Amnesty Hearings — Boksburg — UNKNOWN

CHAIRPERSON: Yes, I understand that, yes.   So you really have given us five names, including the deceased?

UNKNOWN: Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: Yes, very well, you may proceed.

UNKNOWN: Mr Chair, I then call applicant No 2, Michael Langa Nkomo.

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: (sworn states)

UNKNOWN: Mr Nkomo, how old are you now?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: I am 36 years old, sir.

UNKNOWN: Sorry, Mr Chair, I didn't hear his reply.

CHAIRPERSON: 36 years old.

UNKNOWN: Thanks.   How far did you go at school?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Standard three, sir.

UNKNOWN: In 1993, during the incident, where did you live?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: I was staying at Moleleki, Extension 2.

UNKNOWN: Which block?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Block E, sir.

UNKNOWN: What was your rank in the SDU?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: I was patrolling with (TAPE GOES DEAD).

UNKNOWN: Do you know about the incident at (Indistinct)?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Yes, I know about it.

UNKNOWN: Were you present when the victims were captured?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: I was present when they were captured.

UNKNOWN: Did you participate in capturing them?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: I took part in some of them.   I took part in some of the capturing of other victims.

UNKNOWN: Sorry, Mr Chair, I had the wrong channel, I didn't hear the reply.

CHAIRPERSON: He said he took part in capturing some of the victims.

UNKNOWN: Who are the victims you captured, or you participated in their capture?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: When Motobane Mkgenwa was captured, and the other one, whom I don't remember his name, I was present.

UNKNOWN: Now tell the committee how did it come about that you captured them?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: When we left Comrade Blanko's shack, we heard gunshots.   After some time Motobane came out and the other person, then that's when we captured them.

UNKNOWN: Where did Motobane emerge from?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: It is at the end of block C, from the veld.

UNKNOWN: Who was with him when you saw him?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: It was myself and Madikezele.

UNKNOWN: Who is Madikezele, is he amongst the applicants?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: No, he's not present, sir.   And Makobong, he's not present among the applicants, and Michael Sonte and Michael Armoed, and others whom I don't remember the names now.

UNKNOWN: Was this after Blanko's death?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: That is correct.

UNKNOWN: Did these people (indistinct) have anything in their hands or possession?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: They had cigarette cartons.

UNKNOWN: And what else?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: And the petrol bombs.

UNKNOWN: What else?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Those are the things I saw on the person.

UNKNOWN: Where did you take them to?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: We took them to block F.

UNKNOWN: Where exactly in block F?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: We took them to the place where Bulelwa's corpse was.

UNKNOWN: And what did you do with them?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: They were taken to a shack.

UNKNOWN: Were you amongst the people who took them to a shack?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Yes, I was present when they were taken to a shack.

UNKNOWN: How were they taken to the shack, were they held or were they walking freely?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: They were walking freely in front of us, but we were guarding them.

UNKNOWN: Then what happened at the shack?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: They were locked inside the shack.   Comrade Armoed was left behind to guard them and then we left to look or others.

UNKNOWN: Where did you go to look for others.

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: To other blocks.

UNKNOWN: With whom did you go to look for others?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: It was Michael Sonti, Sugar Ramebele, Oscar Motlokwa and Moses August.   Those are the names I'm able to remember. ...(tape ends)
	...bringing this first group, the other group did not arrive yet, so went back to look for others.

UNKNOWN: The persons that you have just mentioned, that is Michael Sonte, Oscar Motlokwa and Moses August, were these the persons who were in your group?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Yes, we were in one group.

UNKNOWN: Where did you go?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: We went to block A.

UNKNOWN: Whom did you find, if any?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: We found Tusanang.

UNKNOWN: And who else?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: When we returned with Tusanang, we found Jabulani Nkmalo.

UNKNOWN: Where did you find Nkmalo?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: We found him in one of the shacks, I don't know actually it was his home, but in the shacks where we found him.

UNKNOWN: What did you do with them?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: We took them to block F.

UNKNOWN: Are those the only people that you found?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Yes, those are the people we were able to find.

UNKNOWN: How did you escort them back to the shack in block F?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: We were driving them.

UNKNOWN: Did you assault them?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: The one who was injured was Jabulani Nkmalo, on the arm, he was stabbed with a spear on the arm.

UNKNOWN: Who stabbed him?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: I don't remember well, but I think it's either Comrade Sonte or Comrade Mashinini, I don't remember who between these two.

UNKNOWN: Who had a spear amongst you?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Comrade Sonte was having, Comrade Sonte and Mashinini had spears, I had an axe.

UNKNOWN: So you returned then to the shack.   And then what happened?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: We took them to the shack.   Whilst they were there being interrogated, I was outside.   After some time, others were taken by some comrades when it was light.

UNKNOWN: Is there anything that you did, that you were involved in after you had taken Tsonang and Nkmalo to the shack?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: My role was when they were taken to the place where they were killed, I was there, I was present.

UNKNOWN: When you returned to F on the second occasion, you had two persons, namely Tsonang and Jabulani Nkmalo?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: That is correct.

UNKNOWN: Do you know how many persons were already in the shack at that stage?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: This I know were two, it was Makobong and the one I did not know.

UNKNOWN: Were there any others who had been captured by the other group?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Others arrived late, they were brought by Comrade Sugar and other comrades.

UNKNOWN: How many were there?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: I don't remember well, I think there were three.

UNKNOWN: Yes, thank you.   Now, you said you were present when these people were taken to be killed?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Yes, I was present.

UNKNOWN: How did that come about?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: The order came from the commander that they should be taken to the veld and be killed.

UNKNOWN: Who was the commander?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Dondolo Mchebe.

UNKNOWN: Were you present when the order was issued?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: I was a little bit aside, but I only became aware when they were taken out of the shack, then I learnt that the order has been given that they should be taken to the veld to be killed.

UNKNOWN: And then you went along?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Yes.

UNKNOWN: Why did you go along?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Because I was a member of the SDU.   When the order is issued, I'm part of those people who should carry that order.

UNKNOWN: You were carrying the order?   Were you carrying the order?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: That is correct, sir.

UNKNOWN: And did you kill anybody?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: After they were shot, what, I took part in the killing of Buthelezi, Buthelezi the elder.

UNKNOWN: With what did you kill him?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: After he was being shot, the commander ordered that those who have axes should finish them off, then I did that with my axe.

UNKNOWN: Mr Buthelezi is the only person you finished off with your axe?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: Yes, he's the only one.

UNKNOWN: And then what did you do afterwards?

LANGA MICHAEL NKOMO: After that, we left after others finished others off, then we went back to the village.

UNKNOWN: Did you leave all at the same time?