TRUTH COMMISSION: re: General Johan van der Merwe's statement cont. DIRTY-TRICKS STRATEGY; BOMBING OF KHOTSO HOUSE INSTRUCTION FROM PRES. PW BOTHA VIA ADRIAAN VLOK

Record ID: 893646

  • Title: TRUTH COMMISSION: re: General Johan van der Merwe's statement cont. DIRTY-TRICKS STRATEGY; BOMBING OF KHOTSO HOUSE INSTRUCTION FROM PRES. PW BOTHA VIA ADRIAAN VLOK
  • Date: 21st October 1996
  • Summary: TRUTH COMMISSION: re: General Johan van der Merwe's statement cont. DIRTY-TRICKS STRATEGY; BOMBING OF KHOTSO HOUSE INSTRUCTION FROM PRES. PW BOTHA VIA ADRIAAN VLOK
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  • City: JOHANNESBURG
  • Country: South Africa
  • Reuters ID: 96OCT21R04
  • Story Text:TRUTH COMMISSION HEARING AT CITY HALL JOHANNESBURG re: General Johan van der Merwe continues reading statement on behalf of former Commissioners of Police: Generals Mike Geldenhuys, Johan Coetzee, Hennie de Witt - subpoenaed to give evidence in support of 5 amnesty applicants: Cronje, Venter, Hechter, Mentz & Van Vuuren

    04.05.30 STATISTICS POLICEMEN KILLED 1973 TO 1993
    04.06.27 RE ANC ATTACKS ON POLICEMEN ...after due consideration of all the relvant facts I decided that the only way the black members could be protected against such attacks was to ensure that the activists were provided with handgrenades which had been suitably modified...shortened time-delay...
    04.06.44 RE: DIRTY-TRICKS STARTEGY...I then made a recommendation to this effect to the then Commissioner of Police General Johan Coetzee who in turn presented the recommendation to Minister Louis le Grange who was then Minister of Police. Minister Le Grange approved the relevant recommendation...
    04.07.01 ...I thereafter discussed the matter with Brig Jack Cronje & duly delegated the execution of the task to him. He was pertinently instructed to ensure that the modified handgrenades reached the group of activists under the guise of having been furnished by the ANC but under no circumstances was any incitement to commit an offence therewith to take place...
    04.07.24 RE: DAVEYTON AVTIVISTS...a number of handgrenades & a limpet mine were later channelled to the group of activists through a certain person who had contact with them. It later transpired that a number of these activists were killed & injured when they launched a series of armed attacks against the homes of policemen resident in the area. Another activist was also killed when attempting to sabotage an electrical sub-station by using a limpet mine...
    04.07.46 RE: BOMBING OF KHOTSO HOUSE [ANC HEADQUARTERS] During 1988 I received an instruction from Mr Adriaan Vlok then Minister of Law & Order to the effect that the building known as Khotso House was to be damaged by explosives to such an extent that it could no longer be utilized.
    04.07.58 According to Mr Vlok this instruction had come from President PW Botha personally. It was common knowledge within the security circles at the time that the building concerned served as a sort of internal headquarters of the ANC where resistance campaigns, unrest & violence were planned...
    04.08.37 ...Minister Vlok was emphatic in stating that the maximum effort must be made to ensure that no lives were put at risk when carrying out the operation. I duly delegated the instruction to Brigadier Willem Schoon who at that stage commanded the Vlakplaas Unit and once again emphasised the question of not putting lives at risk. The instruction was duly carried out at a later date and the building was so badly damaged that it was rendered non-usable....
    04.10.09 END OF STATEMENT
    04.10.54 ROELOF DU PLESSIS [ADVOCATE FOR APPLICANTS]
    ASKING GENERAL VAN DER MERWE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ATTACHED DOCUMENT SIGNED BY FORMER COMMISSIONERS OF POLICE: GENERALS MIKE GELDENHUYS, JOHAN COETZEE, HENNIE DE WITT & JOHAN VAN DER MERWE
    04.14.31 YOU & OTHER COMMISSIONERS/GENERALS ARE SAYING THAT YOU ARE MORALLY OBLIGED TO ACCEPT COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THOSE ACTS OR INCIDENTS DURING PERIOD 1979 TO 31 MARCH 1995?
    04.15.19 EXPLAINING THE STRUCTURE OF THE SECURITY BRANCH
    04.24.11 EXPLAINING HIERACHY
    04.31.38 WHO DID YOU RECEIVE YOUR INSTRUCTIONS FROM?
    04.33.50 ASKING HIM QUESTIONS REGARDING BOOBY-TRAPPED HANDGRENADES
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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