STATEMENT OF FLORENCE MOLFTF

AGE : 39

ADDRESS : SLOVO PARK

OCCUPATION : SHOP ATTENDANT AT BRIGHT BODD SUPERMARKET IN

BOIPATONG

1 • 0n the 17th June 1992, I was at home in my shack in

Slovo Park. With me were my sister, Mirriam Molete and

her husband Pule Lekabe and their 3 year old daughter,

Mita. At approximately lOhOO we went to bed.

2* Between approximately I0hl5 and 10h30 I heard loud

noises outside the shack. I got up and looked through

a small hall in the kitchen door and saw a large group

of armed men in front of my Shack, Shack No. 23. I saw

them break the windows and the door. The men were

wearing white headbands.

I woke my sister and her family. Then I heard the

sound of breaking glass from the one side of my shack.

I looked through the broken window and saw a black man.

He shouted "Phumanizinja (get out you dogs)".

Some men started breaking my kitchen door open, others

tried to break open the corrugated sheeting at the back

of my shack. Both group succeeded in gaining entry to

my shack. I was in the kitchen and the men who broke

down the kitchen door started kicking me. They kicked

at my private parts and all over my body. I was kicked

until the cardboard divider between the kitchen and the

bedroom fell down.

When the divider fell down I saw Pule run out the hole

at the back of the shack, which the attackers had

kicked opened. He had a large stab wound in his left

shoulder.

M

Mirriam was crying because Nita had been stabbed in the

head. I tried to take Nita from Mirriam and one of the

attackers tried to hit Nita with a panga. Mirriam was

crying to me to tell the attackers not to stab Nita.

(Nita is the 3 year old baby girl).

The men then said to me in Zulu that I should take out

the guns. I said that we had no guns.

Mirriam was crying for Pule. Someone outside said in

Zulu "the dog is dead". He spoke Zulu with a white

accent. He was wearing a balaclava but I could see

that it was white person but I could see that the

exposed portion of his face was white. He vas standing

opposite my kitchen door, with a rifle pointed in the

direction of the door.

Soon thereafter, the attackers moved out of my shack

and into the shack next door, on the nothern side. I

estimate that the whole attack lasted between 5 and 10 ninutes.

After attackers had left, we went to my sister's

shack next door (No. 15) . I put Nita on a bed at my

sister's shack and went to look for a phone to call an

ambulance. When I returned I found that Mirriam and

Nita had left. I was told that they had gone to hide

on the rubbish dump behind the squatter camp. From the

rubbish dump we could see two police vehicles, hippos,

driving north along Sekhune Street. At this stage the

attackers were still in Bakoena Street.

Sometime later an ambulance came. I accompanied

Mirriam and Nita to the hospital. Mirriam had several

panga wounds on her arms and breasts. Nita had a

serious head wound. Mirriam was discharged from

Sebokeng Hospital on the 22nd June 1992. Nita is still

in hospital, she is going to need brain surgery.

12. When I returned from hospital, I noticed that Mirriam's

colour television set was missing. There might well be

other articles missing, but I have not got round to

investigating this yet, because the shacJc is still

upside down.

FLORENCEAddress

1.

2 .

3.

MQLETE

: 17 Slovo Park

On the 17th June 1992 I was at home in my shack, (Shack

No. 17 in Slovo Park). With my were my sister, Mirriam

Molete and her husband, Pule Lekabe and their 3 year

old daughter, Mita. At approximately 22h00 we were

preparing to go to bed.

I heard loud noises outside the shack and looked

through a hole in the kitchen door. I saw a large

group of armed men in front of a neighbouring shack

(Shack No. 23). I saw them break the windows and the

door. The men were wearing white headbands.

Suddenly I heard the noise of people trying to break

open my kitchen door and the sound of breaking glass

from my bedroom window.

When the door eventually gave in, a black man appeared

at the door, carrying a spear and wearing a white

headband. He said "pumani zinja" (get out you dogs).

He slapped me and then other men followed him into the

shack and they all started to hit and kick me. Other

men also broke into the shack from the back.

A man then stabbed Pule, my brother-in-law, on his

shoulder and Pule ran out of the shack, through the

hole that the attackers had made at the back of the

shack.

While we were being assaulted, I tried to take Mita, my

3 year old niece from her mother, Mirriam. Mirriam was

holding Mita in her arms when one of the men hacked

Mita's head open with a panga, at the same time

injuring her mother's hand and arm.

