SAHRC hears how Phoenix unrest victims were shot, hacked
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) on Wednesday afternoon heard evidence from Sandile Magwaza.
It’s Day 3 of the hearings into the civil unrest that rocked KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng earlier this year.
Magwaza says a group of men attacked him and his 8 friends, who included first witness Ntethelelo Mkhize.
They were travelling through Phoenix to Cornubia.
They were stopped and searched at a makeshift roadblock where they were verbally abused, shot at and some stabbed.
Sandile Magwaza described to the panel the gruesome moments he witnessed from the riverside people being hacked and shot.
"At that stage, we were still able to see the ones that had been shot at. They had not just shot at them only and that was it. They were still continuing to hack them with bush knives and we were able to see that."
He said he hid from the attackers by the riverside until the next morning.
Magwaza said there were few others hiding with him when one decided to leave, only to be caught by the attackers.
"As we was going, he went on top of the bridge and then the Indians shot at him and then they set dogs on him and Zwide decided to remain.
"Jiyane so decided to join Manene by leaving. When he had left he was also shot at and we could see them they actually tied him up in their garden with wires. We could see that."
