Amnesty Hearings — Pietermaritzburg — 1997-02-10

ANSWER: They said that we were to combat the enemy with all our might and we were told that were we to get into trouble, Major Terblanche said that if we were to get into trouble at any stage he would be there for us, he would protect us.

UNKNOWN: Could we just stop there.  If the need arose, who said that?

ANSWER: Major Terblanche said that he would protect me if I should up being charged with murder or anything like that.

UNKNOWN: After this deed was exposed, were there any officers who questioned you about it?

ANSWER: Yes, from the Murder and Robbery Unit.

UNKNOWN: From your own division?

ANSWER: No.

UNKNOWN: What was the attitude of your Commanding Officer?
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ANSWER: /...
MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE	80	F S ERASMUS

ANSWER: To be quite honest, since I was arrested the Commanding Officer who we had at the time did not even come and see us and the guys whom I worked with, the subordinates came to see me, but the Commanding Officers distanced themselves.

UNKNOWN: Did they discipline you for what you did?

ANSWER: They distanced themselves.

UNKNOWN: But did they discipline you?

ANSWER: No.

UNKNOWN: You were supervising an ANC gathering that day.

ANSWER: That is correct.

UNKNOWN: When had the ANC become legal?

ANSWER: If I remember correctly early in March.

UNKNOWN: ... related to the past.   The policies of the government had now changed.  That is so, isn't it?

ANSWER: We were never informed about it.  The people around us said that we should continue as usual, and as I say, in 1990 the ANC  was unbanned but we continued as usual.  No one said to us that we should stop all these assaults and those practices.  We just proceeded as usual.

UNKNOWN: (Inaudible)   You supervised ANC gatherings.  You allowed them to happen legally in front of your nose.  That is not what happened earlier, is it?

ANSWER: Yes, that is correct, I was merely executing instructions from my seniors.

UNKNOWN: You submitted a representation to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, do you remember that?
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ANSWER: ./...
MEMBER OF COMMITTEE	81	F S ERASMUS

ANSWER: Yes.

UNKNOWN: (Inaudible) do you know that?

ANSWER: Yes.

UNKNOWN: Discuss your submissions with him?

ANSWER: There are certain points which we discussed.  I would not say the entire submission.  We did not always work on the same shift.  We worked different shifts sometimes.  If I remember correctly, late 1990 or early 1991 when we joined the relief squad, there were things in which he was involved in which I was not involved with.  So there are certain aspects where I was not involved and where he was involved.

UNKNOWN: ... in November of last year did you discuss with one another what submissions you were going to make?

ANSWER: At the Truth and Reconciliation Commission at the City Hall?

UNKNOWN: (Inaudible)

ANSWER: That is correct.

UNKNOWN: You discussed with one another what you were going to say.

ANSWER: Yes, we did.

UNKNOWN: Did you read one another's submissions?

ANSWER: Yes, Sir.

CHAIRPERSON: We will adjourn at this stage and resume at 09:30 tomorrow morning.
COMMISSION ADJOURNS
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PROCEEDINGS ON 11.2.1997