One of the men then said to me in Zulu that I should

take out the guns. I said that we had no guns.

I started shouting tor Pule. Someone outside said in

Zulu "the dog is dead". He spoke Zulu with a white

accent. He was wearing a balaclava. (X could see it

was a white person). He was standing opposite the

kitchen door, with a rifle pointed in the direction of

the door.

- 3 -

9. The attackers then left my shack and moved to

neighbouring shacks.

10. After the attackers had left, Mirriam and I went to my

sister's shack next door (Shack No. 19). I put Mita on

a bed at my sister's shack and went into the township

to look fur a telephone to call an ambulance. On my

way I saw a group of men going up Bakoena Street. When

I returned, I found that Mirriam and Mita had fled. I

was told that they had gone to hide in the rubbish dump

behind the squatter camp. I joined them at the dumping

site. From the rubbish dump I could see 2 caspirs

turning into Sekhukhune Street and moving in a

northerly direction. At this stage the attackers were

still in Bakoena Street.

11. The group at the dumping ground was increasing, as more

people sought refuge there. I decided to go and fetch

some blankets for the injured once I saw that the armed

men had left the vicinity. On my way back, I came

across the corpse of a pregnant woman and covered it up

with a blanket that she had around her waist. I also

went to shack no. 23 and found that Mrs. Malindi had

been injured and her chi?.d, Agnes, of +/- 5 years old

- 4 -

12.

13.

had had her stomach slit open. The child later died in

hospital.

When I reached my shack, I began to look for Pule. I

was told that there was a body behind shack no. 15. On

inspection of this body, I discovered that it was the

wj- x. uxu f xujr wi u u ic i " l i i - ia w . ~ ̂ ---------

Ambulances began to arrive on the scene. Mirriam and

Mita came down from the dumping site and they were

taken to hospital by ambulance. Mirriam had a panga

wound on her hand and a stab wound between her breast.

Mita had panga wounds on the head and was unconscious

at that stage. Mirriam is now out of hospital and

Mita has been transferred to Baragwanath Hospital. We

are made to understand that she will likely suffer

permanent disability. I was lucky to escape with hits

and kicks only.

N A M E O F WITNESS: F L O R E N C E M*8ttOI

ADDRESS; 17 S L O V O P A R K

When the attackers broke down the door and entered the Appolo lights outside shone

into the shack. I clearly saw men with headbands who hit me. I fell to the ground and

tried rolling outside. I saw a man wearing a baklalava and camouflage uniform. I could

see from his built that he was a white man. This man had a gun. I went back inside the

house and asked the attackers why they were doing this. A man said "Siphi Isibamo".

This man spoke with a white accent, i replied that we had no guns. The attackers then

left. They went into Bokoena Street. We then ran towards the veld. As we were running

I saw a caspir behind us going into either Sekhukhuni Street or Senqu Street.

STATEMENT

boipaton/tn

STATEMENT

NAME OF WITNESS : MIRRIAM MQLETEADDRESS: 17 SLOVO PARK. BOIPATONG

We were inside the house when we heard windows breaking. The attackers came into the house (black and white) A white man attacked me and Mita. He was wearing a balaclava, black turtle neck and gloves. He had panga and a sharp instrument. I was very close to him. I saw his eyes. They were blue and a sharp nose. The other men were wearing camouflage uniform and had weapons. These were standing beside the door. After the attackers left we rand outside towards the fence. I saw t^ o yellow caspir# along Mokoena Street. (I could see clearly as the appollo lights shown into the shack. There was also a full moon on that night.

, \ cv. — v^-^sAi/Lfo-r'

After they had attacked us I heard someone speaking afrikaans. I am certain because one can distinguish between black person speaking afrikaans and a white person speaking afrikaans. He asked 'Is sy dood. Is daai vrou dood' The Zulu replied 'Yebo Nkosi - Mabizi unyoko wazi khuti u file '. I could clearly hear by his accent that he was afrikaans speaking.

