Amnesty Hearings — Pietermaritzburg — UNKNOWN

WITNESS:   Before I got to be able to pick up any doppies there were doppies picked up by another two policemen that were with us, that were then placed by me in the van, in the patrol

SISI KHAMPEPE: /van.  But

SISI KHAMPEPE: van.  But they weren't handed in at that time.

SISI KHAMPEPE: And this, I presume, only happened some time later that morning, the picking up of the doppies by the police who came in.

WITNESS:   Yes, it only happened when we returned back later that morning.

SISI KHAMPEPE: Why, Mr Mitchell, did you not after the operation act in accordance with the instructions from your captain immediately after the operation had been launched by the special constables?

WITNESS:   Ja.  No, the idea was that - it wasn't that we do it - they had people within themselves, or they had their own people that launched the attack that picked up doppies, but it was doppies that were missed during the attack that afterwards must be picked up.

SISI KHAMPEPE: Now, after the attack did you instruct these special constables to check how many terrorists had been killed at House TF83?

WITNESS:   No, I did not.

SISI KHAMPEPE: Why not?

WITNESS:   No, because it was a matter of launching the attack and then pulling out immediately.  It wasn't - it was - I don't know what you can call it.  Ja, launching it and then pulling out immediately.

SISI KHAMPEPE: Is it not also true that you couldn't have been able to pick up the doppies that night because you also were not sure of the house?  If you were not present at the time of the attack then you didn't know which house had been attacked.

WITNESS:   No.  No, the idea was that we return the next - when I returned the next morning in the daylight hours then I would pick up the doppies.

WILSON J: From the evidence that was led there would have been no difficulty in finding the house that night, would there?  There were people screaming, there was great

WILSON J: /alarm.

WILSON J: alarm.

WITNESS:   No, that is correct, M'Lord.

SISI KHAMPEPE: Are you aware, Mr Mitchell, of any other operations which were conducted by other station commanders within the district of Pietermaritzburg of a similar nature?

WITNESS:   No, I am not personally aware of it.  I was - as I say I only operated in New Hanover area at that time when I was a station commander.

SISI KHAMPEPE: Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr du Toit, any re-examination?

MR DU TOIT: No, no re-examination.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MR DU TOIT

WILSON J: I just want to make this - to be quite ... (incomplete - end of Side B, Tape 4) ... been at the meeting at Morawa House.  Now you say you were there.

WITNESS:   No, M'Lord, no, I didn't sit on in the meeting.  In other words the meeting that David Ntombela and Mr Gabela and the other members had was private.  Myself and Captain Terblanche stood outside.  We never attended the meeting personally.

WILSON J: But you've been giving evidence here about what was said at that meeting.

WITNESS:   No, Sir.  It was things that were said to me by Major Terblanche, and it was things that was said to me by Mr Gabela when we left there on our way back to New Hanover.

WILSON J: Because, you see, at various times in your evidence you said things like - and I quote from page 438 of the record,

WILSON J: "M'Lord, I can only maybe only say that it was the affects of the liquor and what I heard from the meeting at Morawa House that prompted me to come to this

WILSON J: /"decision."

WILSON J: "decision."

WILSON J: ---   Yes, that is correct, but I never physically sat in on the whole meeting.  Let's say - because I explained to you that Captain Terblanche spoke to David Ntombela, and then after that - after they had spoken there Mr Gabela and them went in.

WILSON J: Page 440, line 21,

WILSON J: "M'Lord, I went to the meeting at Morawa House, and what I heard at this meeting put certain - perceived  me to see certain things as I explained to the Court."

WILSON J: ---   Yes, that is correct, Sir.

CHAIRPERSON: (Inaudible)

MR DU TOIT: I have no re-examination.

CHAIRPERSON: Pardon?

MR DU TOIT: No re-examination, thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Yes.  I understand you're not calling any other witnesses.

MR DU TOIT: This will be the only witness in support of the application.
CASE FOR THE APPLICANT

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Brink, just to place on record ... (incomplete)

MR BRINK: I am calling no witnesses.

CHAIRPERSON: Calling no witnesses.
CASE FOR THE RESPONDENT

CHAIRPERSON: (Inaudible) ... prepared to address the Commission?
/MR DU TOIT