Details of a dramatic 36-hour shootout between a guerrilla and a joint force from the Transkei and South Africa – kept secret for 11 months – emerged this week. According to eyewitnesses, a single guerrilla held off a combined attack by Transkei Police, the Transkei Defence Force and the South African Police, in a pitched battle that lasted two days and included the use of helicopters.
The guerrilla, known as "Khaya", escaped after the clash in a remote area of Transkei. Although there were rumours of numerous police casualties, these could not be confirmed. This is the first evidence ofattempts to keep major information about insurgency from the public eye. Details have only emerged because eyewitnesses have gradually been released from detention since the incident.
Rumours of the shootout have been circulating since it happened on January 21 and 22 this year at Lurwayizo store. The store, which is in the south-eastern corner of Transkei, is owned by Max Jafta. His daughter, Unathi, said this week that the police arrived at 4.30am on January 21. "I was sleeping in the main house and was woken up by the cracking sound of the guns being find at the house. Somebody from outside shouted 'Get out Khaya, we are the policemen'," she said.
Unathi Jafta, her father, mother Joyce and the shop assistant went out of the house into the yard. Unathi's brother, Mangaliso, was forced to show the police the outbuilding where "Khaya" was sleeping, and then managed to run away. Max Jafta said "Khaya" opened the door and was ordered to lift his hands up. I heard a shot fired and the police ran away." Khaya managed to run away into the garden.
She estimated that there were about 30 policemen there at that stage, but they were soon joined by another seven carloads of police and then by truckloads of TDF soldiers. Three helicopters with more TDF soldiers then arrived and Unathi said that for several hours until late afternoon "the police or soldiers used the helicopter to throw grenades and teargas all over the yard.
"They tried to attack in the garden but Khaya retaliated. That cross firing continued till about 3pm and by that time it was clear they couldn't enter the garden either by air or otherwise," said Max Jafta. "The police were communicating through their radio and I actually heard them communicating. I heard them asking 'Umtata' to send another police contingent to relieve them, and 'Umtata' replied that there were no other policemen to be dispatched.
Max, Joyce and Unathi Jafta were placed in the back of a van for the night and the attack began again the following morning. During the morning, Mangaliso Jafta surrendered and three South African Police vans arrived, Unathi said. By late on the second day Max, Joyce and Mangaliso Jafta and another man had been formally detained and were taken away.
The Jafta's house had been burnt down – apparently in retaliation for the guerrilla's escape – and the family claimed, that the police looted the shop. The whole family, except Mangaliso Jafta were released from detention over the next few months. Mangaliso Jafta was part of a group of terrorism accused who escaped from the dock when the unspecified charges against them were suddenly dropped in August.
The first official mention of the shoot-out came in June, in a policy speech by Chief George Matanzima, then prime minister and minister of police. In a list of armed incidents, he referred to "a confrontation with terrorists at Lurwayizo store in Willowvale", which had "indicated that some traders based at isolated areas are likely to be used as terrorist safe houses". Attempts to obtain more details on the incident failed.
Transkei Police PRO Colonel Welsh Madyibi said at the time that details were "highly confidential" as further information on such incidents would "encourage the perpetrators". This week, ColonelMadyibi was asked to comment on the accounts that have now emerged. He confirmed the incident but denied that either the TDF or the SAP had been involved, saying that the Transkei Police had merely borrowed TDF helicopters.
Madyibi said one policeman was injured and confirmed that the guerrilla had escaped. There's quite a lot of these things," he said. "Khaya" had still not been arrested, he said. The South African Police declined to comment "on incidents or alleged incidents which occur in other countries". — Elnews [Franz Krüger and Louise Flanagan]
This article originally appeared in the Weekly Mail.