STATEMENT

NAME OF WITNESS : REBECCA MOTAUNGADDRESS: 105 SLOVO PARK. BOIPATONG

STATEMENT

NAME OF WITNESS : HILDA MONOKOANEADDRESS: BAFOKENG STREET. BOIPATONG

Attackers came into my house. A caspir was outside my house and next to it there was an ambulance. Whites (possibly army) wearing camouflage uniform were inside. The attackers came into my house. They attacked my daughter in law. They came into my bedroom. I hid beneath the blankets. My husband George was standing beside the bed. He was hit w ith an axe on the chest. I heard him say in Zulu 'Is it you whose doing this to me Zulu even though I walk w ith you' After they attacked my other child, Zulu said 'Madoda asihambeni' (lets go). I heard voices shouting 'doen julle werk, kry jullle klaar’ . I saw another caspir along Sekhukhuni Street.

STATEMENT

N A M E OF W I T NESS : J O H A N N E S MBATHAl*

ADDRESS: 8 S L O V O PARK. BOIPATONG

I saw policemen wearing khakhi uniform. I also saw a dark hippo. I saw a group of attackers together w ith the police. The attackers came into my house. The police were standing outside. They did not have any lights and one of them said in Zulu "Hamba uyo landa umlilo ngaphandle e maphoyiseni". The dog was barking and they stabbed it. They lit the candle on the table and came into the bedroom. They saw Paulina and stabbed her. After they left I followed them. I saw hippo's parked outside Cape Gate. I cannot say how many policemen were there. The attackers got into the hippo's outside Cape Gate. When the ambulance came we passed hippo's at the robots on the way to Kwa-Madala Hostel.

STATEMENT

N A M E O F WITNESS: JEREMIA DICK M O K O E N A

ADDRESS: 1193 M O S H O E S H O E STREET. B O I P A T O N G

The police were definitely in Boipatong on the night of the attack because I was shot

at with pellet guns. I still have some of the pellets in my body. I later saw a hippo whilst

on the way to the hospital. I saw the hippo at the hall at the corner of Mamelodi Street

and Phenkuzulu Streets. I also saw people with headbands getting into the hippo.

Jeremia was shot -+ 23H00.

(Does not want to appear anywhere).

boipaton/tn

STATEMENT

N A M E O F WITNESS: EM1LLY MASHININI

A DDRESS: 242 T H A B A B O S I U STREET. B O I P A T O N G

At about -+ 22H00 on 17 June 1992,1 was inside the house when I heard the attackers.

I tried to go outside but I saw a caspir on the street and I decided to go back inside the

house. I then peeped through the window and saw the caspir. It was in front of my

house. It was moving very slowly and it seemed as if someone was talking from inside.

It the finally drove off into Bapedi Street. (At this time the attackers were on Bapedi

Street).

boipaton/tn

STATEMENT

N A M E O F WITNESS: E S T H E R MALINDI

ADDRESS: 718 B A F O K E N G S T R E E T

At about 19H00 I was at home. The SDU's comrades used to stand around in front of

my house. I saw a caspir chasing the comrades away. There were two other caspirs in

the next streets. The comrades ran away.

At -+ 20H00 I went to sleep. I heard some noise. I woke up and went outside to see

what was happening thinking that it was not the comrades but inkatna and i ran back

into the house and locked the door. Some attackers later came into the house and

demanded money and goods. I did not see any police then.

boipaton/tn

STATEMENT

NAME OF WITNESS : FL0R1NA DHLAMINIADDRESS: 1110 BAROLONG STREET. BOIPATONG

I was in the house - After the attackers left the house I got out from the bedroom. I heard a hippo. I looked out from the window and saw a hippo passing the house following the attackers, (with dimmed lights) (my house is corner Barolong and Lekoa Streets) The hippo followed them into Lekoa Street. I then tended the other wounded in the house.

FLONNA DLAMINI

1110 BAHOLONG STREET, BOIPATONG

88-4914

UNEMPLOYED

WAS EMPLOYED UNTIL THE 17TH JUNE

1992. WAS ALSO ATTACKED.

SUSTAINED INJURIES, CANNOT WORK. I

MUST LOOK AFTER MY DECEASED'S

DAUGHTER'S CHILD.

On the 17th June 1992, at about lOp.m, I was getting

ready to sleep in my house. There were 5 other people

also preparing to sleep in the house. I was awoken by

a loud noise of windows cluttering. I went to peep

through the window. I saw a group of men (I saw Black

men) wearing white headbands, walking along Lekoa

Street. There were about 200 of these men.

Thereafter, I saw that my windows were being broken by

some of the men. They broke my window, smashing them.

