TRC Final Report

Volume 2

Chapter 6

Part Part5

Subsection 6

Daniel Nkabinde

Age 32; MK.

All killed on 28 March 1988; exhumed on 25 March 1998 at Sekoto cemetery, Louis Trichardt.

In March 1988, a group of MK operatives returning from Botswana infiltrated South Africa via the Motale River at the border of Botswana and Zimbabwe and stayed over at Soutpansberg. They were Mr Abbram More, Mr Oupa Lukhele, Mr Alfred Nkosi, Mr Mlungisi Velaphi and Mr Daniel Nkabinde, accompanied by an askari who alerted the Security Branch to their presence. The group was rounded up, shot at, tortured and attacked with hand grenades. Some were decapitated and had their hands and penises severed. Investigators believed that the men were tortured in front of each other and died painfully and slowly.

Oupa Funani¹³

Age unknown; ANC/MK.

Killed 21 July 1988; exhumed 5 May 1998 at Piet Retief.

Mr Oupa Funani was killed by soldiers at Mahamba gate near Piet Retief. He and Mr Velile Zwane were returning from Swaziland where they had gone to fetch hand grenades for a mission. When the police searched them at the border gate, Funani dropped a hand grenade. He was then shot and killed by soldiers. His colleague was arrested by the police and sentenced to ten years on Robben Island. Funani was buried as an unidentified person at Piet Retief.

Bafana Mahlombe (aka Jazz Walker)

Age unknown; ANC/MK.

Bhekuyise Sithebe¹⁴ (MK Vusumusi Mbongwe)

Age unknown; ANC/MK.

James Masango (aka MK Hawka)

Age unknown; ANC/MK.

All killed 11 February 1983; exhumed 7 May 1998 at Dumbe cemetery, Paulpietersburg.

Mr Bafana Mahlombe, Mr Bhekuyise Sithebe, and Mr James Masango are alleged to have been shot in mountainous terrain with the assistance of army helicopters.