Amnesty Hearings — Cape Town — 2000-06-13

UNKNOWN: If you could then go to Mr Botha's statement at bundle B, page 4, bottom of the last three paragraphs at the bottom of the page.  Just let me read to you what Mr Botha says, he says
"While I was still on ice, I gave my red pager to Burger because it was needed by Maree.  One day I received an urgent message on my blue pager to contact Burger at the Protea Gardens Hotel.  Upon my arrival there, Burger, Maree and van Zyl were there.  There were also two unknown persons who were introduced to me as Nick, the new Admin man, and Theo, the Intelligence Officer.  Christo was also there.  I received instruction to accompany van Zyl to Cape Town by car.  Still in the room they showed me a remote control device which we tested there.  The instruction was that van Zyl and I had to transport a package to Cape Town.  We departed for Cape Town the very same evening and knew that it was explosives that we had to transport.  It was said to me by Burger that it was a project of van Zyl and that it was approved by the Chairperson.  On our way van Zyl told me that the package would be handed over to Isgak.  Overnight we arrived at his brother-in-law's flat.  Isgak was contacted to fetch the package the evening.  The following day we met Isgak at the airport.  The package was handed over to him.  He handed over two packages to Isgak.  The one contained the bomb and the one was empty.  I knew that there was a Coloured woman who had to place this bomb in the hall.  The empty bag was for in the event of someone asking her where her bag was, then she would be able to present the empty bag.  Isgak took the bags and left."
	Now he says that the plan was that a Coloured woman would go and place the bomb in the hall, you say the plan was that Gakkie would go and place the bomb in the hall.

MR VAN ZYL: My version is correct.

UNKNOWN: You say - you make no mention of Theo, the Intelligence Officer, being present at this meeting.

MR VAN ZYL: I have made mention of an unknown person attached to the Medical Regiment, it's probably the same person.

UNKNOWN: Someone who is attached to the Medical Regiment and someone who is an Information Officer, can't be the same person.

MR VAN ZYL: It could possibly be the same person.  It was my interpretation of the person whom I thought he was and that may be Kalla's interpretation as to what he thought who the person was.

UNKNOWN: Alright.

CHAIRPERSON: Did you know a person called Theo?

MR VAN ZYL: No.

UNKNOWN: Now, if Botha's source of information was you - 'cause you must have been his source of information as to the plan.

MR VAN ZYL: Correct.

UNKNOWN: Where does he come with this plan that the Coloured woman is going to go and place the bomb in the hall?

MR VAN ZYL: Unfortunately I cannot answer that question.

UNKNOWN: Then let's go back to bundle A, page 112, can you just read paragraphs 50 and 51 into the record, which deals with the steps taken by you until the point that you arrived at the Early Learning Centre.

CHAIRPERSON: Do you have 112A there?

MR VAN ZYL: I have it, Chairperson.  Paragraph 51?

UNKNOWN: No, 50 and 51 please.
MR VAN ZYL
"The same day, 30 August 1989, Botha and I departed in my vehicle to Cape Town with the limpet mine in a cardboard box in the boot.  The remote control I had in my attache case.  On the 31st of August 1989, we arrived in the Cape.  We then slept for approximately four hours and after I awoke, I contacted Isgak and told him to meet me that afternoon at the parking area of DF Malan airport, where I would hand over the limpet mine to him.  In the afternoon I met Isgak at the airport and Botha prepared the limpet mine.  Thereafter the bag in which the limpet mine was placed was placed in the boot of Isgak's vehicle and I gave the following instruction to Isgak.  He had to take the bag with the bomb and place it in a cupboard in the hall in the Early Learning Centre.  The instruction was that Isgak would go directly from the airport and place it in the hall and that the bomb would be activated later that evening after all persons had vacated the premises.  After the placing of the limpet mine he had to return tot he airport to confirm that he had executed his instructions.  The remote control calculator I kept in my possession and I instructed Isgak to meet us at the Bellville Holiday Inn at seven that evening.  At the airport, after Isgak had departed, I informed the Regional Manager that the bomb had been placed and he informed me that the Managing Director would be informed.  At the same time I arranged with the Regional Manager that he would meet us at Jan Smuts airport on the 1st of September 1989, at 01H00.  I planned to go on leave and the evening of the 1st of September 1989, I would go along with my spouse and leave my vehicle at the airport and I would spend two weeks in the Cape on holiday.  Through the course of the afternoon I decided that the remote control device would not be handed over to Isgak.  I was concerned about the fact that he could have placed the mine at any other place than the Early Learning Centre and it could be activated at a place and time of his choice.  I discussed this with Botha and we decided that we would go along to ascertain that the bomb be placed in the correct place.  The evening of the 31st of August 1989, Isgak met Botha and I at the Holiday Inn at 7 o'clock.  We went together in a vehicle to the Early Learning Centre and at approximately a quarter to eight we arrived at the Early Learning Centre.  Isgak pointed out the area there as well as the vehicles of members of the organisation.  Approximately 400m away from the Early Learning Centre we parked and it was already dark.  I sent Isgak into this hall to ensure that the children were out of the hall, because that evening there was a karate class for children.  He had to determine which members of the movement attended the meeting."

UNKNOWN: Alright, can you just stop there before we go into the details of what happened on that night.  Now before the plan was changed, if I can just summarise, neither you nor Botha were going to go to the hall.

MR VAN ZYL: Correct.

UNKNOWN: Why?

MR VAN ZYL: Because those were our instructions.

UNKNOWN: But what was the purpose of the instruction, to - I assume it had to do with avoiding the risk of you being detected or arrested.

MR VAN ZYL: Probably.

UNKNOWN: That Gakkie must place it in a cupboard and then he must return to the airport to tell you that he has done so?  That was the original plan.

MR VAN ZYL: Correct.

UNKNOWN: Now in terms of that plan, when was he to be given the remote device?

MR VAN ZYL: I cannot recall, it would have been at the airport probably, when he reported back that everything was in place, possibly at a later stage.

UNKNOWN: Now you then became worried that he might place it elsewhere and explode it at a place of his choice.

MR VAN ZYL: That is so.

UNKNOWN: What was it that you discovered about him on that day that made you worried that you didn't know before?

MR VAN ZYL: Nothing, absolutely nothing ...(intervention)

UNKNOWN: It was just a feeling that you had.

UNKNOWN: On the spur of the moment.

UNKNOWN: Oh I see, alright.  In other words, you wanted to go with him to see that the bomb had been placed in the right place.

MR VAN ZYL: That's correct.

UNKNOWN: Alright.  Why was the bomb to be placed in the Early Learning Centre in the afternoon, during the afternoon?

MR VAN ZYL: It was part of the planning because he had access to the premises.

UNKNOWN: But he - was it the plan that he only had access in the afternoon?

MR VAN ZYL: I cannot recall, it was the decision that he would place it in the afternoon because he had access to the premises.

UNKNOWN: Were any plans made to make sure that Mr Hardien was not seen while placing the bomb?

MR VAN ZYL: By nature of the situation he was told to ensure that no-one would see him.