I advised my children to hide themselves. Immediately

5 men wearing headbands (white) stormed in my house. 3

men stood outside the bedroom door, while 2 others

entered the bedroom in which all 6 of us were sleeping.

One of these men stabbed my daughter with an assegaai.

NAME

ADDRESS

TEL

OCCUPATION

As he was stabbing her, he was muttering the following

words "you are dogs, you are busy killing our people,

accusing them of being Inkatha. You have been busy

killing our people and buring them" These words were

said in Zulu as following " Niyizinja, nibhizi nibulala

abantu bethu, hibabiz ngokuthi bayankamo nibulala

abantu bethu nibashisa".

The two men stabbed my daughter repeatedly with

assegaais. I was also stabbed by one of these men

repeatedly on my right thigh. My mother, Paulina

Dlamini, was also killed by these men. The 5 men left

our house shortly thereafter.

About 15 minutes later, I saw a hippo (camouflage) go

past our house driving in the direction of a group of

men wearing white headbands.

STATEMENT

N A M E OF WITNESS : KLAAS M A T H O P E ADDRESS: 109 S L O V O PARK. BOIPATONG

I heard a white man shouting in afrikaans 'Keur horn keur horn, daarsy' and I ran away. It was very clear from the accent that it was a white man. I don’t know if he was a policeman or not.

M

n a m e : KLAAS MATHOPE

ADDRESS : 109 SLOVO PARK

AGE : 43

OCCUPATION : MACHINE OPERATOR - UNEMPLOYED

1 * 0n the 17th June 1992, I was at home with my family.

At approximately 22h3 0 I heard noises coming from the

township. I went outside to see what was happening.

•̂('a 1 saw a 9rouP of people coming from the direction of

the township behind my shack. A stone was then thrown

which hit my shack. I also saw another group of men

coming from the direction of the dump, slightly to the

left of my shack.

3* 1 told my wife to lock herself in the shack and ran

towards the dump with my twelve year old son, Elias,

and a friend of mine Papiki. I thought that the men

would think that nobody was in the shack.

As we ran, we were shot at. I also heard voices

shouting "keer hulle, keer hulle". These were voices

of white men. We hid at the dump and only returned a

while later.

On my return I found that my wife was not at home. I

found her in a yard a few doors away with our nine

month old son, Aaron. Aaron was already dead. He had

a wound on his head and pellet wounds around that

wound. My wife had pellet wounds on her back and her

stomach was slit open. We rushed my wife to hospital

by ambulance but she did not survive.

STATEMENT

NAME OF WITNESS : DIAMOND LALA /ADDRESS: 56 SLOVO PARK. BOIPATONG

At about 21h30 - 22h30 I saw a caspir along Nobel Boulevard driving towards Slovo Park. It turned and stopped and shot teargas towards a township comrades. These ran away into the houses. I went into the house where I saw people getting out of the caspir and running towards the beginning of Slovo Park. They started attacking from there. I heard gun shots. The caspir was written RED SCORPION. I saw men wearing balaclavas. I also heard a helicopter and the sound of caspirs in the township. (Amadolo, Bafokeng, Tugela and Hlubi streets)

STATEMENT OF DIAMOND LATA

1. I am 25 years old, unemployed and reside at 56 Slovo

Park.

2. At about 8.30p.m, on the 17th June 1992, I saw caspirs

east of Slovo Park. One caspir came into the township

and then went out to join the others in the veld east

of Phola^Park. They shot teargas at a group of youths

who ran away into the township.

3. Sometime after 9, I saw people getting out of caspirs

and moving down towards the south end of Slovo Park.

These men were wearing overalls, jackets and a variety

of clothing. They all wore headbands. Some whites

were among the group. They wore balaclavas.

4. Soon after I heard the sound of guns firing and windows

shattering. I remember at some time while the attack

was taking place, I heard and saw a helicopter.

5. Men broke the windows of my shack and threw a stone

inside. I did not see the attackers, as I was crouched

down. I was not injured.

6 . Soon thereafter, my sister came running in. She had

been shot in her shoulder. I looked through my window

and saw a group of men moving towards the end of Slovo

Park at the northern edge. Amongst them I saw some

whites wearing balaclavas and firing shots.

I left my shack to go and see what had happened at

shack 46, Slovo Park, where the rest of my family live.

I found that my uncle and my younger sister were

already dead. According to reports from the family,

they were shot through the window.

