Amnesty Hearings — Welkom — 1998-11-19

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Chairperson, it was one of the big meetings during that time before the election.  The final planning would have been done there and the people in the diamond region would then go into action before the elections.

MS VAN DER WALT: And what was discussed at that meeting?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: They discussed - the BKA was present as well as the Volksfront members as well as the AWB, Chairperson.  The discussions were about the evening before the election and that specific evening bombs had to explode in the diamond region.

MS VAN DER WALT: Now if you speak of the BKA, are you referring to the "Boere Krisis Aksie"?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: That is correct, Chairperson.

MS VAN DER WALT: And during that time there was also the Afrikaner Volksfront under General Constand  Viljoen?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: That is correct.

MS VAN DER WALT: And did these other parties also receive instructions?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Yes.

MS VAN DER WALT: What was your instruction?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: My instructions were to create these explosions in Lichtenburg/Sanniehof/Ottersdal region, Chairperson.  And I received a direct instruction that day from General Etsebeth together with the leader, Eugene Terre'blanche to blow up a gas depot and also a railway line, Chairperson.

MS VAN DER WALT: This gas depot, is that the gas depot at Lichtenburg?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: That is correct.

MS VAN DER WALT: Did you receive any further instructions?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: The instructions which I received was that I also had to blow up the railway line.

MS VAN DER WALT: And what about the instructions for General Fourie?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: The instructions which I got earlier that year in Ventersdorp were still my instructions and it was that I had to train people in the use of explosives.

MS VAN DER WALT: And after you received these instructions, did you do anything?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Chairperson, yes.  General Fourie's instructions I followed, I got explosives together, I trained people and the instructions which I received that day with regards to the Lichtenburg gas depot and railway line I did not execute them.

MS VAN DER WALT: And then you started with certain explosions, is that correct?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Yes, Chairperson.

MS VAN DER WALT: Page 50, Chairperson.
	You and Mr Breytenbach, the other applicant then executed a certain operation in Bultfontein.

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: That is correct.

MS VAN DER WALT: What did you do?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Chairperson, according to the information we received an ANC meeting would have taken place at Bultfontein.  Mr Breytenbach and myself then placed a landmine there, Chairperson.

MS VAN DER WALT: Under whose instruction did you do that?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Under the instruction of the leader, Mr Eugene Terre'blanche, Chairperson.

CHAIRPERSON: Sorry, where exactly did you place the mine?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Pardon?

CHAIRPERSON: Where exactly did you place the mine, the landmine?  You said you put a landmine at Bultfontein but where precisely was it, in the street or where?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: At the taxi rank in Bultfontein.  It was at the entrance of the taxi rank, Chairperson, in Bultfontein.

MS VAN DER WALT: What did it look like, this area where the taxi rank was and where exactly did you place the mine?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Chairperson, as far as I remember the taxi rank was at the side of the town in Bultfontein.  The taxi rank had an entrance and an exit and the landmine was planted at the entrance or the exit, I can't remember, I'm not sure, but it was at the gate.

MS VAN DER WALT: What was your purpose, why did you place it there?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: The purpose was because an ANC meeting would have taken place there according to our information and it was in order to create chaos in order to prevent the elections from happening.

MS VAN DER WALT: Very well.  So you've placed this explosive device at the entrance, did you want that a vehicle detonate this landmine?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: That is correct, that is what we wanted to happen.  A vehicle would have created the explosion.

MS VAN DER WALT: And that was your purpose?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: That is correct.

MS VAN DER WALT: And then what happened?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Chairperson, unfortunately a person with a bicycle went over the explosive device and unfortunately he died.  This is the person Kleinbooi Ramolla, is that correct?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: That is correct, Chairperson.

MS VAN DER WALT: Can you remember the date or the month?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: It was in February, I think the 28th Chairperson.

MS VAN DER WALT: Who was with you when you placed this device there?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Mr Piet Breytenbach, the other applicant, Chairperson.

MS VAN DER WALT: It was only the two of you?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Yes, it was only the two of us.

MS VAN DER WALT: You make mention ...(intervention)

INTERPRETER: The speaker's microphone is not on.

CHAIRPERSON: Sorry, Ms van der Walt, you're mike is not on.

MS VAN DER WALT: Sorry.

CHAIRPERSON: I can't get mine off.

MS VAN DER WALT: You mention in paragraph 18 on page 15 that after the instruction of General Fourie you went and placed this bomb there, are these the instructions that you received in February of 1994 in Ventersdorp?  Is this the instruction to which you refer?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: That is correct, Chairperson.

MS VAN DER WALT: Did General Fourie specifically tell you to go to this particular taxi rank or did you have to find your own targets?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Chairperson, according to information that we had, we had to find our own targets, targets were not pointed out for us.

MS VAN DER WALT: But the instruction was to create chaos specifically where ANC/SACP persons would be?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: That is correct.

MS VAN DER WALT: During May of 1994 - paragraph 19, Chairperson, on page 50 ...(intervention)

CHAIRPERSON: Did you say May?

MS VAN DER WALT: I'm sorry?

CHAIRPERSON: Did you say May 1994?

MS VAN DER WALT: No, March.

CHAIRPERSON: March, yes.

MS VAN DER WALT: Sorry.
	Further explosions were caused by you.

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: That is correct.

MS VAN DER WALT: Could you tell the Honourable Chairperson where and how this happened?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Chairperson, this was at Kazee's Cash Store, this was a shop.

MS VAN DER WALT: Where, in which town was this?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: This was in Sannieshof as well as Doringbult Primary School which was previously a white school and this was close to Delareyville as well as the Momoroti Primary School at Ottersdal.

MS VAN DER WALT: Can we then start with Mr Kazee's Cash Store, why did you cause an explosion there?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Because he was a strong supporter of the ANC according to our information.

MS VAN DER WALT: And at the Doringbult Primary School?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Doringbult Primary School was previously a white school, Chairperson, which was handed over.

MS VAN DER WALT: Ja?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: And it became a non-white school.

MS VAN DER WALT: And the Momoroti Primary School?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: The Momoroti Primary School was a school that was built by an AND supporter and was maintained by him.  This was a Mr Beukes in Ottosdal.

MS VAN DER WALT: And these explosive devices according to your application did not detonate?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: That is correct, Chairperson, they didn't explode.

MS VAN DER WALT: So no damage was done to the properties there?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: That is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: Sorry, Mr Strydom, why didn't they explode, were they found and defused or was it just faulty explosives?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Chairperson, most of them were faulty devices.