Amnesty Hearings — Pietermaritzburg — UNKNOWN

CHAIRPERSON: In paragraph 28 would you make the observation as to how you saw this body of roughly 16 000 special constables, with some municipal constables, which was attached to the police force of 48 000?

WITNESS:   They were an auxiliary or third force that was similar to the forces that were used with success in Rhodesia.

CHAIRPERSON: And in this respect I shall return to the document

CHAIRPERSON: /when we

CHAIRPERSON: when we deal with your notes.  Now, is it correct that in paragraph 30 you observe that the document does not only deal with the special constables, but with almost every aspect of life?  Is that correct?

WITNESS:   That is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: Such as?

WITNESS:   It included the areas of the church, the media and education, the foreign policy of the country, and issues like sanctions against the Government, but is specifically aimed at the restoring of law and order within the boundaries of the Republic, and defeating the revolutionary onslaught.

CHAIRPERSON: You also make the point, which I think you have made briefly, that in the mid- to late-80s there was chaos and rioting took place over the country.

WITNESS:   That is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: And how was this seen at that point in time by the officers or officials of the Joint Management System in the Pietermaritzburg divisional area?

WITNESS:   It was seen that there was total chaos in this area.

CHAIRPERSON: Was there any pressure?

WITNESS:   There was an enormous amount of pressure placed on the Riot Unit to try and solve the problems within this province, and specifically within the Pietermaritzburg area.

CHAIRPERSON: I shall ask you to come back to this aspect when we deal with your notes.  I just want to deal by way of introductory summary with the role of the South African Police Force in this National Joint Management System.  What role did the police play as an institution in this system?

WITNESS:   It was responsible for implementing the total strategy against the revolutionary onslaught.

CHAIRPERSON: And you have attached documents which you have collectively identified as annexure B to your affidavit.  	/---   That

CHAIRPERSON: ---   That is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: Let us just identify the documents, and if I may ask you and the Chairperson, as well as the Commissioners, to go to Volume II on page 328.  Page 328 of Volume II, marked B.  My learned junior observes that he has marked it with a flag, and that you will have a B there next to it.  Now, this is a covering letter which is dated May of 1986, and it is again a letter which attaches certain documentation to all divisional commissioners, all police head office sections, as well as the district commandant of Walvis Bay, is that correct?

WITNESS:   That is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: It deals with the role of the South African Police within the National Management System.

WITNESS:   That is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: It complains that the system is not working to well at that point in time in practice, and senior officers are requested to do certain things, is that correct?  To see to it more particularly that the system is improved on the ground or in practice.

WITNESS:  That is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: In a secret document from page 330, which is annexure A, there is a document which deals with the onslaught against the Republic of South Africa, is that correct?

WITNESS:   Yes, that is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: And a management philosophy is set out in this secret document.

WITNESS:   Yes, that is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: Annexure B of this document of annexure B, on page 334, contains a diagram setting out how the National Management System will be operating in practice, is that correct?

WITNESS:   Yes, that is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: I will bring you back to this document also to provide certain free English translations for that, and an 	/explanation

CHAIRPERSON: explanation of the diagram, but this diagram shows how, from the State President down to the Cabinet and various Cabinet Committees, the Management System would be operating, is that correct?

WITNESS:   Yes, that is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: If we look briefly at the last column the 12 GBS, as it is called here, would be Joint Management Centres in the various divisions, or 12 divisions, is that correct?

WITNESS:   That is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: One would have been Pietermaritzburg.

WITNESS:   Yes, that is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: And of course, in order to complete this picture, at the bottom of that there should actually be one last column dealing with Mini or Local Joint Management Centres, such as the one that you were the chairperson of in New Hanover.

WITNESS:   Yes, that is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: And there would be hundreds of them all over the country.

WITNESS:   That is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: We will come back to that.  Annexure C deals with what is called the nodal point, is that correct?

WITNESS:   Yes, that is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: That's a person who would act as a nodal point, where information will be gathered, and would then be sent through.  We'll deal with that briefly.  Is it correct that on page 339 there is also a document which is addressed to senior officers dealing with the involvement of the South African Police in the National Management System?  On page 339.

WITNESS:   Yes, that is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: That is from the officer of General-Major Genis, G-e-n-i-s, is that correct?

WITNESS:   That is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: Major-General.  From page 344, and especially from page 326, there are certain documents dealing with counter 	/measures

CHAIRPERSON: measures against the overflow of violence into white areas, and the quelling of riots in a small rural black township, is that correct?

WITNESS:   Yes, that is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: Now, some of these documents have the appearance of lectures.  Where did you get these documents - copies of?

WITNESS:   These documents all form part of my work situation, and were documents that I needed and required to use to implement my work and the instructions from head office.

CHAIRPERSON: Was there a manual?

WITNESS:   There was a manual.

CHAIRPERSON: Who used the manual?

WITNESS:   The manual was used by Captain Terblanche - Major Terblanche.

CHAIRPERSON: Of Riot Unit 8?

WITNESS:   That is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: And was this manual available to the senior officers?

WITNESS:   Yes, it was.

CHAIRPERSON: In paragraph 32 of your affidavit on page 14 - if I may refer you to that page, Mr Chairperson, Mr Vice-Chairperson, Commissioners - you have summarised the contents of annexure B.

WITNESS:   That is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: Would you take us through paragraph 32 please.  Paragraph 32 on page 14 of Volume I.

CHAIRPERSON: "It seems clear from the documents that there was what was considered by the South African Police and the Government to be a total onslaught against the Republic of South Africa, and that a total strategy was necessary in order to counter such onslaught.  There is contained in the documents a philosophy of management of the situation and the implementation of the total strategy against the onslaught, including

CHAIRPERSON: /"references

CHAIRPERSON: "references to various types of actions in order to counter such onslaught.  The management philosophy, as it was called, was aimed at the continued existence of the State and the national interests of the Republic of South Africa, as it is called in the document.  It will be seen from the document that the "stratkom" played an important point in the Joint Management System of the total strategy against the total onslaught.  The document deals in detail with required conduct and actions in the event of riots and in the event of internal unrest situations, as well as in the event of any attempt to further the onslaught."