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Special Report Transcript Episode 41, Section 6, Time 22:26

It was on the fateful day of June the 6th that the Pondo mountain committee members found themselves helpless and overpowered. The aircraft appeared and circulated above Ngquza mountain. // We are now seated at the foot of the hill, the second one came after that one and then came the helicopter which offloaded policemen at the top of the hill. It never landed. Another came painted with army colours and dropped off some more police on the opposite side of Ngquza hill. They then all started coming towards us. We did not even expect any clashes, because none of us had weapons except Wana Johnson had a gun. He had come with his revolver, our commander. They wasted no time. They had not come to talk; they then fired. Wana Johnson then stood up and called them closer. As he did that, they shot him. He was the first person to be shot. That’s when we saw that they meant war when he fell next to our feet. The second victim was Ningilishe Ncanda. We then jumped. Our young leader Mr. Magaxa shouted to us and said, ‘into them you Pondo man of my father, sons of Chief Faku, even if we have nothing.’ Then another shot went off. You would say it was the last one, but the gunfire just kept on going. You would still say every bullet is the last one yet people were starting to turn back behind us. Think of it, whilst being shot, helicopters were also above us with police on the sides shooting down at us. We were being shot as all this happens I think it took us, we shot from nine o’clock till six ‘clock that evening, that’s when they left us, after we had run into the bush.

Notes: Photo: Mountain committee meeting; Clement Gxabu to TRC; Photo: Armed policemen arriving.; Mpondo men ready to attack?

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TRC Victims
An iKongo leader who was shot dead by members of the SADF on 6 June 1960 in the Ngquza Hill massacre in Flagstaff, Transkei. He was hoisting a white flag at Ngquza Hill as a sign of peace during a community meeting when police opened fire on the crowd. This took place during the Pondoland revolt. ...
 
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