I am not prepared to give evidence, because I have no

confidence in the Goldstone Commission. We in the

township believe that Goldstone has already exonerated

the police and the Government.

The police have also tried to take statements from me.

I have refused to do so because I see no point. They

are not going to stop this violence, and they do not

want to stop it.

At the Government Mortuary, we were tricked into giving

statements.

STATEMENT

N A M E OF WITNESS : A N N A M B A T H A ADDRESS: 93 S L O V O PARK. BOIPATONG

I was inside the shack. There were three men inside my house. Two blacks and one white man. He was wearing a coat and a white head band. He did not cover his face and had blonde hair. He was holding a torch. A black man said 'get out Mandela's dogs’ . They destroyed the contents of the house and left.

NAME

ADDRESS

OCCUPATION

ANNA MBATHA (SINGLE)

93 SLOVO PARK

UNEMPLOYED

s t a t :

!• On the 17th June 1992, and in my shack at about 22h30,

I heard a loud noise. I peeped through the window of

my shack. I saw a group of men breaking into a nearby

ihsCii. Thsso msn were also smash m g windows of this-

shack.

2* Shortly thereafter, I saw a woman, one Mantsidi, who

lives in the next neighbourhood run towards our shack.

She was shouting loudly, saying the following words

"Mamthani, ngivulele". Mantshidi, also lives in my

neighbourhood. Mamthani is my mother. I heard a voice

of a white man shout, nmaak oop, Mamthani".

3* Immediately thereafter, I saw 1 white man and 3 black

men arrive at our shack. The 3 black men were wearing

headbands (white). This white man was wearing

something like a coat. This white man did not have

either a balaclava or a headband on. They broke into

our house, smashing windows and doors. These men were

wielding weapons. The white man was carrying a torch

and shone it at us. The black men were shouting the FF

I

- 2 -

words in Zulu - Get out of your houses, you Mandela's

dogs". (Phumani ezindlini zenu, zinja zika Mandela).

Present in my shack were my mother, Mamthani, my

sister, Elizabeth and Monica Mbatha. We all ran into

the bedroom to hide. These men did not go into this

f ie u iw w iu iw j . o u m c i. c a D u n • xn tsy l u c i i x. a n a w a y .

5. Mantsidi, who had come to our shack was injured. She

brought with her a 9 month old baby. This baby had

been hacked by a group of men. This baby died on my

bedroom bed. Shortly thereafter an ambulance came to

take Mantsidi to hospital. Mantsidi had sustained

several injuries on her stomach.

4.

r

IM THE GOLDSTONE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY BOiPATONG - 17 JUNE 199 9

STATEMENT OF ANNA MBATH*ADDRESS :

AGE :

OCCUPATION :

!• I am extremely reluctant to give evidence to the

Goldstcne Commission or to anyone else. As <at 17 June

1992, I lived in a shack in Slovo Park. I no longer

live there and do not want to reveal my address.

2 * °n that night I was asleep in the shack, together with

my mother and my sister. I was woken by my sister who

told me to wake up and listen because people were

fighting outside. I could hear the smashing of glass.

The sound was very near. I could also hear people

screaming and the sound of gunshots.

*• 1 peeped through a hole in one wall of the shack. I

saw a woman coming towards the shack with her baby.

This was Mrs. Mathope. She was screaming. There was a

Black man running right behind her, who was busy

stabbing her. A little distance away, there were 2

other people running behind them.

As she came running, Mrs. Mathope was shouting

"Mamthani, open up". She was using the popular name of

my mother. However, we did not open the door. As this

was happening, I heard one of the men outside say "Ja,

Mamthani maak oop". It sounded to me as if it might be

a White man. Mrs. Mathope reached our shack and slid

down npvt -t-o th“ r i n r * - - ̂ _•______ _ _.. iin.u a BiLuuiy pQbitxon. £>ne was

leaning against the door.

The man who had been stabbing her then broke into our

shack. One of the sides was simply pushed in. The

other three sides and roof remained standing.

When this happened, we ran into the part of the shack

which is divided as a diningroom. I looked out from

there and saw that one of the men was a White man. He

was in the kitchen of our shack, shining a torch. He

was wearing a light blue tracksuit and a white

headband. There were also two Black men, saying in

Zulu that we were the dogs of Mandela and that we

should come out.

