KZN warfare described to TRC

Any deaths of family members caught in violent clashes between the leaders of the ANC and the IFP in Shobashobane on the south coast in the early 1990s resulted in the counter-attacks that led to the high incidence of bloodshed in the area. This was the evidence of an amnesty applicant before the amnesty committee of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) on Wednesday. The TRC also heard that the two political organisations "did not see eye to eye as to which one should operate in the area".

Ziphakamise Nyawose (30) told of how people closest to him were killed during the attacks, which made him flee the area to stay in the bush for three months."As a member of the ANC I was also a victim of these attacks. In 1991 I was attacked on three occasions at my home. In 1992 my house was attacked twice and I was also attacked at the taxi rank. In 1993 my brother Bongani was murdered and his decomposed body was found in the bush after a week. "In the same year I was in the company of Mandla Blose when we were attacked at a taxi rank. On that occasion we retaliated by shooting back at our attackers," he said.

Nyawose said he went to report the shooting to the police but was told that they would not investigate matters involving ANC supporters. "From there it was clear to us that the police were collaborating with our attackers. These attackers were known in our area. Their names were Mhlati Mbambo, Thokozani Blose, Dudu and Sithombe (Goodman) Ngcobo. They were all IFP members," he said.

Nyawose has applied for amnesty for the murder of Bhekabantu Samuel Cele and attempted murder of IFP strongman and businessman Goodman Ngcobo in 1993. Nyawose said Cele had died in the shoot-out but he was not the target; he was only caught in the crossfire. "Ngcobo was attacking us because some members of the ANC had killed his mother in 1990, but I was not involved in that killing," he said. He said he lost everything when his house was burned down by IFP supporters during the violence. He told the amnesty committee that he had since reconciled with Ngcobo.

Source: IoL