Amnesty Hearings — Durban — 2000-09-04

MR MOERANE: With Chairperson's permission I now call to the stand Mr Dhanpal Naidoo.

DHANPAL NAIDOO: (sworn states)

DHANPAL NAIDOO: Thank you Chairperson.
	Mr Naidoo, are you also called Ricky?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: That is correct.

MR MOERANE: You seek amnesty for the two events or incidents 17 and 18 in bundle 1, that is the attack on the Magistrate's Court, Chatsworth and the attack on Mr Rajbansi's house?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: That is correct.

MR MOERANE: Were you part of the same unit as Mr Derek Naidoo?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: No Sir.

MR MOERANE: You were not.  Did you belong to any unit?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: Yes I was commander of a unit consisting of myself, Patrick Lerang who is now deceased and Phila Ndwandwe who subsequently was murdered by the Security Forces.

MR MOERANE: Yes.  And who was your commander?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: Veejay Ramlakan.

MR MOERANE: That is Dr Ramlakan who applied for amnesty earlier today?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: That is correct.

MR MOERANE: Do you associate yourself with the motives deposed to by Dr Ramlakan?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: Yes.

MR MOERANE: And you also subscribe to the reasons that he gave for the selection of the two targets?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: That is correct.

MR MOERANE: With regard to Mr Rajbansi, did you have any personal grudge against him, did you bear him any ill will or spite?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: Not at all.

MR MOERANE: Did you know him personally?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: No Sir.

MR MOERANE: What was your role in the Magistrate's Court incident?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: My role in my unit and reporting to my commander Veejay Ramlakan was in the capacity of logistics and support.  I'd agreed to meet with them at a point in Chatsworth where I delivered a parcel to him which was comprising explosives.

MR MOERANE: So you provided the explosive device?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: To Veejay Ramlakan, yes.

MR MOERANE: And what was your role in the matter relating to Mr Rajbansi's residence?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: Similar to the Chatsworth Court experience, I'd met Veejay Ramlakan and delivered a similar parcel to him.

MR MOERANE: Did you derive any financial or material benefit from these two actions or two incidents?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: Definitely not.

MR MOERANE: You were not convicted of these offences?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: No.

MR MOERANE: Yes.  That is the evidence, Chairperson.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MR MOERANE

MS CAMBANIS: Thank you Chairperson.
	You too, did you have any contact with the applicant Raymond Lalla in relation to these events for which you apply?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: Not at all.

MS CAMBANIS: Thank you Chairperson.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MS CAMBANIS

MS MOHAMED: I have no questions.
NO QUESTIONS BY MS MOHAMED

MR MAPOMA: What was your involvement, if any, in the bombing of the Chatsworth Magistrate's Court?

MR MAPOMA: I delivered a parcel to Veejay Ramlakan as I indicated earlier, that was as far as I was aware of the bomb.

MR MAPOMA: Were you aware that it was going to be used in that operation?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: Not at that point in time, no.

MR MAPOMA: Did you later learn then that it was in fact used in that operation?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: It was much later after the processes of  Veejay
Ramlakan's trial.

MR MAPOMA: Thank you Chairperson, no further questions.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MR MAPOMA

MR LAX: At the time you handed him both these two parcels, were you aware that he was going to use them or other cadres might use them to cause some explosion or other?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: As Veejay Ramlakan indicated earlier to the Commission, it was simply an instruction to bring the parcel to him.  I didn't question my orders.

MR LAX: Yes, I'm not asking whether you questioned your orders, but if you're an average human being of average intelligence and someone says to you bring me a limpet mine, to me it would seem pretty obvious that that limpet mine would then be used somewhere?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: Sure.

MR LAX: And you must have foreseen that?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: It would have been in the nature of our operations.

MR LAX: Precisely.  Thank you Chairperson.

CHAIRPERSON: Were these limpet mines that you delivered?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: Sorry, Sir?

CHAIRPERSON: Were they limpet mines that you delivered?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: Yes that is correct.

MR LAX: Sorry, just one other thing.  Where did you get them from?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: It was from the place that where I resided.

MR LAX: So you were in charge of ordinance?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: Yes, logistics and supply.

MR LAX: Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: Well where did they come from?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: From Veejay Ramlakan.  We shared the residence together.

CHAIRPERSON: Did he provide the limpet mines and you stored them?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: Yes.

MR SIBANYONI: So it would appear you acted like you were a courier?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: That is correct.

MR SIBANYONI: Thank you Mr Chairperson.

MR MOERANE: Did you have any dealings with Mr Raymond Metheraj?

DHANPAL NAIDOO: Not directly.

MR MOERANE: Not directly, I see.  I have no further questions.

CHAIRPERSON: Sorry, any dealings with who?

MR MOERANE: Mr Raymond Metheraj Saclou.
	Thank you, may the witness be excused?  Thank you.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MR MOERANE
WITNESS EXCUSED