By ZOLILE MENZELWA and MALIBONGWE DAYIMANI
Former Ciskei ruler Brigadier Oupa Gqozo has criticised the state for “wasting resources” in commemorating the 1992 Bhisho massacre every year.
“It has been a long time since the incident in 1992 and I am tired of this now,” Gqozo said during a telephone interview with the Dispatch, a day after the Bhisho government held the 25th commemoration of the massacre last Thursday.
Gqozo said the President Jacob Zuma-led government should instead focus on the unanswered questions around the killing of 43 miners in Marikana, after police opened fire on a group of protesting miners at a koppie near the Lonmin platinum mine on August 16 five years ago.
The Marikana massacre was a repeat of a similar incident in Bhisho on September 7 1992, when Gqozo, as head of Ciskei at the time, ordered his security forces to fire at more than 80000 protestors who were marching peacefully from King William’s Town to the Bhisho Stadium to demand that former President FW De Klerk replace Gqozo, who had banned political activism in the Bantustan.
The march was part of the ANC’s mass action to force Gqozo to resign. Instead, Gqozo sought an interdict to halt the march. The ruling was that the marchers would go only to the stadium but not to the then-Ciskei capital Bhisho, where the Eastern Cape government departments and the legislature are now housed.
When the masses – led by the late Chris Hani and deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa – decided to defy the court ruling, Gqozo ordered his army to open fire, which resulted in the massacre of 28 marchers, and the death of one soldier.
Over 200 others were injured. Records show that more than 425 rounds of ammunition were fired.
Asked to comment on the 1992 incident Gqozo, who is now in Kroonstad, said: “The government should rather focus on the Marikana massacre. Focus on the political killings in KwaZulu-Natal and focus on Zuma, who steals money.”
In a recent spate of political killings in KZN, in the space of five months, six ANC councillors were gunned down in unrelated incidents.
The most recent death was that of former ANC Youth League general secretary Sindiso Magaqa, who died in hospital last Monday, two months after he was wounded in a drive-by shooting in Umzimkhulu, KZN.
Gqozo, who suffers from a speech defect, said he was not interested in commenting on the Bhisho massacre yet, but when the time was right he would spill the beans on events leading to the incident. “I want to comment live when I do, but now is not the time,” he said.
Chairperson of the Bhisho Massacre Committee and victim Boyce Nqono yesterday said Gqozo should be thanking the people he killed for sacrificing their lives so that he could make such comments publicly.
“Through the blood of many who fell including surviving victims like myself, Gqozo can say whatever he feels like saying because we gave him that freedom of speech.”
Nqono said he was not angered by Gqozo’s comments because freedom of speech was one of the many things his generation fought for. However, he said Gqozo should apologise to the public instead of slamming the commemoration of the massacre.
“We will celebrate every year to say thank you to the people who gave us freedom. Gqozo should be thankful because we also fought to free him from the grip of apartheid because he was oppressed himself.”
Nqono said the Bhisho Massacre Committee would continue to mark the event of 25 years ago annually.
Meanwhile, the ANC in the Eastern Cape said Gqozo should own up for the killings instead of making such “reckless” and “careless” statements. Speaking to the Dispatch yesterday ANC provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane said Gqozo had insulted the South African public, and especially the victims of the massacre.
He said for Gqozo to call for an end to the commemoration meant he was not remorseful for killing peaceful marchers that day.
“We can’t stop marking the day because it is part of our history of liberation struggle.
“To utter such comments shows that he doesn’t regret what he did and shows total disregard for human life.” Mabuyane said Gqozo did not deserve to enjoy freedom of speech, but should be behind bars.
Mabuyane said Gqozo “did not only hurt the people who were marching against the apartheid government but he also hurt the soldiers whom he instructed to kill people”.
“Many of the soldiers who took Gqozo’s instruction and killed people are themselves in need of psychological support.”
‘Forget the Bhisho massacre’
Former Ciskei ruler Brigadier Oupa Gqozo has criticised the state for “wasting resources” in commemorating the 1992 Bhisho massacre every year.
“It has been a long time since the incident in 1992 and I am tired of this now,” Gqozo said during a telephone interview with the Dispatch, a day after the Bhisho government held the 25th commemoration of the massacre last Thursday.
Gqozo said the President Jacob Zuma-led government should instead focus on the unanswered questions around the killing of 43 miners in Marikana, after police opened fire on a group of protesting miners at a koppie near the Lonmin platinum mine on August 16 five years ago.
The Marikana massacre was a repeat of a similar incident in Bhisho on September 7 1992, when Gqozo, as head of Ciskei at the time, ordered his security forces to fire at more than 80000 protestors who were marching peacefully from King William’s Town to the Bhisho Stadium to demand that former President FW De Klerk replace Gqozo, who had banned political activism in the Bantustan.
The march was part of the ANC’s mass action to force Gqozo to resign. Instead, Gqozo sought an interdict to halt the march. The ruling was that the marchers would go only to the stadium but not to the then-Ciskei capital Bhisho, where the Eastern Cape government departments and the legislature are now housed.
When the masses – led by the late Chris Hani and deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa – decided to defy the court ruling, Gqozo ordered his army to open fire, which resulted in the massacre of 28 marchers, and the death of one soldier.
Over 200 others were injured. Records show that more than 425 rounds of ammunition were fired.
Asked to comment on the 1992 incident Gqozo, who is now in Kroonstad, said: “The government should rather focus on the Marikana massacre. Focus on the political killings in KwaZulu-Natal and focus on Zuma, who steals money.”
In a recent spate of political killings in KZN, in the space of five months, six ANC councillors were gunned down in unrelated incidents.
The most recent death was that of former ANC Youth League general secretary Sindiso Magaqa, who died in hospital last Monday, two months after he was wounded in a drive-by shooting in Umzimkhulu, KZN.
Gqozo, who suffers from a speech defect, said he was not interested in commenting on the Bhisho massacre yet, but when the time was right he would spill the beans on events leading to the incident. “I want to comment live when I do, but now is not the time,” he said.
Chairperson of the Bhisho Massacre Committee and victim Boyce Nqono yesterday said Gqozo should be thanking the people he killed for sacrificing their lives so that he could make such comments publicly.
“Through the blood of many who fell including surviving victims like myself, Gqozo can say whatever he feels like saying because we gave him that freedom of speech.”
Nqono said he was not angered by Gqozo’s comments because freedom of speech was one of the many things his generation fought for. However, he said Gqozo should apologise to the public instead of slamming the commemoration of the massacre.
“We will celebrate every year to say thank you to the people who gave us freedom. Gqozo should be thankful because we also fought to free him from the grip of apartheid because he was oppressed himself.”
Nqono said the Bhisho Massacre Committee would continue to mark the event of 25 years ago annually.
Meanwhile, the ANC in the Eastern Cape said Gqozo should own up for the killings instead of making such “reckless” and “careless” statements. Speaking to the Dispatch yesterday ANC provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane said Gqozo had insulted the South African public, and especially the victims of the massacre.
He said for Gqozo to call for an end to the commemoration meant he was not remorseful for killing peaceful marchers that day.
“We can’t stop marking the day because it is part of our history of liberation struggle.
“To utter such comments shows that he doesn’t regret what he did and shows total disregard for human life.” Mabuyane said Gqozo did not deserve to enjoy freedom of speech, but should be behind bars.
Mabuyane said Gqozo “did not only hurt the people who were marching against the apartheid government but he also hurt the soldiers whom he instructed to kill people”.
“Many of the soldiers who took Gqozo’s instruction and killed people are themselves in need of psychological support.”
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