Amnesty Hearings — Durban — 1999-08-23

J A STEYN: Chairperson, as I said, I did not know how he convinced himself, or undertaken to do this himself.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MR VISSER
WITNESS EXCUSED

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.  I understand the next witness has been waiting here for part of last week, and for the whole of today.  Can we see if we can now dispose of him.

SATHYANDRANATH RAGUNANAN MAC MAHARAJ: Sorry, Chairperson, do you really intend to dispose of me?

CHAIRPERSON: Not in quite that way perhaps.

MS POSWA: Mr Chair, we had asked that we would need time to consult with our witness, so can we do so?  If you can just give us the next 20 minutes?

CHAIRPERSON: Well we'll give you as short a time as you can do it in because you have the long adjournment.  Let us know when you are ready.

MS POSWA: Thank you, Mr Chair.
COMMITTEE ADJOURNS
ON RESUMPTION

CHAIRPERSON: Are you calling your witness?

MS POSWA: Yes, Mr Chair.

CHAIRPERSON: Who?

MS POSWA: Mr Chair, I call Mr Maharaj.
SEPTEMBER ...(indistinct) MAHARAJ: (sworn states)

MS POSWA: Mr Chair I'd like to incorporate Mr Maharaj's statement which I had given earlier to the Evidence Leader.  I don't know what exhibit number it will be marked as.

MS THABETHE: F.

MS POSWA: Exhibit F.

MR LAX: The next one would be I or J depending on what your particular preference is Chairperson.

CHAIRPERSON: Well I, at the end of my bundle, I have H and then I have statement by Mrs Zanyana Ndaba.

MR LAX: That's not before us yet, Chairperson.

MS THABETHE: Sorry, Mr Chair, I made a mistake.  It should be I, Exhibit I.

MR LAX: Which one should be I?

MS THABETHE: The statement by Mr Maharaj.

MR LAX: Okay.  That's it, yes.

CHAIRPERSON: Right.

MS POSWA: Mr Maharaj, kindly introduce your role and experience in Umkhonto weSizwe.

SATHYANDRANATH RAGUNANAN MAC MAHARAJ: Chairperson, I joined Umkhonto weSizwe at its formation.  I went off for military training, 11 months training in the German Democratic Republic, in 1961 to 62.  I then came into the country, served in various underground structures including those of the Communist Party, of which I became member of the Central Committee.  I served in Umkhonto weSizwe and just before my arrest had been selected to become the Political Commissar of Umkhonto weSizwe.
	I served 12 years in prison, came out, was house arrested in Durban, escaped from house arrest 6 months later and went to Zambia where I was appointed secretary to the Internal Reconstruction department of the ANC which was the name for the ANC as it operated illegally within South Africa, as distinct from the ANC's external structures around the world.  I joined the Revolutionary Council which was charged with prosecuting the military political struggle within South Africa.  I then became elected member of the National Executive of the ANC and when the Political Military Council was appointed, I was member of the Political Military Council.  
	In the course of that work as the secretary of the ANC underground, I was selected by Pres Tambo to lead Operation Vula.  It was mandated by a decision of the National Executive in 1986 and I was charged by Pres Tambo together with Joe Slovo and himself, to develop the strategy for such an operation, covering not just Vulangela but any such operation within South Africa.

MS POSWA: Would you, may I interject there Mr Maharaj?  Would you, in the light of all this experience, regard yourself as a military expert?

SATHYANDRANATH RAGUNANAN MAC MAHARAJ: That would be a matter for the Commission to decide, but I was going to say Chairperson that after that, having been selected to command Operation Vula, I did refresher military courses in the Soviet Union, in Cuba, and the German Democratic Republic.  I also did Intelligence training in the German Democratic Republic and the Soviet Union, so in the light of my training and in the light of my experience, I think I'm as capable as any of the applicants to talk, not just on police matters, but on military matters.

MS POSWA: Thank you.  Could you then just briefly outline your role in Operation Vula?

SATHYANDRANATH RAGUNANAN MAC MAHARAJ: I was saying that when the National Executive mandated Pres Tambo to mount such operations, the resolution of the National Executive entrusted it to Pres Tambo and that he would be assisted by Joe Slovo.  In pursuance of that resolution that very day, Pres Tambo approached me and three of us sat down and I was asked to drop the strategy position as to how we would execute such operations.  That was finally thrashed out as a framework and Pres Tambo then informed me that he was selecting me to be the first of the groups to go inside the country.  My role then in Vula was under the President's guidance, to develop the strategy, develop the plans and carry out the infrastructure work that would enable such an operation to succeed and I then became the person who entered the country together with Gen Siphiwe Nyanda who was my Deputy commander in charge of that operation.
	We entered the country on a semi-permanent basis together in July 1988.

MS POSWA: Mr Maharaj, can you just outline for us the screening or vetting process of persons involved in the operation?

SATHYANDRANATH RAGUNANAN MAC MAHARAJ: Operation Vula by its very name, was an extremely secret operation.  The National Executive in mandating the President to conduct the operation gave him an open mandate and indicated that he would file reports only in the way he saw fit without endangering the lives and identities of any of the senior members of the movement who would be operating in South Africa.  So we operated under those terms.  People who were selected at the highest levels had to have very clear legends, legends not just within the ANC but legends capable of misleading the South African Intelligence system as to our whereabouts.  The screening had to be thorough.  It was not just the technical training that was involved.  There was involved competence, experience and capacity to interchange between the roles of political work and military work.
	So, the screen process that went on before I left Zambia was that I had a personal hand in the screening and after I left Zambia in our communications, we would exchange views with the President as to our requirements of personnel and we would indicate our own preferences based on our knowledge of cadres.  Lusaka would, in the meantime, also recommend cadres to us and request our views as to whether we would be prepared to have such a person join our structures within the country.

MS POSWA: And Mr Maharaj, it was upon this basis that Mr Charles Ndaba was hand-picked onto the operation?

SATHYANDRANATH RAGUNANAN MAC MAHARAJ: Correct.

MS POSWA: Did you have personal knowledge of Mr Ndaba?

SATHYANDRANATH RAGUNANAN MAC MAHARAJ: I have met Charles probably about 6 times in the course of our work and in the course of his work before he was under my command.  I came across him in Swaziland, when he was working in the Natal military machinery, that is the structure charged with prosecuting the military aspect of the struggle within the province of Natal.  I also came across him thereafter within the country, but without divulging my identity.  I was operating in South Africa with a different identity from my normal appearance and walked through the streets of South Africa without many, many of my comrades recognising me.  In fact some of the underground cadres who were brought in from outside and when I met them face to face, were not aware of my true identity.

MS POSWA: What would your comments be as we have been sitting here for the past few days, you have heard the evidence of both Mr Botha and Mr Steyn.  What would your reaction be to the fact that Mr Ndaba was an informer?