Amnesty Hearings — Durban — 1998-04-17

MR WILLS: Now then you indicate further on page 38 of your affidavit page 41 of the record I want you to discuss the attacks on the ANC area.  Now this is again sometime during 1993 where the Mitsubishi combi was used, is that correct?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes that is correct.

MR WILLS: And you've indicated prior to this in your evidence that as soon as this combi arrived you were expected to utilise it for the purposes of attacking areas?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes that is so.

MR WILLS: Now you mention that you armed Israel and yourself, "armed ourselves with a G3 rifle and a stengun sub-machine pistol" that is in paragraph 91?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes that is correct.

MR WILLS: Now this it the first time this stengun has been mentioned, where did you get this from do you know?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: I had signed for it at the police station at eSikhawini.

MR WILLS: So this was an official KwaZulu Police weapon?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes that is correct.

MR WILLS: Now you then went to J1 section and you attacked a bus that was dropping off workers is that correct?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes that is correct, it was opposite Mr Nzuza's house who was a councillor at that stage.

MR WILLS: And your attack was interrupted by a South African Police vehicle, is that correct?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes that is so.

MR WILLS: But you managed to escape that?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes that is so.

MR WILLS: Now on the following Monday, again you took Cele home is that correct?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes that is so.

MR WILLS: Sorry, I want you to refer to paragraph 92, I've misled you.

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: I don't have paragraph 92 in my statement.

MR WILLS: Don't you have page 42?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: I do have page 42 but it's paragraph 99 on page 42.

CHAIRPERSON: Page 39 of your affidavit, page 42 of the record.

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: I don't have page 39.

MR WILLS: I'm sorry for that there must be a mistake there, but have you got paragraph 92 in front of you now?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes.

MR WILLS: Can you confirm the contents of that paragraph? Just look at it.

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes I do.

MR WILLS: Just for the benefit of the public I'll read the paragraph into the record.  "On Monday morning Israel and myself drove to Mr Cele's home at Langubo, we arrived at Mr Cele's home and we reported to him as to what had transpired during the weekend."  By that is it correct that you reported to him that you'd used the vehicle for the purpose which he brought it to you for?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes that is correct.

MR WILLS: Mr Cele then drove us back to the IFP Regional Offices in Empangeni and he left us there as he was going back to Ulundi.

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes that is correct.

MR WILLS: ...[inaudible] a full report of that weekend's incidents to M.Z. Khumalo as Mr Cele had been sent by M.Z. Khumalo to deliver the combi to us to execute our hit squad operations?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes that is so.

MR WILLS: Now it seems to me that in these specific attacks on the ANC areas and sorry, do you have paragraph 91?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes.

MR WILLS: It seems that it was just you and Israel that was involved and not Brian on this particular attack is that correct?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes that is so.

MR WILLS: And also Zwele Dlamini was not involved in these particular attacks, it was just the two of you as I understand it?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes that is so.

MR WILLS: Now have you got paragraph 94?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes.

MR WILLS: That concerns an issue in Ermelo, sorry in Bushbuck Ridge, we're not going to deal with that here.  We must skip that incident we'll deal with that at a later stage.  See "Assassination of ANC Member, Japie Cele" okay?
	The same refers to that incident which occurs on page 45 of the record and paragraph 99, that is the attempted revenge of the murder of Sipiwhe Umbiana, okay?  We'll deal with this at a later stage, it doesn't involve this community.
	I want to turn now to the issue of Nati Gumede's murder that's at page 43 of your affidavit, page 45(b) of the record and your paragraph 103, have you got that?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes I do.

MR WILLS: Now the details of this murder have been explained in detail by Mkhize, basically he indicated that the murder was authorised by Prince Gideon Zulu at a meeting at Prince Gideon Zulu's house in Ulundi with other hierarchy present, is that correct?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes it is so.

MR WILLS: He also indicated that a vehicle was provided for your usage by a - from the Chief Minister's Department?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes.

MR WILLS: And that who actually delivered the vehicle to you was a driver of Prince Gideon Zulu by the name of - sorry just help me with name?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: I think that is Nyosa but he's not the one who gave us the car.  We were given the car by Mr Msemela.

MR WILLS: I'm sorry you're correct ja, sorry about that.
In any event you took this car and you had two missions to perform in this car is that correct?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: That is true.

MR WILLS: The one was in Eshowe?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: The first one was Nati Gumede's mission and the second mission concerned the male nurse, I think his surname was Nomalo if I'm not mistaken and a security guard from the Eshowe hospital.

MR WILLS: I mean in short do you confirm Mkhize's evidence to the extent that you were given instructions by Prince Gideon Zulu to kill all three of these people?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes it is so together him together with Delako Luthuli.

MR WILLS: Now I just want to concentrate a bit on the issue leading up to the decision to kill Nati Gumede, because it concerns you personally.  Prior to this decision being taken, is it not correct that you were approached by the South African Police vehicle theft unit and you were charged with the theft of a vehicle?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes that is so.

MR WILLS: And that it was Nati Gumede who was a witness in this case?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes that is so.

MR WILLS: Now did you steal that vehicle?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: No.

MR WILLS: And you confirm what Mkhize has said that this issue was thoroughly canvassed during your previous trial before Judge van der Reyden, that's case CC123/94 I think it was the Natal Eastern Circuit High Court case?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes it is so.

MR WILLS: And you were acquitted of any involvement in his case?

ROMEO MBUSO MBAMBO: Yes that is so.

MR WILLS: Now I want you, if it involves you, I want you in your own words to explain why you think Nati Gumede had made this charge against you had preferred this charge against you?