Amnesty Hearings — Pretoria — UNKNOWN

CHAIRPERSON: You may proceed, Mr De Bruin.
MR DE BRUIN
"  I, the undersigned, Gert Johannes Jakobus de Bruin, declare with this as follows.
	   I am an adult male person, currently living in Westonaria.   My identity number is 60072050700008. 
	   I know the two applicants in the amnesty application, namely James Wheeler and Corrie Pyper.  I had met them in 1992 at the Elsburg Mine, when all three of us were employed there.
	   I matriculated in 1978 from the Riebeek High School in Randfontein.  After that, I completed two years compulsory military duty at Potchefstroom, Bloemfontein and Pretoria.   Initially I was trained as a field artillery officer at Potchefstroom, and after that as a parabat in Bloemfontein, after which I remained in the parabat corps, and after that I was transferred to Pretoria.   After that, I also completed military camps in terms of the Defence Act and remained in the parachute corps, and more specifically 44 Parachute Brigade.   
	   My parents have always been very conservative and my father was a founding member and active supporter of the Herstigte Nasionale Party.   In my parents' home, I initially from a very early age came into contact with political discussion and the politics of the country.
	   During my military service, the ANC/SACP were identified to us as the most important terrorist enemy of the existing constitutional dispensation in South Africa and we were trained to combat this alliance.
	   General Constand Viljoen was, during my military service, a prominent leadership figure in the South African Defence Force, as well as Jan Breitenbach, who was the commanding officer of 44 Parachute Brigade.   I remember very clearly how, before we became involved with an operation, Colonel Breitenbach addressed us and emphasised the danger of the ANC/SACP alliance, as well as how important it was that the foot soldiers of this alliance be destroyed for civilisation and order in South Africa.   Therefore, as a soldier I was thoroughly schooled and informed regarding the threat of the ANC/SACP.  
	   Against the aforementioned backdrop, it is clear why I became so intensively involved in conservative or rightist organisations.   Since 1982, I was a member of the Mine Workers Union.   Since 1982, a youth member of the Herstigte Nasionale Party.    Since 1989, a member of the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging, and since 1989 also a member of the Boerestaat Party and the Order Boerevolk, which was related to the Boerestaat Party.  I attach copies of my AWB membership's certificate and a certificate of the Order Boerevolk as Annexures A and B respectively.
	   At the time of the general elections in 1987 and 1989, I was also a supporter of the Conservative Party, although I was never a registered member of the party.  I supported the party during electoral times in the constituency Carletonville, because there was not a Herstigte Nasionale Party candidate for the parliamentary election and also because the CP candidate for Carletonville at that time, Mr Ari Paulus, was a well-known former chief secretary of the Mine Workers Union.
	   I was never an officer in the AWB.   I had regular contact with the officers of the movement and was an active member of the movement.   I assume that James Wheeler and Corrie Pyper possibly had the impression, from this involvement with the officers of the AWB, that I myself was also an AWB officer.
	   I confirm that I attended various AWB and CP meetings on the West Rand with the applicants.   I also confirm that at these meetings it was unambivalently stated by AWB and CP speakers that both the AWB and the CP were opposed to an ANC/SACP government takeover of South Africa, because it would effectively bring about a black communist government over whites in South Africa.   I also confirm that at certain of these meetings there were discussions regarding white farmers who were being murdered by black people and that it was thought to be an action to drive white farmers from their land.   Also, at some of these meetings, mention was made about the Church Street bombing, the Magoos Bar bombing, as well as the attack on the church in Cape Town.   Several times it was emphasised that these incidents had occurred as a result of a terrorist onslaught against the existing constitutional order in South Africa.    Especially the AWB called whites in to prepare themselves against this terrorist onslaught against themselves, as well as to prepare themselves for a freedom struggle which lay ahead.   I remember quite clearly how Mr Eugene Terreblanche, the chief leader of the AWB, at various incidents where I was present, said that during the same night when the ANC would take over the government of the country, the AWB would take it back with violence.   At various meetings, Mr Terreblanche called us up to prepare for the freedom struggle which lay ahead and encouraged us to make ourselves, or to arm ourselves for this.
	   Against the abovementioned background, myself and the two applicants met at our respective homes quite a number of times and I encouraged them to collect emergency supplies and ammunition.   I did this as well.   
	   At both AWB meetings and within the Mine Workers Union, I heard that there was an ability among the white workers countrywide to cripple the country overnight by breaking up strategic services.   The motivation for this possible action was found within the undemocratic actions of Mr F W de Klerk and his government, which were keeping white voters in the dark regarding their idea to hand over the country to an ANC/SACP government without protecting the interests of the whites.   In the discussions which were held in the abovementioned, consensus was achieved that it would not serve any purpose to participate in a one man one vote election, because it would provide legitimacy to the elections and the new constitutional dispensation which was agreed to between the ANC and the National Party.
	   Shortly before this and on the election day, it was reported in the media that certain bomb explosions had taken place on the Witwatersrand.   On the election day the two applicants arrived at my home and among others we discussed the media reports regarding the bomb explosions.   I told the two applicants that the boere's resistance had begun and that more explosions would occur.   I said this because I regarded this as a logical inference against the backdrop of this, which had been conveyed to us especially at AWB meetings regarding the proposed freedom struggle because of the power takeover by the ANC/SACP and the fact that the bomb explosions had occurred as a reaction against the election.   This was according to the media reports.  I cannot remember the exact elections and what we regarded as a giving over of power to the ANC/SACP alliance.   We were called up to offer resistance to this and to become engaged in a freedom struggle, but no-one specified that in detail.
	   After we had discussed this for quite a while, the two applicants left my residence.   To the best of my recollection, my family and I spent the rest of the day with my parents in Randfontein.
	   The next day, at my place of employment I heard that the two applicants had been arrested for murder after they had allegedly shot dead the driver of a kombi on the West Rand and had wounded another person.   
	   I have the original of the statements in my possession, so I would like to ask leave to submit this to the panel for the original bundle."

CHAIRPERSON: Yes, thank you, Mr Prinsloo.

MR PRINSLOO: Chairperson, this is the only question which I would like to pose to Mr De Bruin.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MR PRINSLOO

CHAIRPERSON: Mr De Koning, Mr Botha, do you want to do the same order as ...(intervention).

MR DE KONING: I would prefer that, thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Botha, do you have any objections?

MR BOTHA: No objections.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.   Yes, Mr Botha.