Human Rights Violation Hearings — Sebokeng — 1996-08-08

CHAIRPERSON: Good morning Mrs Nhlapho.

AGNES NHLAPHO: I will speak in Zulu.

CHAIRPERSON: Won't you please introduce us to the gentleman you are with.

AGNES NHLAPHO: It's Mr Nhlapho, it's my husband.

CHAIRPERSON: We also welcome your husband.

AGNES NHLAPHO: (sworn states)

CHAIRPERSON: It's me who is going to lead you with questions.  I would like for you to tell us the story and the events that took place on the 26th of April 1992, at the time when your son by the name of Mzwaki Moses Nhlapho was shot by the police.  We will kindly ask you to tell us what happened on that day.

AGNES NHLAPHO: Mzwaki was a soldier of the MK.  He came back from Tanzania on the 17th December.  When he got back Mzwaki left to visit his friend Boysi.  When he got to Dereke(?) there was a car and that car belonged to Ketisi.  It was parked there. Mzwaki had on a T-shirt, ANC T-shirt written "Mass Action".  I still have that T-shirt with me.  They called Mzwaki.  It was Ketisi and his colleagues calling Zwaki and Hunter and Makatleng.  They said where are you coming with that T-shirt on, we no longer put those things on.  They tried to get him to take off the T-shirt and suddenly there was some fight, they were fighting and Mzwaki used stones fighting Ketisi and his friends, Makatleng, Hunter and Temba Maboyi.  The shot.  When they shot Mzwaki
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took off, ran and got to the house and I was busy with the laundry outside.  I could tell that something is happening.
When I was trying to see to find out what was happening by outside there from the gate I could see them shooting, Ketisi, they were shooting from their car.  Mzwaki ran after them.  He was being helped by his friend.  When he was trying to run after them they escaped because they were in a car still shooting Mzwaki and his friend.  After that Zwaki woke up in the morning, he went to Maria.  He was going to get me a membership card from Maria.  There was no one in the house.  
 At Zone 7 stadium there were police vehicles parked there.  As they were parked there Mzwaki got in at home coming from Maria's place and he asked me, the police are having a meeting at the stadium, when did that start?  I said no I don't know anything regarding that.  Suddenly just after he got into the house taking a shower getting ready to go and attend a funeral at Sharpeville Ketisi's gangsters came in driving in their cars.  I should think the cars were about six.  They had red scarves on their head.  They said come out Zwakale, come here.  When they were insulting Mzwaki they said to Mzwaki come out you Mandela's son we are here now.  They were already shooting by then.  Mzwaki got outside, when he got outside he fought them. When he was fighting them, the very ones who were at the stadium.  The police came back and they helped Ketisi.  They were shooting and Mzwaki shot back as well so there was that shooting taking place.  Up to the time when my neighbours child died at the age of four years, Lesatsa's boy, after this boy died they said here is the thug that killed your son, telling my neighbour Shupida.  As I was watching, because I was there, 
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I said there's nothing like that.  This child has been shot by you police.  It was Chaka who was there present, Tiki Chaka and Piet Makubela and Makubela and Pinky Cherry the police that I could recognise, it was Paul Shabangu, he was coming from Zone 6, living in Zone 6, those were the police I knew.  Others, those other police I did not know.  But they had their uniforms on and they had camouflage on but some did not have their camouflage on.
 When Mzwaki was lying down there he asked them how come is it that you as police can do what you did supporting the attackers, why would you not protect the community instead of supporting the gangsters.  You are busy supporting the gangsters killing Mzwaki.  They said you shut up, you foolish woman, you are not even crying, you are just a hard woman, stupid woman.  They took off his shoes and they took those shoes.  Up to this day I haven't received those shoes.

MS SEROKE: Are you finished Ma'am?

AGNES NHLAPHO: Yes.

MS SEROKE: According to your statement you say Mzwaki was an MK soldier?

AGNES NHLAPHO: Yes, he was an MK soldier.

MS SEROKE: And you also further say when he got back people hated him, police especially hated Mzwaki, and the people who belonged to the gangsters?

AGNES NHLAPHO: Yes it was true, that's very true.

MS SEROKE: You further on say they hated him for being protective of the things that he used to do.  Can you explain us how he was protected?

AGNES NHLAPHO: Mzwaki was an MK soldier.  Ketisi was just a problematic person in Zone 7, hitting, assaulting people doing all sorts of evil things to the people of Sebokeng.
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Assaulting men in Zone 7.  We used to sleep under the beds as a result of Ketisi.  Now all those things, he was fighting those things.  Now the police did not like that.  When Mzwaki was fighting Ketisi the police got offended and came into protecting Ketisi.

MS SEROKE: When they were shooting Mzwaki you say you were doing your laundry outside.  You tried to find out that they were attacking, are you sure that ...(intervention)

AGNES NHLAPHO: Yes, I am sure I saw them with my eyes, with my two eyes, I saw them.  When that was happening Ketisi had their red scarves on their heads saying you get out you bitch, you, Mandela's worm.  They were shooting and Mzwaki ended up going out, getting out of the house.  I was there.  I witnessed this, I was a witness.

MS SEROKE: Were you not afraid that those perpetrators would assault you?

AGNES NHLAPHO: Yes I was but there was not any other way because we are going to die in the house.

MS SEROKE: These police came to assist, what were they doing at the stadium or you say Mzwaki saw the police cars parked outside, at the stadium, what was taking place at the stadium?

AGNES NHLAPHO: There was nothing at the stadium, nothing was taking place at the stadium.  Mzwaki was coming from Maria's place and he got inside the house and asked me what are the police doing, are they having their meetings there, since when?  I said no I don't know anything regarding that.  Only to find that as they were at the stadium they knew what they were watching.  They did not even take time to come to my place.  We didn't even call the police, but suddenly after Mzwaki started fighting with Ketisi the police suddenly
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appeared, quickly came to the house.

MS SEROKE: You say the police cars were parked at the stadium because they knew what they were watching?

AGNES NHLAPHO: Yes.

MS SEROKE: Would you please explain to us according to you what they were after?

AGNES NHLAPHO: According to me I think that because they hated those people who were coming from exile so they wanted to just kill them all.

MS SEROKE: In other words you say they were at the stadium because they knew that Ketisi would come with his gangster to shoot Mzwaki?

AGNES NHLAPHO: Yes that's true.

MS SEROKE: They were there to help Ketisi or what?

AGNES NHLAPHO: No they were not there to help us, but they were there assisting Ketisi, because after that, after Mzwaki's funeral they again came to attack me at home.  When they got there they had their Caspir, they were in a Caspir at night.  Ketisi was there in a 3 litre van, white van.

DR RANDERA: People sorry, I know, I know we all want to identify but this is, although this is not a court of law we have appealed several times to all of you to actually control your emotions and your partisanship. Please let the witness speak.

MS SEROKE: This Maria, the one you had sent Mzwaki to, who is she?  Was she a member of ANC?

AGNES NHLAPHO: Maria is an ANC member and also a street committee member.

MS SEROKE: Did she come when this was happening?