Amnesty Hearings — Umtata — 2000-02-01

ZOLA NOMBIDA: After that Mr Kwele went in and his fact was full of blood, he was bleeding, we then asked what was happening, he then went to the other side of the bungalow, he went straight to the other side.  We asked one another what was happening, his face was full of blood.

MR NODADA: Did he tell you what was happening?

ZOLA NOMBIDA: He just said that there was shooting outside.

MR NODADA: Had he been sleeping in the same bungalow as you and Pokwana?

ZOLA NOMBIDA: No, he was not in that bungalow, he was sleeping in the tent because we were sleeping according to the different companies.  We were in D company and he was in E company on the site of the tents.

MR NODADA: Yes, and then what happened afterwards?

ZOLA NOMBIDA: What happened after Mr Kwele went in, we heard that there was shooting going on outside.  Immediately after that this mortar bomb from the roof exploded.

MR NODADA: Yes, and what happened, did you get injured?

ZOLA NOMBIDA: Yes, I got injured.  There was noise going on and the cries in the bungalow.  We were injured and there was confusion all over.  I was also injured.

MR NODADA: Yes, were you able to see anything immediately after you had been injured?

ZOLA NOMBIDA: Yes, I was able to see everything that was happening because I was not unconscious, I was hit here on the waist and on my leg, so I was able to see what was happening because I was just shocked but I didn't become unconscious.

MR NODADA: Now did you also hear some voices after the bomb?

ZOLA NOMBIDA: I heard the voices when the soldiers came, those that saved us from the bungalow, those that took us outside.  And they took us to a place outside, we were covered with blankets.  From there another bomb, the second one, a mortar bomb exploded and those people that were helping us said that those who can manage to run away must run away and they left us there.  I managed to crawl and go to another tent, trying to hide away from what was happening.  I was with another young man, Nomganga.  We went inside that tent, hiding.

MR NODADA: Just try and slow down.

ZOLA NOMBIDA: It is where I heard voices when I was in that tent.

MR NODADA: Yes, what voices were those?

ZOLA NOMBIDA: I heard somebody speaking from a loudspeaker outside saying that he was Col Duli, he said that we must stand in a queue in the camp.

MR NODADA: Did you see any other soldiers who were not injured, outside at that stage?

ZOLA NOMBIDA: Those who were able to run away, they managed to run away but others were taken to the hospitals with the ambulance, those that were injured.

MR NODADA: Yes.  In other words, there was just a chaos that you witnessed outside.

ZOLA NOMBIDA: Yes, that is correct.

MR NODADA: Alright, that continued until what happened?

ZOLA NOMBIDA: After hiding in that tent we heard rifles outside and the mortar bombs continued.  What I could recognise is that in that cover I was injured when I was going there and there were people that were wearing coco-brown uniforms.  They were next to the fence in our camp, those were the people that I recognised.

MR NODADA: Were there any moving motor vehicles or trucks in that area at the time?

ZOLA NOMBIDA: No, those people were standing next to the fence, seemingly it was clear that they are the ones that were shooting in the camp because they were wearing coco-brown uniforms and in the Transkei Defence Force we were not using coco-brown uniforms at the time.

MR NODADA: Did you also know that uniform to be the South African Defence Force uniform?

ZOLA NOMBIDA: Yes, I knew that it was the South African Defence Force uniform.

MR NODADA: Yes, and then?  Carry on.

ZOLA NOMBIDA: Whilst I was still in the tent there was chaos outside and I could hear the person who was speaking and it was going towards the morning and the soldiers that were going to save us, they came and we were in the tent, they went inside the tent.  They were the ones who organised transport for us to take us to the hospital.
	At that time there was no ambulance, they took me with a motor vehicle that belonged to a bakery and took me to the junction.  When I arrived at the junction I was taken to another car that was driven by the deceased Sgt-Maj Boni.  I was taken by that car and then I was escorted by two people, they took me to the general hospital.

MR NODADA: You are describing Sgt-Maj Boni as deceased, did he also die on the same day?

ZOLA NOMBIDA: No, didn't die on that day, he died afterwards due to some illness, after the coup.

MR NODADA: How many persons did you see dead on that morning, before you landed in hospital?

ZOLA NOMBIDA: Three of them died in that bungalow, Mr Cgonguto, Olyai and Peter.  Three of them died in that bungalow, two died in the tents, Mr Zweli and Mr Mlangeni.

MR NODADA: And in hospital were there any of those that were injured that died?

ZOLA NOMBIDA: No, nobody died in hospital, but most of us were taken to the intensive care unit.

MR NODADA: Yes.  What part of your body was injured?

ZOLA NOMBIDA: My waist and my right leg and my left side.

MR NODADA: Were you shot or were you injured as a result of the bomb that was thrown into the bungalow?

ZOLA NOMBIDA: I was injured due to the bomb that was thrown in the bungalow.

MR NODADA: Alright.  And you subsequently learnt that that was Craig Duli's group that was attempting to stage a coup d'etat to take over the government of this place from the military council, is that so?

ZOLA NOMBIDA: Yes, that is correct, and that was also confirmed when I was in the intensive care unit.  When Gen Matanzima arrived, he gave us the information, he told us what was happening.  He said that Mr Duli had staged a coup.

MR NODADA: Apart from you soldiers that were based at Ncise camp, did you see any other persons who did not belong to the TDF, that were killed or injured in the same area?

ZOLA NOMBIDA: According to me I don't know anything of that sort because I only know the recruits that died and then I was taken to the hospital.

MR NODADA: Did you know that there was going to be an attack that evening, or that morning?

ZOLA NOMBIDA: No, I didn't know anything.

MR NODADA: Did you know that Col Duli was planning to overthrow the military government during the year 1990?

ZOLA NOMBIDA: No, I didn't know anything at all.

MR NODADA: Have you received any compensation for the injuries that you sustained, Sir?

ZOLA NOMBIDA: No, we didn't get anything.

MR NODADA: What is your rank now as a member of the SANDF in the ...(indistinct)

ZOLA NOMBIDA: I'm a Corporal.

MR NODADA: Is there anything else that you'd like to inform this Committee about?

ZOLA NOMBIDA: What I can say to this Committee is that as we sustained injuries there it is very difficult to advance ourselves in the military and some of us left the military because they were injured.  Even myself, it is very difficult for me to do certain courses because they require physical training, but because I was injured I am unable to do that.  That is what I can say to this Committee.

MR NODADA: That is all, Mr Chairperson.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you, Mr Nodada.  Mr Malan?

MR MALAN: I've got no questions to pose, thank you, Sir.
NO QUESTIONS BY MR MALAN

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.  Ms Dambuza.

MS DAMBUZA: No questions, Mr Chair.
NO QUESTIONS BY MS DAMBUZA

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.  Mr Mapoma.

MR MAPOMA: Thank you Chairperson, no questions.
NO QUESTIONS BY MR MAPOMA

CHAIRPERSON: Panel?

MR SIBANYONI: Were there any people from Duli's group who were injured?

ZOLA NOMBIDA: I don't know because when Gen Matanzima came to us he didn't say what happened, he just told us what was happening there, that there was a coup, that's all.

MR SIBANYONI: When you were taken to hospital, did the attackers stop attacking you?

ZOLA NOMBIDA: At that time they were still attacking, that is why Sgt-Maj Boni handed me over to two people to escort me, two soldiers to escort me to hospital.