There was then some noise just outside our shack and

all three went running out. Generally, there was a

great deal of commotion and screaming and the sound of

gunshots around our shacks.

After it seemed that the men had gone, I went out to

try to help Mrs. Mathope. She was badly hurt. The

head of her baby had been chopped open. I took it from

her and put it on the bed to see what we could do, but

it died there. Later, Mrs. Mathope was taken to

hospital, where she also died. The first time that I

saw policemen in the vicinity of the shacks was later

the next morning, 18 June 1992.

STATEHEK7 Or WILSOS U.LOi 1

1, the undersigned, WILSON BALOYI, residing at House No. 732

Boipatong, do hereby state that :

1. Or the evening of 17 June 1S92 at about ZlhlO I Wes sitting in

rr.y dmingroor watching T.v. My 18 year old son had left shortly

before to gc tc bed. Also asleer w&s my wife sri dsuchter. Ky

daughter is 2 1 ye£'*s of age.

2. Suddenly I heard a loud noise in the streeL outside. Initially

I thought it was the sound of comrades who were walking down the

street. I immediately went from the diningroom into the main

bedroom where my son, aged 10, was asleep. I proceeded to the

window in the bedroom and opened the curtains to look outside.

Outside in the street I saw a large grouping of people and

realised that they were not comrades. There were women dressed

in trousers and men in overalls, all with caps and balaclavas

on. All of them had white headbands tied around their

foreheads.

3. They were making a lot of noise, shouting, amongst other things

that I recall, "kill the dogs". 1 recall that I heard both Zulu

and Afrikaans spoken and shouted. Many were carrying what

appeared to be stolen goods on their backs and heads. I saw

some carrying television sets and radios. They were moving down

the road from the Sharpeville side down to the KwaMadala side of

Boipatong. Others had suitcases and plastic packets.

4. Immediately thereafter I heard the sound of breaking glass. I

had moved from the bedroom window and was about to step from the

bedroom into the lounge when I heard glass shattering. The

glass broke in both the bedroom and the lounge which are the two

rooms facing onto the road. Simultaneously, I heard someone

thumping on the door in an attempt to break it.

5. The next minute, three men burst into the room. They all wore

balaclavas with white headbands. I could not see if the other

two men were armed but the first man proceeded directly up to me

with a long home-made weapon, rather like an axe. I retreated

into the bedroorr. and he pursued me. I managed to thrust the

b=jroor door into the man's head, knocking him temporarily onto

the fiorr. In the process he dropped the bag he was carrying.

!r the bag were shoes and glasses which clearly had been stolen

fro~ other houses. The glasses shattered when the man fell.

The other man proceeded to seize the radio/record player

situated in the corner of the room and escaped with it. The

third man kept watch.

After I had slayed the first attacker, 1 heard someone stabbing

at the bedroom door. The door is currently damaged and bears

two large slash marks next to the handle and one smaller mark

below the handle. They were trying to get in through the

bedroom door. When the thudding stopped I very swiftly opened

the bedroom door. At that point the three attackers ran out of

the house. In their flight, the one dropped the radio/record

player on the property near to the front gate.

They also left the bag with the shoes and broken glasses. This

I handed to the owners of the possessions. After the incident

the people in the community came together to see if they could

not salvage and identify their possessions.

I then ran out of the back of my house and climbed up onto the

roof the house. This was facilitated by a bench and a shed

situated below the roof which gave me easy access onto the roof.

When I climbed onto the roof I looked towards the KwaMadala side

where there is an open veld. My house is the second house after

the open veld. Situated immediately behind my neighbour I saw

two hippos standing there. I saw them clearly - the smaller

hippo was situated in the front and I saw two whites sitting in

the front of it. The larger hippo, behind the first one, had

one white driver sitting in front of it. I was surprised to see

the hippos just standing there while our houses were being

ransacked.

10. When I looked to the West, I saw two large white lorries parked

on the main road.

11. By this stage the grouping of people with wtrie headbands were

leaving Boipatong. The>*e we^e many of them (T estimate about

500). Some walked across the veld towards KwaMadala whilst

others took the main road. As they walked towards KwaMadala the

two hippos parked behind my house and another two hippos which

came from what appeared to be the inside of Boipatong (further

South), proceeded to follow the marauders as they walked back to

KwaMadala. The two white lorries parked across the veld also

accompanied the march back to KwaMadala.

