TRC Final Report

Volume 6

Section 3

Chapter 3

Subsection 9

Amatikhulu and Emandleni trainees

71. According to IFP senator Mr Philip Powell, the IFP started training IFP recruits in Patheni near Richmond at the end of 1992. The project was so successful that, after some months, another training camp was established at Elandskop.¹⁷⁹ Powell said that he helped train sixty volunteers at Patheni and a smaller group at Elandskop. According to media reports, by the time the self-protection unit (SPU) training project got underway at Mlaba Camp near Umfolozi a year later, about 1200 men had been ‘informally’ trained at both Patheni and Elandskop.^{1 8 0} Training continued in other areas.

72. A c c o rding to Mr Cyril Bongani Thusi, an IFP member in Richmond, IFP supporters grouped together to attack ANC supporters with homemade firearms in about 1991. ANC supporters left the area as a result and took up residence in Dambuza. Thusi testified before the Amnesty Committee that, in the same year, armed ANC supporters returned from Pietermaritzburg and retaliated by killing some IFP members. At this stage, some of the IFP youth joined the ANC because they felt that the IFP were inadequately armed with homemade firearms.

73. Thusi testified that he was informed that Nkosi Majozi had sent Chief Buthelezi messages that they were under attack. Majozi received a response that certain people were to be sent for training at Amatikhulu camp and that they should collect G3 rifles at the same time. He testified that six persons went for one week ’s training with Phillip Powell at Amatikhulu camp and were given five G3 rifles [AM8013/97; AC990217].

74. Mr Thulani Myeza, who was trained at Emandleni camp and applied for amnesty for a number of gross human rights violations in Eshowe, testified that the SPUs w e re trained in preparation for the 1994 elections. He gave evidence before the Amnesty Committee:

ADV MOTATA: I take it, correct me if I am mistaken, that you were trained in handling fire arms, how to kill, would I be right to say you’re saying so? MR MYEZA: Yes, we were told that we were trained for 1994 election, to kill. ADV MOTATA: Could you just tell us more that you were trained for the 1994 elections to do what, to show people how to vote or to kill people not to vote? MR MYEZA: To kill the ANC leadership. ADV MOTATA: Did you know which leaders were you supposed to kill from the ANC?

MR MYEZA: Yes, I know a few of them. ADV MOTATA: Would you be kind enough to just give us the few you know? MR MYEZA: The first one was Bongani Msomi in eSikhawini. ADV MOTATA: Proceed . R MYEZA: The second one was Bheki Ntuli in Mtubatuba. ADV MOTATA: Can you remember only the two? MR MYEZA: Mr Nxumalo, here in Eshowe. Given Mthethwa from Eshowe, Schoolboy from Eshowe, Mr Msweli in Mandini. Those are the only people who w e re disturbing the election in KwaZulu Natal. ADV MOTATA: Now lastly, you mentioned that when you attacked you were accompanied by the KwaZulu Police ...(indistinct)? MR MYEZA: Ye s . ADV MOTATA: And prior to your attack you held a meeting, do you recall that? MR MYEZA: Ye s . CHAIRPERSON: We re the KwaZulu Police present in that meeting or if not when did they join you or how did they know that you planned this attack? MR MYEZA: The KwaZulu Police would not be present when the decision is taken, but they would be told to go and raid the ANC members after we had taken a decision. The KwaZulu Police would then be led be Nr Nyawuza where they were supposed to raid. ADV MOTATA: Would we understand you correctly that the police, that is the KwaZulu Police, were your allies when you attacked the ANC members, would we understand you to say that? MR MYEZA: Yes. (Durban hearing, 26 March 1998.)

75. The trainees were receiving payments from the KwaZulu government in Ulundi until Mr Lombo allegedly absconded with this money.

MR MYEZA: We were being paid as SPU members. We received it from a certain person in Ulundi who was in charge of finances there. I cannot recall his name. CHAIR P E R S O N: Was that every month or every week, how often was that? MR MYEZA: After every two months. CHAI R P E R S O N: I thought I heard you say during your evidence that this money that you were getting from Ulundi stopped when a middleman disappeared or left. Can you clear that up first of all? Who was the middleman and what do you mean by he disappeared or he left, what does that mean? MR MYEZA: I did not know the name of this middleman. However, when all KwaZulu-Natal SPU members were called to Ulundi to get their monies that was Friday we went to camp at Emandleni. The following Saturday, we went to the soccer field in E section in Ulundi, and we were told that this person had runaway. We barricaded the Parliament in protest of our salaries and demanded to talk to Mr Powell himself. He came and told us that that person had run away. He left Ulundi. I did not know his name. (Durban hearing, 26 March 1998.)

76. Most of the trainees claimed that they had received instructions from the local political leadership of the IFP on a day-to-day basis.

C HAIR P E R S O N: And as member of the SPU who did you take orders from? MR MYEZA: We got some orders from Phillip Powell when we were still in training. C H A IRPE R S O N: Would he come there to where you were and give instructions or were these instructions conveyed to you in some other way? MR MYEZA: At Umfolozi where we received training, we had commanders who w e re working under him. We had commanders like ‘Somatekisi’ and others that I cannot recall their surnames. C H A I R P E R S O N: But that was only during the time that you have for training but you were only for training for a short period? MR MYEZA: Yes, ...[indistinct] six months. C H A I R P E R S O N: After the training was over that did you get instructions from? MR MYEZA: The person who organised training for us was Mr Nyawuza. (Durban hearing, 26 March 1998.)