Zimbabwean national Eugene Madondo is adamant that ANC and Albert Park ward councillor Vusi Khoza was the "ring leader" of the gang that attacked him at the Ventura Africa block of flats last year.
Madondo, who was the first state witness to testify at the start of the trial last year of Khoza and three others, returned to the Durban Regional Court yesterday to answer more questions from defence advocate Mike Mthembu.
Khoza, together with Patricia Ballantyne, 67, Mzokuthoba Mngonyama, 39, and Sean Thabo Jacobs, 24, have been charged with public violence.
They were allegedly part of the group that assembled unlawfully and entered the block of flats in Yusuf Dadoo (Broad) Street with the intention to assault, harass and instill fear in certain residents in January last year.
Jacobs has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly hitting Madondo with a stick or knobkerrie and forcing him off the fifth floor of the building with the intention to kill him. He has also been charged with damaging property - for allegedly breaking doors and windows at the flat.
All four have pleaded not guilty.
Madondo conceded yesterday, in questioning from Mthembu, that he had not mentioned in his statement to police that he recognised the man who had pointed at him and who had told the group that attacked him, "Here is another one". But he insisted that he did in fact see Khoza - the "ring leader" - clearly.
That information was not in his statement to police because it was taken while he was in hospital recovering from the injuries he had sustained in the attack, Madondo said.
"I was in so much pain," he told the court.
At the time of the incident it was reported that a mob had entered Ventura Africa and forced people to jump from the building.
Zimbabwean refugee Victor Zowa, 24, and Tanzanian national Said Omari, 22, died.
Last year, Madondo told the court that a group of men and women, singing and chanting anti-foreigner slogans, and armed with knobkerries, knives and sticks, had entered the block of flats.
He said the leader of the group, who he identified as Khoza, was saying: "We are tired of kwerekweres (a derogatory term for foreigners). We want to teach them a lesson."
According to Madondo, when Khoza saw him the councillor screamed: "Here is another one", and an elderly woman said: "Hit him".
He said Jacobs attacked him and Khoza instructed the men to throw him out.
Madondo recalled being pushed through the window head first.
He said he grabbed onto a pipe and tried to roll down it, but Jacobs hit the pipe with the knobkerrie and the pipe broke.
Madondo told the court he landed on top of one of the two motionless bodies he saw lying on the pavement outside the flat.
As result of the attack, Madondo spent more than a month in hospital and was treated for back injures, a broken leg and a fractured spine.
Yesterday, Mthembu put it to Madondo that he had made up his evidence about being able to see Khoza clearly, and that this was why the information was not in his statement to police.
Madondo responded: "You are mad if that is what you think."
The magistrate, Fariedha Mohamed, adjourned the case to today because other witnesses were not available yesterday.
- Daily News
Madondo, who was the first state witness to testify at the start of the trial last year of Khoza and three others, returned to the Durban Regional Court yesterday to answer more questions from defence advocate Mike Mthembu.
Khoza, together with Patricia Ballantyne, 67, Mzokuthoba Mngonyama, 39, and Sean Thabo Jacobs, 24, have been charged with public violence.
They were allegedly part of the group that assembled unlawfully and entered the block of flats in Yusuf Dadoo (Broad) Street with the intention to assault, harass and instill fear in certain residents in January last year.
Jacobs has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly hitting Madondo with a stick or knobkerrie and forcing him off the fifth floor of the building with the intention to kill him. He has also been charged with damaging property - for allegedly breaking doors and windows at the flat.
All four have pleaded not guilty.
Madondo conceded yesterday, in questioning from Mthembu, that he had not mentioned in his statement to police that he recognised the man who had pointed at him and who had told the group that attacked him, "Here is another one". But he insisted that he did in fact see Khoza - the "ring leader" - clearly.
That information was not in his statement to police because it was taken while he was in hospital recovering from the injuries he had sustained in the attack, Madondo said.
"I was in so much pain," he told the court.
At the time of the incident it was reported that a mob had entered Ventura Africa and forced people to jump from the building.
Zimbabwean refugee Victor Zowa, 24, and Tanzanian national Said Omari, 22, died.
Last year, Madondo told the court that a group of men and women, singing and chanting anti-foreigner slogans, and armed with knobkerries, knives and sticks, had entered the block of flats.
He said the leader of the group, who he identified as Khoza, was saying: "We are tired of kwerekweres (a derogatory term for foreigners). We want to teach them a lesson."
According to Madondo, when Khoza saw him the councillor screamed: "Here is another one", and an elderly woman said: "Hit him".
He said Jacobs attacked him and Khoza instructed the men to throw him out.
Madondo recalled being pushed through the window head first.
He said he grabbed onto a pipe and tried to roll down it, but Jacobs hit the pipe with the knobkerrie and the pipe broke.
Madondo told the court he landed on top of one of the two motionless bodies he saw lying on the pavement outside the flat.
As result of the attack, Madondo spent more than a month in hospital and was treated for back injures, a broken leg and a fractured spine.
Yesterday, Mthembu put it to Madondo that he had made up his evidence about being able to see Khoza clearly, and that this was why the information was not in his statement to police.
Madondo responded: "You are mad if that is what you think."
The magistrate, Fariedha Mohamed, adjourned the case to today because other witnesses were not available yesterday.
- Daily News
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