The Callous Murder of Cassius Maake and Paul Dikeledi
On 9 July 1987, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) Regional Chief of Operations, Paul Dikeledi (real name Peter Sello Motau) welcomed the African National Congress (ANC) National Executive Committee (NEC) member, Cassius Maake (real name Job Shimankana Tabane), and Eliza Tsineni Augusto, a Mozambican national and ANC supporter, as they arrived at Matsapha Airport, in Swaziland, on a Lesotho Airways flight from Mozambique.
The three then got into a Colt Gallant with a “Maza Taxi” sticker imprinted on its doors, as they were driven away by the taxi driver, Sipho Gamedze. As the taxi took a turn to the University of Swaziland, a white BMW with Transvaal number plates was following behind. When the taxi passed the Usushwana Bridge near the Swazi King Mswati II’s royal palace, the BMW flashed its lights, which prompted the Colt Gallant to stop. Immediately the occupants of the BMW rushed out of the car and began spraying the taxi with gunfire, instantly killing Augusto, Maake and Dikeledi, but sparing Gamedze. The entire incident occurred in broad daylight.
The same apartheid Security Police officers who were involved in the murder of Theophilus “Viva” Dlodlo were involved, and these were Colonel Johan Botha and Warrant Officer Lappies Labuschagne, belonging to the Security Branch of Middleburg. The two police officers moved to a flat next to Sheila Nyanda’s, and were pretending to be South African university students