12. At this point many people from the community came and stood in

the veld and road and seen the marchers going back Into

KwaMadala. Shortly thereafter two large buses moved from the

KwaMadala Hostel to the robots and then proceeded on the road

towards Sebokeng.

13. I am 67 years of age. I am now a pensioner having worked at a

number of places during my youth. I am not a card carrying

member of the ANC. I am not politically active but regularly

attend church.

14. The only other statement I have given was to a Star journalist

who came around shortly after the massacre.

DATED at JOHANNESBURG this day of 1992.

AS WITNESSES;

1

2 WILSON BALOYI

STATEMENT

N A M E O F WITNESS: W I L S O N BALOYI

A DDRESS : 732 B A F O K E N G STREET. B O I P A T O N G

On the night of 17 June 1992 I saw a caspir driving in frem the attackers. This caspir

stopped in front of my house. Some attackers then came into my house. I fought with

them and then they left. After they had left I climbed up onto the roof. I saw a Nyala and

two caspirs in front of Metal Box. *(l saw two other caspirs in Umziwubi Street. These

lit the way for the attackers). I clearly saw white policemen in camouflage, uniform there

and they were shooting into the air. There were approximately six policemen standing

outside the caspirs.

The caspirs that had stopped in front of my house had driven off and had stopped in

Amatolo Street, In went and joined other caspirs in front of Metal Box. I had earlierM M

heard voices saying "Maak Gofy Maak Goty' during the attack.

Earlier in the evening at about 20H30 (before the attack), I saw caspirs 2 or 3 and 2

ambulances along Noble Boulevard. They drove towards Slovo Park. I don't know what

happened to these caspirs. I also saw 2 SADF vans. These came after the caspirs had

gone towards Slovo Park. I also do not know what happened to these vans.

The caspirs that had been on Umzivubo Streets then went in the direction of Kwa

Madala and they were joined by the caspirs that had been in front of Metal Box.

)

boipaton/tn

STATEMENT OF MESHACK THEOANE

2.

I. I am a 30 year old man residing at 31 Slovo Park. Until 22

June 1992 I was employed as a petrol attendant at Unipark

Motors on the corner of Frikkie Meyer Boulevard and Nobel

St, Vanderbijlpark. On 22 June 1992 I was dismissed by my

employer, Jan van Zijl.

r'- sn a previous statement to two women froiii Fedce

Action, although I cannot remember whether they wrote down

my statement. I have not spoken to any journalists about

the events of the night of 17 June 1992, nor have I spoken

to the police about these events.

III. On the night of 17 June 1992, I arrived at work at 9pm, the

usual starting time for my shift. I was the only petrol

attendant working that night. The only other person at the

garage was a security guard employed by CRIME PREVENTION (??

witness is not sure) security company, who are responsible

for security at the garage. I do not know this man's name

as 17 June was the first night that he had worked at the

garage. His security company has a policy of rotating

security guards at the garage on a regular basis.

IV. At approximately 9:20 I was sitting, chatting to the

security guard near the south edge of the garage when I saw

four or five police vehicles (I think they were hippos)

drive past the garage on Nobel St. I watched these vehicles

drive along Nobel St. Approximately opposite gate 4 of

Metal Box, the vehicles turned into the township.

V. At that point I saw that on the northern edge of Boipatong,

there was a group of youths, apparently guarding the

entrance to the township. The youths were approximately 200

metres away from where I was standing at the garage. I could

not see whether or not they were armed. The police vehicles

drove directly towards the youths and the youths ran away

into the township.

VI.

VII.

VIII

IX.

Two hippos entered the township at Bafokeng Street. I did

not see what happened to the other hippos. Approximately 5

or ten minutes later I saw the two hippos that had entered

the township emerge from the township with an SADF vehicle

(I think it was a buffel). The three vehicles then drove

back towards my garage along Nobel St. The SADF vehicle

drove past the garage and turned right into Frikkie Meyer

Boulevard in the direction of Sebokeng, but the two hippos

drove onto the veld off Nobel St before they reached the

garage and parked in the veld outside the north west corner

of Boipatong.

A short while later, I was still sitting chatting to the

security guard at the southern edge of the garage when we

saw a group of men emerge from the veld that leads to

KwaMadala hostel on the Western side of Frikkie Meyer

boulevard. From the corner of Nobel St and Frikkie Meyer

boulevard there is a row of trees growing on the western

side of Frikkie Meyer Boulevard. The men emerged from the

other side of this row of trees, approximately 100 metres

from the intersection. The men were wearing white shirts.

