESS:   That is correct.

INTERPRETER:  And two others were acquitted.

WITNESS:   That is correct.

INTERPRETER:  (Inaudible) ... and Constable Keswa.

WITNESS:   That is correct.

INTERPRETER:  We won't go in into the details of the murder and that, I don't think it's relevant to this particular issue here.  Did you - you've told us that you took part in one of these attacks, and the issue that we have seen so far from the evidence is that these attacks appeared to have been well planned.  Can you comment on that at all from your participation in them?

WITNESS:   Quite a number of attacks, for instance at Gezabuso, Mnyandu, Xaluza I would not know, because at that time we were just deployed there, and I wouldn't say whether Ntombela was not there.  The last time I saw Ntombela was when they went into a certain house and they pointed us at a certain direction. So I would not know what actually happened, because when we came back the houses had been burnt.  We left a trail of destruction.  I wouldn't say whether it was planned or not.

INTERPRETER: /What