Amnesty Hearings — Welkom — 1998-11-19

MS VAN DER WALT: So did you become more active in the AWB?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Yes, that's correct, Chairperson.

MS VAN DER WALT: When was that?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: In 1993 I really became active within the AWB.

MS VAN DER WALT: If you say active, what exactly do you want to tell the Committee, what does that imply?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Chairperson, in those years I received instructions from my fighting General to start with the explosive gathering and also to start training the people in the use thereof.

MS VAN DER WALT: You speak of the General, is this the General under whose command you functioned?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Yes, that is correct.

MS VAN DER WALT: Who was he?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: General Nico Fourie, Chairperson.

MS VAN DER WALT: And were you in a specific division of the AWB?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: That is correct.

MS VAN DER WALT: Which was that?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: We were a special force of the AWB with the aim to identify the insurgents of the AWB, people who infiltrated the AWB.

MS VAN DER WALT: What exactly do you mean?  Were these people who infiltrated the AWB which you then had to identify?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: That is correct, Chairperson, people from other parties, for example the ANC or the National Party, Chairperson.

CHAIRPERSON: Sorry, Mr Strydom, did that special force have a name?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: We were known as the Special Forces.

CHAIRPERSON: Sorry, Ms van der Walt.
	Were you working at that time or were you involved fulltime with the activities of the movement, the AWB?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Chairperson, I did work at that stage, I was a traffic official.

MS VAN DER WALT: Where were you a traffic official?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: In 1993 I was a traffic official on Ottosdal, Chairperson.

MS VAN DER WALT: And these Special Forces which fell under the command of General Fourie, who were these people?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Chairperson, there was a person who fell directly under the command of Fourie.  We knew him as Oscar, I didn't have another name for him.  There was also - we were several people from several districts.  There was Piet Prinsloo from Bloemfontein, Johan van Zyl from Khalahari district, Johan Welgemoed who is now deceased was in the Zululand district and myself for the diamond district, Chairperson.

MS VAN DER WALT: This diamond region, which area did this entail?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: It was mostly the Western Transvaal and also parts of the Free State, for example, Hoopstad and more.

MS VAN DER WALT: Very well.  Why were there different people from different regions who fell under the command of General Fourie?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: It was in order for us to present courses all over the country.  All the people were experts in explosives.

MS VAN DER WALT: So you did not only act against anti-insurgence units but you gave training in explosives?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: That is correct.

MS VAN DER WALT: Did you have any members under your command?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Yes.

MS VAN DER WALT: Who were they?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Mr Piet Breytenbach and he is also applying for amnesty, and also Mr Piet Wessels.

MS VAN DER WALT: So this happened in your region, the diamond region?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: That is correct.

MS VAN DER WALT: And both these people, were they both members of the AWB?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: That is correct, Chairperson.

MS VAN DER WALT: What was your rank when you were in command of these members as part of the Special  Forces?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: I had the rank of Kommandant during that time.

MS VAN DER WALT: And the other applicant, Mr Piet Breytenbach, what was his rank?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Originally he was a Field Cornet but by the time we started our activities he had the rank of Kommandant as well, Chairperson.

MS VAN DER WALT: But he was under your command?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Yes, that's correct.

MS VAN DER WALT: And Piet Wessels?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: He had the rank of Field Cornet, Chairperson.

MS VAN DER WALT: And you go further in paragraph 13, page 47, Chairperson.  You make mention of the fact that in November 1993 you were given instructions by the head Kommandant, Burger Terre'blanche to present training courses in explosives, is that correct?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: That's correct, Chairperson.

MS VAN DER WALT: And did you do that?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Yes, I did present these courses, Chairperson.

MS VAN DER WALT: And these courses, who were they presented to?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Chairperson, at that time my first course was for Mr Piet Wessels and Piet Breytenbach, Chairperson, as well as the head Kommandant Burger Terre'blanche.  He also attended these courses.

MS VAN DER WALT: And these are the course you presented at Sannieshof?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: That's correct, Chairperson.

MS VAN DER WALT: Did you also give courses to other people in the AWB?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Yes, I did, Chairperson, it was the instruction of the Kommandant of the different regions and certain people were identified who then had to be trained.

MS VAN DER WALT: And that was then in the use of explosives?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: That is correct.

MS VAN DER WALT: And during February 1994 there was a meeting at Ventersdorp, can you just tell the Committee were meetings often held at Ventersdorp?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Yes, there were lots of meetings held there.

MS VAN DER WALT: Why was Ventersdorp the place where meetings were to be held?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Because the head office of the AWB was situated there, Chairperson and it was also centrally located to all the, as far as all the fighting Generals are concerned.

MS VAN DER WALT: And Eugene Terre'blanche, was that also his office?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Yes, that was indeed the case, it was his office.

MS VAN DER WALT: And during this meeting did you receive any instructions?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Yes, I did, Chairperson.  At this meeting I received instructions from my General, Nico Fourie, to start with this onslaught against the election which was to follow.

MS VAN DER WALT: And this General Fourie, was he one of the Generals who died in the skirmish which took place in Mmabatho?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: That is correct, Chairperson.

MS VAN DER WALT: Can you remember the exact date when you received this instruction?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Unfortunately not.

MS VAN DER WALT: But it was before the Mmabatho incident?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: That's correct, yes.

MS VAN DER WALT: And was it said to you that you must now start with the operations?  Where would this have been?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: It would have taken place in my region, the diamond region.

MS VAN DER WALT: And did they tell you which targets you had to identify?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Yes, the targets were white schools which became non-white schools, as well as any institutions which the National Party or the ANC Alliance was in favour or they were in favour of those parties.

MS VAN DER WALT: And were instructions given with regards to certain people?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: That is correct, Chairperson.  People in the ANC who were in favour of the ANC/PAC Alliance and more specifically their businesses or their property.

MS VAN DER WALT: What was the purpose, why did you have to focus on these targets?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Chairperson, according to the information which we received and also the instruction, these were the people who in the community if we acted against them we would have been able to prevent the elections.

MS VAN DER WALT: Are these then people who supported the ANC/SACP Alliance?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: Yes.

MS VAN DER WALT: After the meeting in Ventersdorp you attended a further meeting - and that's on page 49, Chairperson, at a certain Mr Koos Hough, is that correct?

DE WET JOHAN STRYDOM: That is correct.

MS VAN DER WALT: What type of meeting was this?