Living to tell the tale of massacre lucky escape

Two survivors of the 1962 KuNtlonze Mountain Massacre where six soldiers from the Pan Africanist Congress military wing Poqo were shot dead and three policeman injured have for the first time told how they narrowly escaped death.

The incident left the former Transkei region reeling in shock and many traditional leaders in the Ngcobo and Cofimvaba area were attacked after the shootings.

For Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders chairman Chief Ngangomhlaba Matanzima and Poqo veteran cadre Dagama Mngqibisa said the day was still so clear in their minds they could remember every detail.

Matanzima is part of the Matanzima family which ruled Western Thembuland. His cousin, Kaiser Daliwonga Matanzima, who led the formation of the Transkei bantustan, was allegedly Poqo’s main target.

But the current PAC leadership denied that Matanzima or any other traditional leaders were targets.

Remembering the fateful day which shocked the close-knit and peaceful Ntlonze village, the 73-year-old Matanzima and 86-year-old Mngqibisa said they never thought they would still be alive 54 years after the killings.

“I was a young man, barely a year from initiation school and I was very active and strong,” said Matanzima who was 19 at the time.

He said some of the villagers had been told there were livestock thieves spotted on the mountain.

“We collected some youth, armed ourselves with knobkerries and headed to the mountain, not knowing what to expect,” said Matanzima.

Matanzima, an athletic short and long-distance runner at the time, headed to the mountain to catch the “livestock thieves, but could not see anyone.

“But a group of about 25 people came from the foot of the mountain upwards.

“One came straight to me and without saying a word lashed at me with a panga, but missed. I ran as fast as I could and outran all of them.

“On that day I could say my being an athlete paid off. My life was saved by amazing speed,” recalled Matanzima.

Mngqibisa said he was in constant contact with the Poqo members hiding on the mountain and was on his way to join them when the shooting took place.

“The night before, they came to my place and asked to be given four trusted cadres to assist them in the mission and I gave them.”

He said the following day, an alarm was raised in the village that there were attackers hiding in the mountain and every man was summoned to search for them.

“I secretly moved to the other side of the mountain and I came across Poqo commander Albert Shweni who was holding a rifle he had seized from one of the policemen they injured.

“He ordered me to go with the search group which was searching for them,” said Mngqibisa of Tshaka village in Cofimvaba.

Mngqibisa was later arrested and sentenced to 18 years imprisonment.

Both Matanzima and Mngqibisa called for the remains of those killed to be reburied at their homes so that families could have closure.

“These were heroes who sacrificed their lives for freedom which is enjoyed by everyone today. The government must look at the welfare of their families. I know some of them are really struggling,” said Matanzima. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za