THURSDAY, 2.30PM
A FORMER bodyguard of African National Congress stalwart Walter Sisulu told the Shell House inquest on Wednesday how he had fired on a group of advancing protesters with an AK-47 assault rifle after being given a “repel” order by security chief Gary Kruser.
Eddie Khumalo told the inquest into the deaths of 19 Inkatha Freedom Party marchers on March 28 1994 that he was one of the armed personnel deployed outside the ANC’s Shell House headquarters on the day 20 000 marchers attended an anti-election rally in downtown Johannesburg. At least 50 people were left dead in the wake of the march.
Khumalo said he and ANC security guard Mondli Zuma had assessed the situation from the corner of King George and De Villiers streets. He said they saw a group of marchers turn into De Villiers street when a man in front in a red T-shirt opened fire on himself and Zuma, before the group broke into a run.
Khumalo said he returned fire with his side arm, firing five or six shots before running back into Shell House, where he reported the situation to Kruser. Kruser gave him an AK-47 and ordered him to return to the corner. Khumalo said Zuma and another guardm Vijay Rama, fired warning shots at the mnarchers, who were not deterred.
He said Kruser “then gave me the order to repel. I repelled.” He said he fired short automatic bursts at the legs of the marchers and saw several of them fall.