They crossed over Frikkie Meyer Boulevard and moved through

the veld in the direction of the township. There is a donga

in the veld at this point. Some of the men walked through

the donga, but others used the bridge over the donga. While

all this was taking place, the two hippos were still parked

in the veld north east of the township.

When I saw these men apparently from Kwa Madala hostel,

moving in the direction of the township, I immediately

feared that they were going to launch an attack on the

residents of Boipatong. So I rang the alarm at the

petrol station which is connected directly to the SAP.

I did not approach the policemen in the two hippos,

because they had been even closer to the men coming

from Kwa Madala than I was and they had done nothing to

prevent them entering the township. So I was

suspicious of these policemen.

When I returned from ringing the alarm, I saw that there was

another group of men in white shirts crossing Frikkie Meyer

boulevard at the same point where the previous group had

crossed. (This part of the statement was not altogether

clear - the witness says that the attackers did not come

over in one group but in a number of smaller groups - he

used the word "regiments" - one after another).

XI. Soon thereafter, two white policemen arrived at the petrol

station in a van. They asked me why I had rung the alarm.

I told them that a large number of attackers were moving in

the direction of the township from Kwa Madala hostel. The

policemen seemed uninterested in this information and asked

me if anything had happened at the garage. I said that

nothing had. At that point a group of attackers was still

visible in the veld on the eastern side of Frikkie Meyer

Boulevard and I pointed them out to the policemen. The

policemen looked at each other and then drove back in the

direction of VanderbijIpark without saying anything mors to

me.

XII. The security guard and I were concerned that the policemen

would not do anything about the attackers, so the security

guard radioed his employers. Soon two white security men

arrived at the garage. The white security men spoke into

their radios, but I did not hear what they said. After a

few minutes, two white policemen arrived in an unmarked car

and spoke with the white security men.

XIII The security men said that the police had instructed them

that the garage was not safe and that they should take us to

Baldwins Steel factory (Approximately 400m north on Frikkie

Meyer Boulevard) . The security men then dropped us at

Baldwins.

XIV. After approximately 20 minutes several ambulances passed us

at Baldwins. I walked back down Frikkie Meyer Boulevard to

the garage. From the garage, over the next hour or so, I saw

many ambulances going in and out of the township. Later I

saw some army and police vehicles come into the township.

XV. I stayed at the garage until my shift ended at 6.00 am on

the 18th. When I handed the money over to Van Zijl shortly

after 6.00 he asked me what had happened during the night

and I told him.

IH THE GOLDS TONE COMMTSSTnK of tw^tpv

IN RE : BOIPATONG MABSftr'Pfl

a f f i d a v i t

I, the undersigned,

MESHACK THEOANE

do hereby make oath and state : -

1. I am an adult male resident in Slovo Park, Boipatong. The

facts contained herein are within my personal knowledge and

are to the best of my belief true and correct.

2. Until my dismissal on 22nd June 1992 I was employed as a

petrol attendant at Unipark Motors on the corner of Frikkie

Meyer Boulevard and Nobel Street, Vanderbijlpark.

3. On the night of 17th June 1992 I was at work at the garage.

My shift began at 21h00. The only other person working

there at the time was a security guard employed by a private

security company.

At about 21h3 0 the security guard drew my attention to a

large number of men moving through the trees on the other

side of Frikkie Meyer Boulevard. They were coming from the

direction of the Kwa-Madala Hostel, in all, there were 300 to 400 men.

These men crossed the Frikkie Meyer Boulevard in small

groups. They ran across in a crouching manner. One small

group would cross then, after a short pause, the next would

cross and so on.

It appeared to me that the men were carrying objects but I

was unable to see what they were, as they crossed some

distance from the intersection where the garage is.

When they had crossed Frikkie Meyer Boulevard, the groups of

men moved towards the Boipatong township. At that stage,

there were two police vehicles known to me as hippos parked

at the soccer grounds next to the township. The men were

moving some distance from the hippos, but if the people

inside them had been keeping watch they would have seen

them.

Collection Number: AK2672 Goldstone Commission BOIPATONG ENQUIRY Records 1990-1999 PUBLISHER: Publisher:- Historical Papers, University of the Witwatersrand Location:- Johannesburg ©2012

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